Research and Innovation is fundamentally the creation of new knowledge and inventing the future”

– Magesh T. Rajan

Research Growth

A seasoned leader of higher education research and innovation enterprise. I offer a diverse portfolio of successes for research and innovation growth. As a leader, I am providing vision and strategic leadership for the university’s three campuses (with 9,000 students and 1,300 faculty and staff) interdisciplinary research, innovation, and scholarship for broader societal and economic development activities with overall fiscal management of $105.8 million across 8 colleges (Engineering, Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, Agriculture, Architecture, Psychology & Juvenile Justice). I oversee, Research Administration, Industry Partnerships, Innovation, Economic Development, Title-III Programs, Research Advancement, Sponsored Programs, Graduate and Undergraduate Research, Six Research Centers and Institutes, Research Compliance and Export Controls, Land-Grant/Farm Animal Wellness Program, Commercialization, Entrepreneurship, Research Marketing and Communications. Demonstrated bold and resilient leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the research operations with minimal impact on the research enterprise’s growth.

Research Centers & Institutes

Oversight of 6 research centers and institutes with a $37M Budget and Fiscal Operations.

  • Radiation Institute of Science and Engineering (RaISE)
  • Computational System Biology Center (CSBC)
  • SECURE Cybersecurity Center
  • Center for Smart Microgrid
  • Minority Achievement, Creativity, High Ability Center (MACH-3)
  • Integrated Food Security Research Center (IFSRC)

Research Enterprise Growth

  • Elevating the university’s Carnegie Research Tier from Masters granting (Tier-R3) to Doctoral Granting Higher Research Activity classification (Tier R2).
  • Created New Strategic Offices and expanded the team to meet the growth needs. Raised funding and created 5 new offices, such as the Office of Research Advancement (ORA), Office of Contracting and Partnerships (OCP), Office of Innovation Ecosystem and Commercialization (OIC), Office of Innovation-Entrepreneurship (OIE), Office of Innovation-Economic Development (OIED).
  • In three years, the university research has seen significant growth and achieving all-time high in the university’s history on several fronts.
    1. Sponsored funding awards increased by 236% to $47M
    2. Restricted research awards increased by 140% to $20.4M
    3. Research Expenditures increased by 70% to $30M
    4. the proposal counts increased by 100% to 300+
    5. Proposal amounts increased by 100% to over $200M
  • Previously as the head of academic unit, the overall academic faculty research were increased by 320% and the extramural funded research increased by 280% and grown annual research expenditures within 2 years. 

  • Developed graduate research faculty emphasis with reduced teaching (1//2 course) load.

  • Mentored and supported faculty to network and visit with federal programs and labs, grantsmanship training for faculty, including educational program funding for instructional faculty. Initiated multiple industry-funded research projects for the department faculty.

  • Increased by 150% in the faculty body with a high graduate research emphasis.

  • Previously, provided vision, strategic planning for research initiation and growth, established state-of-the-art research program and infrastructure recognized by state officials, including the Texas lieutenant governor.

  • Envisioned new opportunities and attracted significant research funding to establish the research program. Served as PI or Co-PI on more than $4 Million in research projects.

  • Served as a Commercial Technology Reviewer for Governor Perry’s Texas Emerging Technology program and reviewer for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES).

Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Industry Partnerships

Innovation and economic growth and development are constant driving forces throughout my leadership career. I have successfully founded and established 3 technology based start-up companies in Texas and South Dakota, supporting regional entrepreneurial and economic development. These companies are grand winners of Texas Business competition awarded by the Mayor of Corpus Christi, Grand Statewide Winner of Wisconsin Governor Business Competition awarded by Governor Jim Doyle.

I interweave my entrepreneurial zeal with the forethought of creating strategic partnerships and alliances to fuel economic development for communities, faculty, staff, and students in higher education. I launched an Innovation Ecosystem and Commercialization office to deliver significant training, workshops, policies, curriculum development, and support services to boost innovation across campus. I implemented entrepreneurial and start-up services and helped launch several start-ups for faculty, staff, and students. I established another office for industry contracting to take advantage of opportunities from corporate, federal, state, and local innovation programs.

Innovation Ecosystem & Technology Transfer

  • Created the office of Innovation to infuse and nurture an innovative ecosystem by providing significant training, workshops, policies, curriculum development, and support services to boost the innovation across campus.
    1. Established several innovation and commercialization services to boost the intellectual property portfolio.
    2. Significantly grew active intellectual property and commercialization partnerships.
    3. Led to consolidate innovation and product development facilities across campus under innovation.
    4. Led initiatives on the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program

  • Previously as the Board Director for Center of Excellence for Advanced Multidisciplinary Projects (CAMP), a competitive, nationally-recognized program that brings together students, faculty, and industry leaders to partner on real-world projects.

  • Created the i-Lab (Innovation Lab) as a student resource for those interested in exploring innovation at any level.

Entrepreneurship

  • Launched the inaugural ‘Panthers Invent’ Innovation, Business Plan and Entrepreneurship Competition.
  • Access to the incubator, start-up processes, and the Small Business Development Center.
  • Provided entrepreneurial and start-up services to faculty, staff, and students and launched several start-ups.
  • Supported Entrepreneurship Curriculum with the creation of courses, minors, and certifications.
  • Successfully founded and established the company in Wisconsin, Texas and South Dakota and pursuing research, development, and commercialization opportunities. Partnered with several industries and completed multiple federal SBIR grants towards technology development and commercialization.

  • Supported regional entrepreneurial and economic development activities and pursue federal SBIR and STTR funding opportunities in support of technology development and commercialization.
  • The grand winner of the 2010 Texas Coastal Bend Business competition and awarded by the Mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas.
  • Grand Statewide Winner of Wisconsin Governor Business Competition under the Advanced Manufacturing category and awarded by Governor Jim Doyle.
  • Winner of Burrill Business Competition at the University of Wisconsin Madison.

Partnerships: Private, Industry, Corporate & Non-profit Foundations

  • Demonstrated leadership in attracting and cultivating external partnerships for increasing financial and in-kind resources to the institution, as well as strategic engagement of partners for academic, faculty and student support.
  • Industries/Corporations: Apple, NASA, Accenture, Sandia National Lab, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Toyota, Intuit, Collins Aerospace, BioTex, CACI Intl., PAE LLC, Voyager Biomedical, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Venturewell, Milo Materials
  • Foundations: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Robert A. Welch Foundation, Harris Foundation, American Forest Foundation, Hogg Foundation, Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, Fluor Foundation, Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Truth Initiative Foundation, GriffinHarte Foundation, Beta Beta Beta Foundation.
  • National Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), National 4-H Council, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), HBCU Library Alliance, San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Humanities Texas, Houston Endowment, Travis County.

  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Petroleum Research Fund-American Chemical Society, Association of American Geographers, American Psychological Association, Princeton University, George Washington University, Baylor College of Medicine.

     

  • Established partnerships with industries for student employment (internships/coop), scholarships, faculty research projects from L3 Technologies, Raven Industries, Interstates, Rockwell Collins, Kimberly-Clark, Black Hills Energy, Garmin, Caterpillar, Blattner Energy, IBM, Sanford Health, Microsoft, etc. Established partnership with NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL).

  • Increased industry-sponsored senior design and research projects in the department and Increased active industry participation in the department industry advisory board.

  • Established partnerships with industries for research and educational collaborations including Driscoll Children’s Hospital System CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital System Pepsi Co. Corporate Office HEB, Water Street Restaurants.

  • Partnered with the community Small Business Innovation Center, CC Regional Economic Development Corporation, Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center, South Texas Economic Development Center, CC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Business Professionals of the Coastal Bend.