AUSTIN – Keith McDowell, vice president of research and vice provost at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, was appointed vice chancellor for research and technology transfer of The University of Texas System. The appointment, announced today (May 8) by Chancellor Mark G. Yudof, is effective June 1.
McDowell, a chemist, will return to Texas and the UT System after four successful years as the first senior research and technology transfer executive at the University of Alabama. He joined the Alabama administration in 2003 after serving as vice president for research and information technology at UT Arlington, where he joined the faculty in 1991 as chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department and later became associate dean of science and then dean of the graduate school.
“We are extremely delighted that Keith McDowell has agreed to return to the UT System,” Chancellor Yudof said. “At The University of Alabama and UT Arlington he has demonstrated a sure grasp of the importance of the commercialization of research to both the economy and the academic enterprise. He knows how to bring the best of both worlds together in a mutually beneficial partnership. We know he'll do a wonderful job for the System and the people of Texas.”
"I'm excited about returning to Texas and joining the administration of one of our nation's elite university systems,” McDowell said. “The investments in research within The University of Texas System are leading to global competitiveness and high technology jobs for Texas. It is an honor and privilege for me to become a part of that endeavor."
In his four years at Alabama, McDowell focused resources on building the institution’s research and technology transfer infrastructure, recruiting top-talent researchers, and increasing federally sponsored programs. As a result of these efforts, the university experienced almost 59 percent growth in sponsored programs. He also serves as the executive director of the Alabama EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) program, where he oversees initiatives in support of the state’s research competitiveness, collaborations and integrated education and research programs.
While at UT Arlington, McDowell was credited with greatly improving the institution’s research profile. Among the accomplishments under his leadership include the formation of the Arlington Technology Incubator and UT Arlington's inclusion in the SPRING consortium, a nanotechnology initiative involving UT Austin, UT Dallas and Rice University.
The UT System Office of Research and Technology Transfer was established by Chancellor Yudof in 2005. As vice chancellor for research and technology transfer, McDowell will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to expand and enhance research funding at UT System institutions. He will facilitate collaboration among the academic and health campuses to develop joint proposals to increase grants and contracts from external sources. McDowell will also assist UT institutions with research, technology development, technology transfer and commercialization.
Additionally, he will also be responsible for fostering effective relationships among the university community, governmental entities, national laboratories, foundations, industry leaders, and the private sector. McDowell will also work closely with state economic development programs, specifically the Texas Enterprise Fund and Emerging Technology Fund.
In fiscal year (FY) 2007, the State of Texas invested $1.7 billion in the 15 UT institutions through general revenue, enabling exploration, innovation and ingenuity while educating an advanced workforce. These funds leveraged $1.8 billion for research endeavors, 14 start-up companies (66 in the last five years), 117 U.S. patents (553 in the last five years), and 655 invention disclosures (2,770 in the last five years), ultimately creating new jobs, products and services.
McDowell succeeds Robert E. Barnhill, who resigned last December. Arjuna Sanga has served as interim vice chancellor for research and technology transfer and will return to his previous position as associate vice chancellor for technology transfer.
McDowell earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Wake Forest University and a doctoral degree in chemical physics from Harvard University. He began his teaching career on the chemistry faculty at Clemson University, was a research associate at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and was honored twice with the Harvard Teaching Fellow Award for excellence in teaching. An Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, McDowell is also a member of The American Chemical Society, The American Physical Society and the National Council of University Research Administrators.
The UT System is one of the nation's largest higher education systems with 15 campuses – including nine academic and six health institutions – and an annual operating budget of $10 billion (FY 2007). Student enrollment exceeded 190,000 in the 2006 academic year. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of Texas health care professionals. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas.
