Dr. Sanjay Rai
courtesy Montgomery College
Montgomery College’s Dr. Sanjay Rai will be acting secretary of Maryland’s Higher Education Commission.
Governor Wes Moore announced his appointment Wednesday. Rai is expected to start his new role in early May.
“Dr. Rai brings more than 30 years of career experience and dedicated commitment to innovation, access, and leadership in higher education,” said Gov. Moore in a statement. “The Maryland Higher Education Commission is critical to creating success for Maryland’s students and I look forward to the transformative partnerships Dr. Rai will forge to build pathways to work, wages and wealth.”
Dr. Rai currently is the senior vice president for academic affairs for Montgomery College. In that role, he has advanced innovations to foster student success in academic, career, technical, and workforce development programs. He has led efforts to improve both access to education and student success.
“Based on his many years of leadership here at Montgomery College, we are confident that Dr. Rai will continue his tradition of educational innovation as Maryland’s secretary of higher education,” Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Michael Brintnall said. “He is keenly focused on preparing students for success academically and in the workforce, which thereby contributes to growth for our region’s employers and enriches our communities. We wish Dr. Rai the very best in this exciting role on Gov. Moore’s Cabinet.”
With his community college background, Dr. Rai provides a unique and valuable perspective on the need for post-secondary education to align with academic and workforce needs. Dr. Rai also helped in the creation of programs that meet the needs of emerging industries like cloud computing, cybersecurity, cell and gene therapy, and data science.
“Dr. Rai’s qualifications and accomplishments make him uniquely situated to support Gov. Moore’s vision for advancing higher education in Maryland,” said Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams. “His accomplishments while at Montgomery College (MC) have benefitted thousands of students, bolstered the College’s academic programs, and forged valuable collaborations with community, industry, and government. His dedication to equity, innovation, and academic excellence has made a very real difference for all of us at Montgomery College. We look forward to partnering with Dr. Rai and Gov. Moore’s office to continue working for student success in Montgomery County and across Maryland.”
Photo courtesy Montgomery College
