{"63265":{"#nid":"63265","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robert McGrath Named Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBattelle Memorial Institute\u2019s Robert T. McGrath has been named the new vice president and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGrath,\n currently a consultant on National Laboratory\/University Partnerships, \nSTEM Education and Race to the Top initiatives for Battelle Memorial, \nwill begin his new responsibilities Feb. 1, 2011. He succeeds Georgia \nTech Executive Vice President for Research Stephen Cross, who served as \nGTRI director from 2003 to 2010.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGTRI is a research \npowerhouse,\u201d McGrath said. \u201cIt has a significant reputation both \nnationally and internationally for applied engineering and basic science\n research. GTRI is very well positioned because of its researchers\u2019 \noutstanding expertise in selected problem areas important for defense \nand homeland security. We also have significant opportunity to translate\n that expertise into important technology contributions in sectors such \nas energy, biomedical engineering and health care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGrath \nserved as the senior vice president for research at The Ohio State \nUniversity from 2004 to 2008 and as associate vice president for \nresearch and director of strategic and interdisciplinary initiatives at \nThe Pennsylvania State University from 1998 to 2004. During his tenure, \nhe built extensive partnerships among academic, industry and government \nsectors on a variety of applied research projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of \ninstitutional strategic planning at Ohio State, McGrath collaborated \nwith the president, provost, college administrations and faculty members\n on the Targeted Investments in Excellence initiative, which identified \nand helped fund the institution\u2019s top 10 preeminent academic and \nresearch programs. In support of academic programs, he also led efforts \nto establish the Office for Undergraduate Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s \nclear that researchers and faculty across university campuses share the \nsame fundamental passions for advancing scientific understanding, and \nfor using technology to improve the quality of life and enhance our \neconomic competitiveness,\u201d McGrath said. \u201cResearchers and faculty from \nGTRI and Georgia Tech\u2019s academic units are uniquely positioned to assist\n Georgia Tech in achieving its mission to \u2018define the technological \nresearch university of the 21st century.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGrath served at \nSandia National Laboratories in various capacities from 1984 to 1998. \nDuring that period, he served as the Department of Energy\u2019s designated \nU.S. coordinator for international collaborations with Europe, Japan and\n the former Soviet Union on plasma-facing components for the tokamak \nmagnetic confinement fusion energy program, participated in the \nestablishment of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor \nprogram, led Sandia\u2019s cooperative research and development programs with\n SEMATECH on plasma-driven chemistries for microelectronics \nmanufacturing, and had responsibility for the laboratory\u2019s \nhigh-performance computing applied engineering programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith\n his background in research and academic collaboration, Bob McGrath will\n provide technical leadership to help increase the collaboration between\n GTRI and the rest of the Institute. This is a key aspect of our new \nGeorgia Tech strategic plan and has the strong backing of Georgia Tech \nPresident G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson,\u201d Cross said. \u201cGreater synergy and \ncollaboration are key components to growing our overall research and \neconomic development impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGrath received his bachelor of\n science degree in engineering sciences, a master\u2019s degree in physics \nand a master\u2019s in mathematics from Penn State. He earned his doctorate \nin nuclear science and engineering from the University of Michigan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\n Tech enlisted the services of executive search firm Heidrick \u0026amp; \nStruggles and the firm\u0027s Atlanta and Washington offices in this \nrecruitment effort.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Battelle Memorial Institute\u2019s Robert T. McGrath has been named the new vice president and director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2010-12-21 16:44:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:57","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63266":{"id":"63266","type":"image","title":"Robert McGrath","body":null,"created":"1449176668","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:28","changed":"1475894554","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:34","alt":"Robert McGrath","file":{"fid":"191794","name":"mcgrath-KevinFitzsimons4910.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mcgrath-KevinFitzsimons4910_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mcgrath-KevinFitzsimons4910_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1495650,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mcgrath-KevinFitzsimons4910_0.jpg?itok=XmKBkdQD"}}},"media_ids":["63266"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKirk J. Englehardt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-407-7280\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}