Prof. A.M. Pathan is a distinguished academician and professor of geology with a career spanning four decades. As a student he was a first ranker throughout and had the rare honour of being awarded the Pavate Wrangler award twice by the Karnatak university and was nominated by Indian National Science Academy (INSA) as a Member of Indian National Committee for International Union of Geological Sciences.

Beginning his career as lecturer of geology at the Bangalore University, he progressed to become the Professor and Head of the Department of Geology. He has served in many distinguished capacities in that University as In charge Vice chancellor, Registrar, Registrar (Evaluation). He was appointed as officer on Special duty for the establishment of KSOU.

In 1996, Prof. Pathan was appointed as Vice chancellor of the Karnatak University, Dharwar, a position that he held with distinction for two consecutive terms. In 2004, he was appointed as Vice chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, a Central University at Hyderabad where he was instrumental in building the academic and physical infrastructure of the University.

Prof. Pathan has served in numerous committees at the state and national level apart from being on various Executive and academic councils of many Universities, member of various bodies of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission, on search committees for appointment of Vice Chancellor and selection committees for appointment to various academic positions. He was also the President of the association of Indian universities in 2008. He has been conferred with many honours and distinctions recognizing his able services and contributions to the field of higher education.

Prof. Pathan holds the rare distinction of being appointed as the first Vice Chancellor of the newly established Central University of Karnataka which is the fourth consecutive term of Vice Chancellorship for him. He is admired and recognized as an able and just administrator and a humane academician who has tirelessly striven to extend quality higher education to thousand of Indians in various parts of the country.