Ritu Raju comes from a family of teachers, so it was no surprise that the Gateway Technical College president also would make her way into the field of education.

Raju knew early on that she had a passion for the mission of two-year colleges. She was inspired by the colleges’ open access, emphasis on credentials to put students into high-wage jobs quickly and the fact that they have something for everyone, even for her younger self.

“I am a product also of a community college. Students come to two-year colleges for a variety of reasons, and it’s such an honor to be able to walk alongside them on that journey,” Raju said.

Raju has worked in higher education for about two decades, rising from an adjunct English professor to dean to college president.

She started in her role at Gateway in January 2023, succeeding Bryan Albrecht, who retired in 2022 after serving in the position since 2006.

Raju joined Gateway from Tarrant County College’s northeast campus in Texas, where she served as vice president for academic affairs. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Houston Community College.

While working at Tarrant County College, Raju said she saw the opening for a president at Gateway, a school with enrollment of 19,610 in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Wisconsin Technical College System. It has campuses in Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties.

Raju said she was immediately intrigued.

“I was very drawn to Gateway because of the excellence in technical education. Gateway is nationally known,” Raju said. “Working in tandem with industry has always inspired me, so I’m excited to be here.”

Gateway is eyeing growth as major companies flood into Racine and Kenosha counties. National and international businesses including Eli Lilly and Co., Haribo of America, Microsoft and Schutz Container Systems have been building and expanding in the region in recent years, increasing the need for a prepared workforce.

Haribo, for example, in 2023 opened its Pleasant Prairie gummi candy factory with close to 200 employees and plans to hire more. Pharmaceutical business Eli Lilly in 2024 agreed to purchase the Nexus Pharmaceuticals LLC facility in Pleasant Prairie, where it plans a $3 billion expansion.

Keeping pace with that economic growth has been a key priority for Raju over her first two years at Gateway.

“Gateway is very uniquely positioned, because we lead the charge to provide flexible, relevant education,” Raju said. “So, when industry changes, we’re very quick, we’re right alongside to adapt to those changes. Our goal is to put students into high-demand, high-wage careers that provide family-sustaining wages.”

To provide the best opportunities for growth for Gateway’s students and graduates, Raju and her staff have been hard at work forging connections with other institutions and businesses to keep open pipelines for advancement.

This includes a transfer agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Stout that allows Gateway electrical engineering technology and advanced manufacturing technology graduates to transfer their credits into UW-Stout’s automation leadership degree program and earn a bachelor’s degree within a year.

The school also recently reached an agreement for Gateway graduates who have earned an associate of arts degree or an associate of science degree to have up to 72 credits accepted by UW-Whitewater.

In addition, the college is expanding programming with help from businesses. For example, Delta Dental of Wisconsin added to state funding for technical college dental programs, including helping Gateway establish a new dental hygienist program. Gateway also received a $5.2 million donation from the U.S. Navy to expand its welding lab building.

“We definitely plan to have more in the future,” Raju said. “Our goal is to make sure that our students start here and can go anywhere. I think that’s the easiest way.”

Tying back to the community is a huge part of Raju’s leadership. She sees herself as a servant leader first and foremost. Her goal is to collaborate and be a steward of Gateway’s resources.

Forming these deep connections is nothing new for Raju, as she has been working hard throughout her career to be as rooted as possible in her communities.

Read more at the Milwaukee Business Journal.