It took Pradeep K. Khosla a few years working as an engineering assistant and a project engineer to realize he wanted to be working in education instead.
His mother was a school teacher, inspiring some of his passion for the field. He also enjoyed doing research, and found it more fun and interesting at an academic institution.
“I wanted to be in research and be a professor, so the best way to do that was to come get an education in the U.S.,” Khosla said.
He would go on to get his master’s and a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, then worked there for almost 30 years as a graduate research assistant, professor and eventually the dean of its college of engineering. Khosla’s resume lists well over 200 contributions to books, journal articles and conference articles, as well as three co-written books of his own about electrical and computer engineering.
He said he transferred from Carnegie Mellon to UC San Diego because it was the next step in the higher education hierarchy. He became UCSD’s eighth chancellor in August 2012.
“When I left (Carnegie Mellon University), I had been the dean of engineering for eight years (and) I was a university professor for six of those eight years, so that’s the highest title you can get (there),” Khosla said, adding that UC San Diego came to him about their vacant chancellor position in 2012.
He said going from a private institution-oriented career to a completely public institution, the structural differences have been one of his biggest challenges.
“In a public institution, there are structures that force the issue like shared governance and stuff like that, so one has to not only learn but accept this notion that you might be the final decision maker, but you’re not the only person in that path to a decision,” Khosla said. “It’s a lot more collaborative things. A lot more teamwork is going on, and staff are involved.”
One of the first initiatives under Khosla was a 10-year strategic plan for expansion and more notoriety. The plan also aided UC San Diego athletics’ transition to full NCAA Division I eligibility in 2024, which, in his eyes, helped to improved campus life and culture, something he wants to continue working on.
“I think the whole evolution that you have seen in the last 14 years on this campus, it’s not just about construction, it’s about creating a better student experience in every which way one can,” Khosla said.
When it comes to continuing to improve the campus, last year, UC San Diego announced it was building a new food hall near the Jolla Playhouse, which is scheduled to open in August. Khosla said he wants STATION8 to become a campus destination where the public can get high-end meals before a show and change the perception of what can be offered at UC San Diego.
“I know the complaint will be that not all students can afford this, but you know, even as a student, people want to go out to high-end expensive dates every so often, so why not on campus…,” Khosla said.
Here are his favorite places for dining and visiting in and around the UC San Diego campus.
Pradeep K. Khosla is UC San Diego’s eighth chancellor, holding the position since August 2012. (Erik Jepsen, UC San Diego)
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?
A: On the UC San Diego campus: Bistro, Dora and Caroline’s. So like the Bistro, for example, I say, this is where you can get world-class sushi at street prices. You will not find better sushi. And we have chefs who are like really top-notch. … In the greater La Jolla area: Buonasera, Regents Pizza, Piatti, Shorehouse Kitchen, Jeff’s Burgers and The Corner.
Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?
A: Bacio di Latte — love a good gelato! It just started, like, less than 6 months ago, I think. It’s unbelievable. You have to go taste it. For example, this is like real gelato that tastes like ice cream. … The flavors are just amazing.
Q: Where is your favorite open space?
A: Sun God Lawn on the UC San Diego campus. The Sun God lawn used to be like this little grassy area, where the sun god statue is. But as I thought about the campus, I wanted something like a large grassy lawn interspersed between concrete or buildings. So the Sun God Lawn was the first lawn where we expanded and more than triple or quadrupled its size. … People hang out there and the Sun God is the iconic (art) piece for us on this campus.
Fallen Star by artist Do Ho Suh hangs off the side of Jacobs Hall at UC San Diego on April 6, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Fallen Star by artist Do Ho Suh hangs off the side of Jacobs Hall at UC San Diego on April 6, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Show Caption
1 of 2
Fallen Star by artist Do Ho Suh hangs off the side of Jacobs Hall at UC San Diego on April 6, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?
A: Fallen Star, part of the Stuart Collection on campus at UC San Diego. It’s an amazing art piece that is in the Jacobs School of Engineering. It’s on top of one of the buildings. It is a house sitting on the corner of a building, which is like five degrees tilted. It’s from a Korean artist, Do Ho Su and the whole idea of the Fallen Star is that it’s literally a house, a small house. But it is 75% to scale, and it is five degrees tilted. So when you go there, everything seems about right. But nothing feels right. So it is the immigrant experience, according to me.
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?
A: La Jolla Playhouse (and) the Epstein Family Amphitheater. … So the playhouse, I think, is a real gem on our campus. It is an independent 501C3 that sits on our campus, on our space, in our buildings and it has an amazing, very prestigious history. … In 38 years in existence, they have sent 37 plays to Broadway. But not just that, our theater and dance department, which is in the top five departments of the country, uses the playhouse as the experiential basis for our MFA program, so our students get trained there. So it’s a very beautiful relationship we have with the playhouse. It’s something I’m really proud of.