{"682935":{"#nid":"682935","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bill Dracos Named Georgia Tech\u2019s Chief Research Operations Officer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has named Bill Dracos as the Institute\u2019s new Chief Research Operations Officer (CROO), a key leadership role that supports the infrastructure, integrity, and day-to-day execution of Georgia Tech\u2019s $1.37 billion research enterprise.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDracos has served as interim CROO since the retirement of former CROO Robert Butera. In that time, Dracos has led efforts to enhance research administration, compliance, and operational efficiency across campus \u2014 equipping Georgia Tech\u2019s researchers with the tools and support needed to focus on what they do best: advancing science and solving real-world problems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs CROO, Dracos will oversee a broad portfolio that includes research operations and infrastructure, research integrity assurance, research administration, and strategic process improvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m committed to operational excellence across Georgia Tech\u2019s research enterprise, and that means building systems that continually evolve to meet the needs of our researchers. Bill understands that great operations make great research possible,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cHis leadership will help us simplify and enhance processes and support our teams to deliver results at scale.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore stepping into the interim CROO role, Dracos served as deputy chief operating officer for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI), where he led major cost-saving and operational streamlining initiatives. His work helped strengthen GTRI\u2019s financial and infrastructural foundation \u2014 from real estate negotiations, fiscal management, and capital investments to advanced analytics and risk controls.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrior to Georgia Tech, Dracos held executive roles at George Mason University and Emory University, where he led large-scale university operations, established internal consulting practices, and led major business transformation efforts. He also spent more than a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), advising research universities, health systems, and nonprofits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA graduate of Duke University with a degree in biology, Dracos earned his MBA with highest honors from Duke\u2019s Fuqua School of Business. He is a published author, frequent conference speaker, and university lecturer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis leadership move aligns with Georgia Tech\u2019s broader goals to reduce administrative burden and increase operational transparency.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m proud of the fact that we have doubled the scale and impact of our research over the last decade,\u201d said Lieuwen. \u201cLeaders like Bill will continue to drive the operational engine so foundational to this enterprise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBill Dracos Named Georgia Tech\u2019s Chief Research Operations Officer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bill Dracos Named Georgia Tech\u2019s Chief Research Operations Officer "}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2025-06-29 23:36:48","changed_gmt":"2025-06-30 15:00:31","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677306":{"id":"677306","type":"image","title":"william-dracos_0.jpg","body":null,"created":"1751240251","gmt_created":"2025-06-29 23:37:31","changed":"1751240251","gmt_changed":"2025-06-29 23:37:31","alt":"Bill Dracos","file":{"fid":"261191","name":"william-dracos_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/29\/william-dracos_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/29\/william-dracos_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9617,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/29\/william-dracos_0.jpg?itok=IzhUL3G7"}}},"media_ids":["677306"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}