Ivan Pulinkala, Provost of Kennesaw State University, is a transformative leader renowned for founding Georgia's largest collegiate dance program and driving significant advancements in arts education, with a notable background directing a dance company in India.
Ivan Pulinkala commenced his illustrious career in New Delhi, directing his own dance company and serving as choreographer-in-residence for Delhi Music Theatre, earning recognition as one of India’s top 25 artists of the Millennium by India Today. In 2005, he transitioned to the U.S. and founded the Program in Dance at Kennesaw State University (KSU), later becoming the inaugural Chair of the Department of Dance in 2012. Pulinkala advanced to Dean of the College of the Arts from 2018-2021, and officially assumed the role of Provost in December 2022.
Pulinkala holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama, an M.F.A. in Dance from Mills College, and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from Hindu College, Delhi University. He developed Georgia’s largest collegiate dance program and Atlanta’s only discipline-specific Dance Theatre. His leadership at KSU resulted in the institution’s first graduate arts degree, a 41% increase in enrollment, and over $21 million in raised funds.
