Radha Pyati

Dr. Radha Pyati assumed the role of Chancellor of Penn State Berks in July 2023. In this position, she is responsible for all aspects of college administration. Previously, Pyati served as the Dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics at West Chester University. She is an accomplished researcher, teacher, chemist, author, award-winning environmentalist, and a leader in STEM education.

Statewide media organization City & State PA recently recognized Pyati as one of its 2024 Trailblazers in Higher Education. City & State PA is a multimedia news firm that provides nonpartisan coverage of Pennsylvania’s state and local government, political, and advocacy news. In addition, Lehigh Valley Business featured Pyati in this year's Education Power List, which includes 25 area leaders across the education industry in the Lehigh Valley.

Throughout her career, Pyati has been committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in education. In her current role as Chancellor of Penn State Berks, one of her goals is for Penn State Berks to serve Berks County's growing Hispanic and Latino population in a wide range of ways.

Pyati's leadership at Penn State Berks is marked by her dedication to enhancing student outcomes and fostering an inclusive academic environment. She has also been involved in various community and external relations, building partnerships with federal and state legislators.

While at West Chester University, Pyati was awarded a four-week Fulbright Specialist grant to share chemistry education expertise with the students, faculty and staff at the University of Đà Nẵng – University of Science and Education in Vietnam from December 7 – January 5, 2023.

In addition, Pyati founded West Chester’s Center for STEM Inclusion. In January 2023, the Center of STEM Inclusion received a $716,000 Community Project Funding federal grant for a project titled ‘West Chester University Moon Shot: I Want to STEM (sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics)!’

Prior to her role at West Chester, Pyati served as director of the Environmental Center at the University of North Florida, where she was the principal investigator on the State of the River Report for Lower St. Johns River Basin, for which she won the 2018 City of Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Award of Merit. She also served as chemistry department chair, professor of chemistry, president of the Faculty Association and UNF trustee. Previously, Pyati was an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. 

Pyati holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ohio State University and a doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An accomplished researcher, she has authored more than 40 papers, book chapters, and reports in chemistry and environmental science and participated in over 30 research projects as a principal investigator.