Open forums set for Fralin Life Sciences Institute executive director finalists
The search committee for Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Sciences Institute executive director position will host open forum sessions, in-person and virtually, for four finalists who will visit the campus this month.
Reporting to Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Dan Sui, the executive director will have the opportunity to shape the institute’s strategic direction by establishing priorities and leveraging existing strengths and resources, including its talented faculty and cutting-edge facilities.
Karen Roberto, University Distinguished Professor and executive director of Virginia Tech’s Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, is chair of the search committee and invites members of the campus community to meet the finalists during the open forums. The finalists will share their visions for the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Questions may be submitted during the live discussions, and feedback on the candidates can be shared with the search committee following each session.
Robert Kirken
Aug. 23, 9-10 a.m.
Inn at Virginia Tech, Holtzman Assembly Hall
Since 2005, as dean of the College of Science at the University of Texas at El Paso, Kirken has directed operations and planning for the college that includes the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics along with programs in bioinformatics and computational science consisting of more than 120 tenured/tenure-track faculty, 50 lecturers, and 150 staff. Prior, he was professor of the university’s biological sciences department, with research focused on immune-derived diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and the rejection of transplanted organs. Also, as chair of the department, Kirken maintained high-end research labs and equipment and supported faculty engaged in research ranging from molecular immunology to climate change. Additionally, Kirken was an associate professor at the University of Texas at Houston Medical School and held several staff scientist appointments. He holds a doctorate of biomedical sciences from Wright State University and a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Olivet College.
Register to attend by Zoom or in-person.
Joan Bienvenue
Aug. 25, 9-10 a.m.
Inn at Virginia Tech, Holtzman Assembly Hall
Bienvenue is the first executive director of the Oak Ridge Institute at the University of Tennessee, established to align expertise and infrastructure of the laboratory and the university in support of world-leading research and talent development. Also as vice provost, Bienvenue has a track record of leveraging university programs and sponsored research to address national priorities. Prior to joining Oak Ridge, she was senior executive director of the Applied Research Institute at the University of Virginia (UVA), which she launched in June 2013. Additionally, Bienvenue served as program manager and chief scientist of Biometrics/Health and Life Sciences for Lockheed Martin with responsibility for program management, business development, research commercialization, and technical leadership. She is a chemist by training, with a doctorate in chemistry from UVA, a master's degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven, a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Rivier University, and an MBA from the University of Mary Washington.
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Robin McCarley
Aug. 29, 9-10 a.m.
Inn at Virginia Tech, Holtzman Assembly Hall
McCarley is the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) program director for the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and the Louisiana State University Alumni Association Endowed Professor of Chemistry. Prior to joining Louisiana State University (LSU), McCarley was chair of the Institute for Advanced Materials, a shared instrumentation facility at the university, of which he helped establish. He also co-directed LSU’s Superfund Research Center and the Center for Biomodular MultiScale Systems among several other leadership roles he has held over his professional career. McCarley’s research interests include fluorescent probes of disease-linked biomarkers, liposomal drug delivery systems, surface chemistry, polymer chemistry, nanoscience, and bioanalytical/physical chemistry, with current interests in stimuli-responsive materials for measurement science applications and tissue imaging. McCarley received his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Stephen Ekker
Aug. 31, 9-10 a.m.
Inn at Virginia Tech, Holtzman Assembly Hall
As dean of the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and director of the clinic’s Office of Entrepreneurship, Ekker defines and implements the strategic vision for the graduate school in alignment with the college’s and Mayo Clinic’s strategic plan. Since 2013, he has served as associate director of Mayo’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Ph.D. training track and director of Mayo Clinic’s Office of Entrepreneurship. In his lab, Ekker develops and deploys new precision molecular genetic tools using the zebrafish as the pioneering animal model to enable a better understanding of the human genome. Additionally, Ekker is the founding scientist and chief executive officer of Lifengine Animal Health Laboratories and the founding president/guild master of the Genome Writers Guild Genome Engineering Society. He holds a doctorate of molecular biology and genetics from the Johns Hopkins University and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in electrical engineering and genetics and developmental biology.
Register to attend by Zoom or in-person.
The Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech, one of the university’s seven research institutes, is an instrument of strategic university investment committed to enhancing the quality, quantity, and competitiveness of life sciences research, education, and outreach across the university and the world. Faculty actively participate in institute-sponsored activities, including participation in institute-funded centers and focus areas, and use core facilities housed and supported by the institute.
