Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, University of Arizona

Tomás Díaz de la Rubia is a science and technology leader, strategist, and administrator with extensive experience in national laboratories, academia, and the private sector. Tomás has served as the Deputy Director for Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a Director in the Strategy and Operations practice at Deloitte Consulting, and Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Purdue University. Tomás is the vice president of research and partnerships at the University of Oklahoma and a full professor of physics and of chemical, biological, and materials engineering. 

He leads OU's efforts to enhance the scale and scope of the university's research enterprise and its impact on workforce and regional economic development. He has developed a new strategic framework and plan for research that has propelled the university forward, particularly in national security, energy and sustainability, the life sciences, data science, and materials science and quantum technology. He works closely with Oklahoma's Congressional delegation, the Governor's office and State legislature, the leadership of Oklahoma's Tribal Nations, the Oklahoma defense installations, and the investment community to advance and align the profile and impact of the University's research. In the four years since he arrived at OU, research expenditures have increased by just over 50%.  

Tomás is a member of the Defense Science Board (DSB) and served six years as a member of the Intelligence Community Studies Board. He co-chairs the DSB's current study on Climate Change and Global Security and is a member of the permanent task force on nuclear surety.  

Tomás is also a board member of the National Defense Industry Association, chairs the Board of Directors of CRFD Global, and is a member of the State of Oklahoma Science and Innovation Council. According to Google Scholar, Tomás' publications h-index is 62, and he is listed as one of the top 2% of most cited scientists in the world, according to the 2023 Stanford/Elsevier ranking. Tomás is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.