Tomás Díaz de la Rubia
Tomás Díaz de la Rubia is senior vice president for research and partnerships at the University of Arizona. He is a science and technology leader, strategist, and administrator with extensive experience in national laboratories, academia, and the private sector. Díaz de la Rubia is a full professor of materials science in the College of Engineering.
In his current role, Díaz de la Rubia is leading efforts to position the U of A as a national and global leader at the intersection of space and national security; AI and the future of health; sustainable mining and critical minerals; and the future of fusion energy and energy abundance for the planet. He is leading the development of a new strategic framework and plan for research across these vectors that will propel the university forward, while building on its strengths in space science; optical science and quantum systems; agriculture and the life sciences; biomedical research; environmental research and water; and the social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. In parallel, he is focused on increasing the U of A’s impact on the local community and society overall through partnerships with the private sector, and the translation and commercialization of university discoveries and inventions into high value startup companies and technology licenses that create jobs and prosperity.
Díaz de la Rubia is a parent member of the Defense Science Board (DSB), which advises the Office of the Secretary of Defense on Science and Technology relevant to the security of the nation and served six years as a member of the National Academies Intelligence Community Studies Board. He co-chaired the DSB’s study on Climate Change and Global Security, is a member of the permanent task force on nuclear surety and is currently involved in conducting a study on Homeland Defense. He also served six years as a member of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Intelligence Community Studies Board at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
He currently chairs the Board of Directors of CRFD Global, a non-profit that contracts with the U.S. State Department and other government agencies to provide security assistance to U.S. allies around the world. He is a past board member of the National Defense Industry Association and serves on the board of advisors of several startup companies.
According to Google Scholar, Díaz de la Rubia’s publications h-index is 62, and he is listed as one of the top 2% of most cited scientists in the world in the 2023 Stanford/Elsevier ranking. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Previously, he has served as in leadership roles at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Deloitte Consulting, Purdue University, and most recently, the University of Oklahoma.