The new president of Iowa State University will be Dr. Kumble R. Subbaswamy.

Known at the University of Kentucky campus as “Swamy,” Subbaswamy, the U of K provost since 2006, has a long relationship with the world of education and science.

In 1978, Subbaswamy became a member of the physics faculty at the University of Kentucky, where he stayed until leaving to serve as dean of arts and sciences at the University of Miami in 1997.

Upon joining the U of K staff in 1978, Subbaswamy conducted research primarily on optical properties of novel materials and nonlinear excitations in physics. He also has published more than 60 research articles and co-authored a monograph, according to his biography.

At his open forum last Thursday, Subbaswamy said, “We must be committed to a meaning of globalization. Certainly it needs to be a coherent, organized, university-wide effort.”

There were several critical questions regarding how Iowa State was going to keep up with globalization in both the economic and the educational sphere.

His solution is to think innovation. He cited exploiting advantages through innovation, capital and know-how. This combination still exists in the U.S., and it’s the advantage it retains, especially regarding university investment and innovation.

“We talked about innovation being critically important,” he said. “It implies working outside of the box, and if you work inside the box, you’ll keep getting the same result.”

Part of Subbaswamy’s plan for innovation is to reach out to other universities abroad in order to keep up with globalization.

“The challenge in the on-going world, when so many universities are trying to make American partners, is trying to make strategic relationships,” he said.

Subbaswamy continued to state that overcoming economic struggles is one of the biggest problems facing education.

“At the same time that demand is growing, the state contribution to education is declining,” Subbaswamy said.

He also stated that the system is overburdened, and therefore hurting investment in state and federal education funding.

Despite the economic struggles, Subbaswamy emphasized the importance of research institutions in the increasingly globalized economy and is impressed by the student-centered research attitude at Iowa State.

He stated that research is important, especially at a land-grant institution like Iowa State, because universities remain leaders in research. Although it is expensive and federal funding is declining, research and development and job creation remain important.

He later altered his statement to say that it is not necessarily that the university creates jobs but instead creates the “know-how” and tries to get it out on the market.

“We need incubators through critical land-grant universities for promoting research and intentional effort to bring practical benefits from university research,” Subbaswamy said.

Finally, his strongest point regarding research was the importance of the role of students.

“You should start with the notion that Iowa State is and will remain the most student-centered research university,” he said.