John M. Horack named vice president for research

John M. Horack named vice president for research

Globally recognized leader in space-based research and policy to lead Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge

The Ohio State University has appointed John M. Horack, a distinguished leader with more than 30 years of experience in the spaceflight industry, as its new vice president for research.

Effective Oct. 1, Horack will lead the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) and will report directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda. ERIK includes the university's strategic functions for research operations, innovation and partnerships, and knowledge development and discovery, in addition to the Innovation District at Ohio State.

Horack, a professor in the College of Engineering and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, previously spent nearly two decades at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where he conducted pioneering research in astrophysics and cosmology. He later served as vice president for research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and as vice president of space systems at Teledyne Brown Engineering. Horack joined Ohio State's faculty in 2016 and holds the inaugural Neil A. Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy.

"John is a preeminent scholar, collaborator and visionary leader who shares our aspirations for research excellence at Ohio State," Bellamkonda said. "With deep experience in academia, industry and the public sector, he will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious research goals and solidify Ohio State's position as a national leader in life-changing and life-saving research."

Horack's appointment aligns with the university's Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan, which includes a goal to grow its research enterprise to $2 billion by 2035. Horack's role will focus on strengthening strategic partnerships, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for commercialization and promoting a collaborative research culture across the university.

"I am honored to step into this role at Ohio State, as research is the first link in the value chain of prosperity," Horack said. "With such a talented and visionary team of faculty, staff and students, we will push new boundaries, foster new collaborations and turn discovery into impact in accordance with our land-grant mission."

Horack is a globally recognized leader in space-based research, flight hardware development, program management and space policy. At NASA, he held various roles leading science and mission systems, space transportation programs and projects, and science communications. He also served as a mission scientist for the space shuttle program and a research scientist in high-energy astrophysics. In his final role, he served as manager of the Science and Mission Systems Office, where he oversaw advanced, complex science and exploration research as a member of the U.S. senior executive service.

At Ohio State, Horack has been advancing Ohio State's leadership in spaceflight research and innovation, playing a key role in the university's partnership with Voyager Technologies. This partnership has resulted in the development of the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park, to be located on the Aerospace and Air Transportation Campus at The Ohio State University Airport. He also leads the university's efforts to build Starlab, one of the next-generation space stations supported by VISTA.

In addition to appointing Horack to his new post, the university will also launch a national search for a chief scientific officer for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. This position will oversee research and innovation strategy for the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in addition to providing executive-level leadership for biomedical research across the university. To ensure strong cohesion in Ohio State's shared research and innovation enterprise, the chief scientific officer will jointly report to the CEO of the Wexner Medical Center and to the vice president for research.

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