Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Richard Mocarski will be our new associate vice president of research, effective October 4, 2021. 

Dr. Mocarski comes to us with over 16 years of experience in academic research administration, including the development and expansion of a strong research culture on and across R1 campuses, securing and administering over $400M in research funding, and being a member of the senior research leadership team for the Nebraska University system.

Richard joins SJSU from University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), where he served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research. Richard was the designated Chief Research Office and the Institutional Official for all research administration functions, including the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Development, the Office of Research Compliance, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity. Under Richard’s seven-year leadership of research administration, UNK more than tripled their extramural awards and research expenditures.  At UNK, Richard successfully developed and implemented undergraduate student research programs that broadened student participation in one-on-one mentored research and creative activity.  He also developed and secured funding for a competitive Graduate Research Assistants program. During the same period, Richard worked with his Nebraska University system counterparts to develop and update various research administration policies and procedures.  

Prior to UNK, Richard led the grants office of the department of Psychology at the University of Alabama where he successfully orchestrated a multi-fold increase in award dollars and research expenditures and developed effective faculty training and support programs.

Richard has also kept an active research portfolio.  At UNK, he has successfully led cross-disciplinary, NIH-funded, community-based participatory research aimed at reducing health disparities in the transgender population through interventions. He secured $2.8M in funding, published 19 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, presented twenty-eight manuscripts, and mentored eigh graduate students and five undergraduate students. 

Richard is thrilled to be joining SJSU as the next associate vice president of Research. He is looking forward to joining the Division of Research and Innovation to help develop the necessary programs to support the growing SJSU research enterprise.  

I am excited to have Richard on my team and I look forward to working with him to support the great research, scholarship, and creative activity of our faculty and students. 

I also want to acknowledge the excellent work of my fellow search committee members: 

• Julia Gaudinski, Director of Research Development
• Michael Kaufman, Dean of the College of Science
• Samantha Kerath, Director of Office of Sponsored Programs, SJSU Research Foundation
• San-Joon (John) Lee, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering 
• Virginia San Fratello, Chair of the Department of Design, College of Humanities and the Arts
• Audrey Shillington, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences

Please join me in welcoming Richard Mocarski to the SJSU family.

Sincerely,

Mohamed Abousalem

Vice President for Research and Innovation