Uttam Gaulee, Ph.D., is a transformative higher education leader known for advancing academic innovation through inclusive, mission-driven leadership. Widely recognized as an “edupreneur,” he brings a unique blend of scholarly depth, strategic foresight, and collaborative acumen that has earned him national and international distinction. A respected professor and academic executive, Dr. Gaulee is deeply committed to aligning institutional vision with evolving educational needs—whether through future-focused program development, equity-centered faculty advancement, or student-centered learning environments. His leadership is marked by a quiet yet catalytic influence, mobilizing cross-functional teams, optimizing resources, and forging strategic partnerships that drive both academic excellence and community impact. With a global perspective and entrepreneurial spirit, he champions solutions that blend academic integrity with innovation, preparing institutions and learners to thrive in a complex and changing world.
A policy analyst, author, and grants administrator, Dr. Gaulee currently serves as a tenured full professor in the Department of Advanced Studies, leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University. He served as the Chair of the University Council at his institution from 2019 to 2021 and played a pivotal role in cultivating an effective relationship between the faculty and the administration. With a strong understanding of shared governance and the necessity of shared excitement towards a common goal, he established a research and creative activities committee within the University Council to generate a common effort toward elevating the institution to a higher level of research activity. As a champion of inclusion and excellence, he advocated for the faculty and introduced the principle of fairness in the institution as the entire higher education industry suffered financially during the pandemic. His research agenda intersect international higher education systems, diaspora studies, interdisciplinary perspectives on education policy, global citizenship, and cross-cultural issues in international development and geopolitics. Dr. Gaulee is an advocate of community college as a vehicle for social progress and economic development in and beyond the United States. He recently edited a volume on Global Adaptations of Community College Infrastructure.
Dr. Gaulee has devoted over two decades of his academic and professional life to promoting solutions related to student success, workforce development, and institutional effectiveness. While serving in increasingly higher capacities of the Community College Futures Assembly and Bellwether College Consortium between 2012 and 2016, he collaborated with multiple national commissions and affiliated councils of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to evaluate and promote best practices among community colleges and hosted national policy summits on workforce development, reverse transfer, and talent pipeline management.
A Fulbright Scholar and Cross Award recipient (2016) from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Dr. Gaulee is actively promoting and developing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in various developing countries. As a native of Nepal, Dr. Gaulee has been directly contributing to the advancement of the higher education sector of his homeland. A global survey of Nepali diaspora scholars led by him has generated ideas of Brain Gain for the context of Nepal. His article Leveraging Diasporic Power for Nation Building has been well received in Nepal’s policy circle. Additionally, his idea of developing technical and vocational colleges to engage the youth in communities and creating pathways for the diaspora to contribute to social and economic progress by humanizing information and communication technology is becoming popular in developing countries. Dr. Gaulee is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Underrepresented and Minority Progress.
Dr. Gaulee serves as president of the Society of Transnational Academic Researchers (STAR Scholars Network), a member-supported grassroots organization building communities that support the advancement of scholars working across borders. Recently, the STAR Scholars network has been contributing to quality enhancement initiatives in universities in the global south. Watch Dr. Gaulee’s keynote speech delivered during the 8th anniversary of the STAR Scholars Network.