Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development

An Invitation to Apply

for the position of

Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)—a thriving, Hispanic-Serving, Carnegie R1 research university on a rapid upward trajectory towards becoming the next great public research university—invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development (SVPR). This is a rare opportunity for a visionary and ambitious leader to strengthen a burgeoning knowledge enterprise, align research and economic development activities for the benefit of the institution and surrounding region, and develop the institution’s culture as it embodies its newly achieved status as an R1 research university.

UTSA has evolved significantly as a discovery enterprise in recent years, with total research expenditures growing from $68 million in 2018 to $140 million in 2022. The university is situated in an extraordinarily collaborative research ecosystem in San Antonio, with public and private strategic partners including UT Health San Antonio, Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Joint Base San Antonio, and Port San Antonio. This ecosystem has enabled the creation of several critical initiatives, including the San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics (SAPPT), the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Center (CyManII), among many others. UTSA has played a leading role both in the region and nationally—particularly on areas related to cybersecurity and biomedical and health sciences—and it is well positioned to further influence regional, national, and global conversations as these areas grow increasingly important on the world stage.

Serving as the chief research officer for this emerging, top-tier research university, the SVPR will lead all aspects of UTSA Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise (REDKE), providing vision, strategy, oversight, and management for all aspects of the university’s research operations and administration, centers and institutes, commercialization initiatives, and economic development efforts. The SVPR will lead the UTSA community in developing an institutional culture befitting an R1 research university, assessing and modernizing the research infrastructure and support systems as needed, and working closely with leaders in faculty development and graduate education to align and strengthen these efforts. Beyond the walls of the institution, the SVPR will represent UTSA regionally, nationally, and globally, deepening existing partnerships and developing new collaborations and sources of support that enable faculty to pursue new areas of inquiry. This person will simultaneously champion UTSA’s existing strengths—including those in cybersecurity and the biomedical and health sciences—and strategically pursue new areas where UTSA can be a regional, national, or global leader. The SVPR will be supported in this work by a dedicated and talented leadership team, as well as a division of more than 150 professional staff. To successfully lead UTSA’s rapidly-evolving research enterprise, the SVPR will need an entrepreneurial spirit, strong communication skills, a commitment to transparency, a collaborative approach, and a willingness to find creative solutions for short and long-term issues.

UTSA has retained the national executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist in this search. All applications, nominations, and inquiries should be submitted in confidence through the Isaacson, Miller website: www.imsearch.com/8688

UTSA is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation.