Alum Returns to Indiana College as First AI Ethics Leader

Raj Biyani's career began on a small liberal arts campus in Indiana in the late 1980s. Three decades, multiple patents, and a legendary Microsoft career later, he's back where it started.

Goshen College just welcomed Biyani as its first chief innovation officer, tasked with defining how artificial intelligence should work in higher education. The 1992 graduate isn't just bringing tech expertise. He's bringing a question that matters more: not what AI can do, but what we should do with it.

Born in India, Biyani earned degrees in computer science and accounting at Goshen before completing an MBA at the University of Chicago and Harvard's Advanced Management Program. His 17 years at Microsoft included leading a 1,200-person engineering center in India so successfully that Harvard Business School turned it into a case study.

His technical credentials run deep. Biyani holds multiple U.S. patents and served as founding product manager for what became the Microsoft App Store. He also co-produced a CNBC documentary on India's IT industry that reached millions worldwide.

But credentials weren't what brought him back to campus. After receiving Goshen's Culture for Service Award in late 2025, Biyani started volunteering. He guest-lectured in over 25 classes and designed a 12-part AI seminar for faculty and staff, all before accepting the formal position.

His influence already shows. The AI Innovators Program he helped launch has sparked 45 funded projects across 14 academic departments. Faculty and students aren't just using AI. They're questioning it.

Why This Inspires

Most schools race to adopt AI for efficiency gains. Goshen College is taking a different path. Under Biyani's leadership, the campus is building what he calls a "human wisdom" approach to technology.

"At Goshen College, we are not limiting ourselves by just asking what AI can do, but rather what we should do with it and why," Biyani explained. It's a framework that puts ethics before execution, values before velocity.

President Rebecca Stoltzfus praised the rare combination Biyani brings. "Raj brings strategic clarity, entrepreneurial energy, and humility," she said. "We are fortunate to have him not only as an accomplished alumnus but now as a colleague who will help shape our institutional strategy."

The role represents more than a homecoming for Biyani. It's a statement about what higher education can prioritize in an age of rapid technological change. While tech giants optimize for speed and scale, this small Indiana college is optimizing for wisdom and responsibility.

Biyani sees the next chapter clearly: "Those are questions worth dedicating the next chapter of my life to."