Tomás Díaz de la Rubia Selected as SVP for Research and Innovation

Dear colleagues,

I am very pleased to share with you that Dr. Tomás Díaz de la Rubia will join us as the University of Arizona’s new Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation, beginning Nov. 11. A highly accomplished scientist, distinguished faculty colleague, and collaborative research executive, Dr. Díaz de la Rubia has spent his career building successful teams and empowering individual researchers to drive organizational success. His experience as a leader in academia, government, and the private sector give him the ideal background to lead the U of A’s research enterprise to new heights. 

My thanks to the search committee, chaired by Dean Mike Abecassis of the College of Medicine – Tucson, for identifying strong candidates through a national search and advancing four exceptional finalists. I also express my sincere thanks to Elliott Cheu, who has led the Division of Research, Innovation, and Impact commendably for more than a year. Dr. Cheu is a dedicated and selfless leader as well as a talented scientist and professor, and I am grateful for his contributions.

Dr. Díaz de la Rubia has led the research enterprise at the University of Oklahoma as Vice President for Research and Partnerships since 2019. He reports to OU’s president and works with colleagues throughout the university to advance research and creative activity.

This role at OU was preceded by three decades advancing research in a variety of settings. At Purdue University, he served as Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Vice President for Discovery Park, and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Physics. Before this, he deepened government-industry collaboration at Deloitte. He began his career as a researcher and leader advancing the national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness mission of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

His scientific achievements are equally impressive, with around 150 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings. While at LLNL, he helped lead the development of the Laser Inertial Fusion Engine and its associated patents. That effort enabled the Laboratory’s achievement of the first instance of scientific fusion ignition and energy gain in December 2022, a landmark accomplishment for the nation and the world.

Dr. Díaz de la Rubia has a record of building strong partnerships with funding agencies and elected leaders, which will be critically important for the U of A to continue its tradition of excellence. His capacity for partnership-building applies within the university as well, and Dr. Díaz de la Rubia is an inclusive leader, dedicated to working with faculty, staff, and students to advance institutional success. He has shared with me his excitement to get to know our U of A research community, both within the Division of Research, Innovation and Impact, and throughout the colleges and centers.

The University of Arizona’s reputation is thanks to the work of our faculty, staff and students. Their contributions to our record of research excellence and to the transformation of new ideas into tangible benefits drive our impact throughout Arizona and the world. Dr. Díaz de la Rubia has also spent his entire career pursuing such a mission with great success, and I am truly looking forward to welcoming him to our community.

Sincerely,
Suresh

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