Interim Transition in the Leadership of the Office for Research

February 25, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

As you may know, Dr. David Kimball has announced that he will retire from his position as Senior Vice President for Research (SVPR) on April 1, 2021. I want to thank David for his stewardship as SVPR and to wish him and his family well during his richly deserved retirement after a long career in research, industry, and academia. Dr. Kimball leaves behind a strong organization in the Office for Research, where he has fortified research administration and infrastructure and supported advanced research computing, comparative medicine, innovations ventures, and research development. David was also integral to the recent spinout of RUCDR Infinite Biologics to become Infinity BiologiX (IBX), the largest spinout of Rutgers technology in recent years.

We have undertaken a national search to find a prominent leader to lead the Office for Research. The search is well under way and I am hopeful that it will yield us a compelling leader who can elevate the research enterprise across the breadth of our scholarship and across the four academic units at Rutgers. During this period until the new leader arrives and assumes the role, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Kathleen Scotto has agreed to take on the leadership role of Interim Senior Vice President for Research effective April 1. Dr. Scotto will play a critical role in managing a smooth transition to the next SVPR. David and Kathy will work together to make the interim transition process seamless, with reliance on the strong leadership team already in the Research Office.

Kathleen W. Scotto, Ph.D. is the Vice Chancellor for Research and Research Training at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Vice Dean of the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies and Unit Dean for the Biomedical and Health Sciences graduate division. She is also a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Director of the NJ ACTS Fellows Program (CTSA TL1). Prior to joining Rutgers University she was a member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, an associate professor at the Weill Cornell Graduate School, a member at the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Vice President of Research and Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMDNJ.

Dr. Scotto is widely recognized for her work on the regulation of drug resistance genes that impact sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutic agents. She serves on multiple committees within the cancer field, and is on the editorial board of two cancer journals.

Combining her dedication to the nurturing and training of young scientists with her passion for the translation of basic science into new disease treatments, Dr. Scotto has been very active in industry organizations and scientific societies that are dedicated to promoting clinical/translational research, both in New Jersey and at the national level. She has received several distinguished honors, including NJABR Outstanding Woman in Research, AACR Outstanding Dedication to the Scientist Survivor Program Award and the 2011 Distinguished Alumna Award from the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Scotto to this interim role as we keep you informed about the announcement of a new Senior Vice President for Research during the course of the year.

Sincerely,

Prabhas V. Moghe
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Distinguished Professor