As Dr. Ashwani Monga begins his term as interim president of the University of West Georgia this week, he will bring over two decades of higher education experience to advance the university. 

Monga has been a faculty member at business schools and has served in various leadership roles, most recently as the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of the University System of Georgia (USG).

“Today marks the beginning of my journey as interim president of the University of West Georgia, and I am thrilled to join this vibrant community,” Monga said in messages on Monday to students, faculty and staff. "It is the privilege of a lifetime for me to lead this terrific institution, and I will not waste a single moment. I will push on many fronts, but there is one goal that I want to focus on: helping more students cross the finish line to graduation.”

As USG’s chief academic officer, Monga leads the academic enterprise of a system of 26 public institutions, overseeing student and faculty initiatives across all institutions, as well as the Georgia Film Academy, the Georgia Public Library Service, the Georgia Archives, and Galileo, which is the state’s virtual library. He also holds a faculty appointment at the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

While serving in the system office, Monga has played an integral role in the progress of UWG on many critical fronts, including the approval of new academic programs and the transition to become an NCAA Division I athletics member. As interim president, he will now play a more direct role in continuing the momentum of the university.

Prior to joining USG, Monga held several leadership roles, including as provost and executive vice chancellor at Rutgers University—Newark, where he was the university’s chief academic officer. He was a faculty member at Rutgers Business School and before that, at the University of South Carolina, and the University of Texas, San Antonio. Monga has received several awards for his teaching and has been commended for his research excellence. He has published in leading marketing journals and has co-authored a book, “Becoming a Consumer Psychologist.”

Monga holds a Ph.D. in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor of Technology from the National Dairy Research Institute, India.

At the conclusion of the search for the next permanent president of the university, Monga will return to his executive vice chancellor role at the USG.

For more information on Interim President Monga, visit UWG’s Office of the President webpage.