Tomás Díaz de la Rubia has been selected from four candidates as the University of Arizona's Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation. The University of Arizona has picked its next Vice President of Research and Innovation, according to a campus-wide email Tuesday from new University President Suresh Garimella.
Tomas Díaz de la Rubia comes to UA from the University of Oklahoma, where he also oversaw research efforts. Officials on the vice presidential search committee said he increased their funded research by 65% since he started in 2019.
Before that, he held leadership positions at Purdue University, where he worked with now President of the University of Arizona Suresh Garimella, and has also worked at the consulting firm Deloitte.
Members of the search committee, as well as Garimella, wrote they were impressed with Díaz de la Rubia’s connections to high-powered funding groups.
“His experience as a leader in academia, government, and the private sector give him the ideal background to lead the U of A’s research enterprise to new heights,” Garimella said.
Díaz de la Rubia has a background in engineering and physics and is also appointed to the White House’s Defense Science Board. University officials said he’ll oversee a budget of about $1 billion in research activity.
According to the press release, four candidates were chosen by a 16-member vice presidential search committee for in-person interviews over the last month.
The Arizona Daily Star reported his predecessor Elizabeth Cantwell made an annual salary of $454,230 before she left the position to become President of Utah State University in 2023. University officials did not disclose details of Díaz de la Rubia’s contract yet.
The new Vice President is expected to start on November 11.
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