Penn State President Eric Barron this week named Neil Sharkey as Penn State’s vice president for research, pending approval by the university’s Board of Trustees. Sharkey has been in the role in an interim capacity since August 2013, and was selected as the permanent choice after a national search with nearly 100 candidates.
‘Penn State has a longstanding tradition as a cutting-edge, world-class research University, and Neil has done a remarkable job of advancing Penn State’s standing as a leading research institution by exploring new ways for Penn State to make a difference both here in Pennsylvania and across the globe,’ Barron said in a release. ‘Under Neil’s leadership, Penn State is leveraging its combined research and intellectual resources to bring innovative ideas and discoveries to market, thus driving job creation and economic growth.’
As vice president, Sharkey is the chief administrator in charge of advancing and managing Penn State research efforts. During the past year he has played a key role in developing Barron’s Invent Penn State initiative to use Penn State resources and community partnerships to support economic development, job growth and student career success.
Penn State’s research enterprise ranks among the nation’s top public research universities, with expenditures over $800 million each of the past five years. Its technology transfer operations saw increases the past two years in licenses and startup companies formed from Penn State intellectual property. Last year Penn State was issued 55 patents and executed 30 licenses and options. It also formed 10 startup companies.
“As one the world’s top research institutions we have much to be proud of, and make no mistake, I boast of our achievements at every opportunity, but we can do and will do even more,’ Sharkey said. ‘I look forward to working with President Barron, Provost Nick Jones and Penn’s State’s entire leadership team as we enact our new strategic plan and development campaign to unleash the full potential of this great land-grant institution.”
Sharkey, who has a doctorate in comparative pathology from the University of California-Davis, joined Penn State’s kinesiology faculty in 1997. Before serving as interim vice president he was associated dean for research and graduate education in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development.
