Deepshikha Shukla serves as Associate Vice President of Business Innovation and Dean of the College of Professional and Extended Learning (CPEL) at Rockford University, where she leads initiatives that bridge higher education, workforce development, and community partnerships. As the founding dean, she has built CPEL into a hub for professional advancement, offering competency-based programs, career-focused initiatives, and RU Online, which now houses three online undergraduate majors and continues to grow. Under her leadership, the college has established additional revenue streams for the university, secured a $464,450 Illinois Youth Investment Program grant to expand career readiness programs, and positioned Rockford University as a visible contributor to the region’s economic and workforce ecosystem.

Previously, Dr. Shukla served as Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, overseeing three academic colleges, and academic support departments. She launched Rockford University’s first Business Summit, strengthening ties between higher education and local industry. Earlier, as Dean of the College of Science, Math, and Nursing, she supported the departments, faculty and students through the COVID years, and led the establishment of a yearlong onboarding program for new faculty.

A physicist by training, Dr. Shukla earned her Ph.D. in Physics from Ohio University, where her dissertation on neutron polarizabilities received the American Physical Society’s Division of Nuclear Physics Dissertation Award. She has held research and teaching appointments at institutions including the University of North Carolina, The George Washington University, and James Madison University, with published work spanning nuclear physics, pedagogy, and the intersection of science and social science.

Dr. Shukla also holds an MBA with concentrations in Project Management and in Leadership from Rockford University, blending academic expertise with organizational strategy. Her leadership extends into the community as a board member of United Way of Rock River Valley, Operating Board member of Alignment Rockford, and as a member of the Greater Rockford Chamber’s Talent Committee and the Rockford Data Advisory Council (Region 1 Planning Council). She continues to serve the local AAUW branch with STEM initiatives.

A sought-after speaker and author, Dr. Shukla has contributed thought leadership to The Voice, published by the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce, where she writes on workforce ecosystems, higher education, and skills-first hiring. Recognized with honors such as the Pow(H)er Women in Business Excellence in Leadership Award (2023), Distinguished Service Citation for the Illinois Section of AAPT, and Rockford University’s Employee of the Year (2022–23), she continues to champion innovation, equity, and collaboration in higher education and beyond.