Reena Khosla has been appointed as the special assistant to the provost for data strategy at Washington State University, focusing on enhancing data governance and systems across the institution.
Washington State University (WSU) is reinforcing its commitment to data-informed leadership with the recent appointment of Indian American data expert Reena Khosla as the special assistant to the provost for data strategy.
Khosla, a seasoned professional in higher education analytics, will oversee a comprehensive assessment of the university’s data systems and governance. Her role will involve identifying operational gaps and optimizing the use of information to enhance both academic and administrative decision-making, according to a university release.
This appointment comes at a crucial juncture as universities across the nation increasingly adopt cloud-based architectures and advanced governance frameworks to manage student and institutional data effectively.
Khosla’s journey to the Pacific Northwest is built on a strong academic and professional foundation that began in India. She earned her undergraduate degree in her home country before relocating to the United States for further studies, ultimately obtaining a master’s degree in computer science from Virginia Tech. This combination of international experience and technical expertise has shaped her two-decade career across the American heartland and the Mountain West.
Before joining WSU, Khosla served as the director of the enterprise data warehouse at Kansas State University. In that role, she was instrumental in modernizing the institution’s data architecture and launching its first cloud-based data warehouse. Her contributions extended beyond technical implementation; she emphasized the importance of organizational realignment, ensuring that data acted as a bridge connecting various campus departments rather than creating barriers.
“I’m grateful for the journey that brought me here and I’m looking forward to learning, listening, and contributing to this next chapter,” Khosla said in a recent professional update regarding her transition to WSU. She expressed her enthusiasm for helping the university “leverage data thoughtfully and strategically” across all its systems.
Khosla’s expertise is recognized beyond the confines of the campus. She serves as a board member and secretary of Higher Education Data World and has contributed as an expert panelist for the 2025 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, a prestigious publication that forecasts the future of data and analytics in higher education.
Her credentials include being a Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) and an alumna of the Harvard Management Development Program and the HERS Leadership Institute.
Khosla’s appointment also signifies a professional reunion with another notable Indian American leader at WSU. She joins Raj Khosla, the recently appointed dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), who also transitioned to the university from Kansas State.
Prior to her tenure at Kansas State, Khosla spent 19 years at Colorado State University, where she built a reputation for collaborative leadership. At WSU, she is expected to apply her relationship-driven approach to dismantle data silos and cultivate a culture where data narrates the human story of student success and institutional growth.
Her appointment reflects WSU’s strategic vision to enhance its data capabilities, ensuring that the institution remains at the forefront of data-driven decision-making in higher education, according to The American Bazaar.