Vanderbilt University Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Assistant Dean and Executive Director of the Peabody Leadership Institute

After a rigorous national search, Shilpa Patwardhan was appointed assistant dean and inaugural executive director of the Peabody Leadership Institute at Vanderbilt University’s top-ranked Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Patwardhan started her role in February 2025. At Peabody Leadership Institute, she will launch a portfolio of non-degree, multi-modal, professional short-courses, certificates, and in-person institutes that expand access to Peabody’s research and teaching.

Patwardhan’s expertise in online and professional education comes from 26 years of experience in learning technology and innovation for the private sector and higher education. She earned her master of education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and undergraduate degree from Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture in India. Before joining Peabody College, she founded revLDesign, a learning design consultancy, and was senior head of learning innovation at CFA Institute, where she established a portfolio of online professional learning certificates for the investment management and finance industry.

Patwardhan has managed online learning initiatives in higher education at several institutions. As the inaugural connected learning director at Wharton Executive Education, she created a revenue-generating online learning strategy. As the associate director of academic services at Deltak, she oversaw the design and development of several online master’s and doctoral programs at partner schools. 

Jeff Kessner led this search with Stephanie Simon and Jenny Rubin.