Dear Colleagues,
After an extensive and competitive nationwide search, I am excited to share that Matthew Hulver, Ph.D., will join OU on June 1 as our new university-wide Vice President for Research and Partnerships, pending final approval of the OU Board of Regents. For the first time, this new role will lead our research enterprise across all of our campuses.
Dr. Hulver comes to OU from Arizona State University, where he serves as Vice President of Knowledge Enterprise Initiatives. With an exceptional record of leadership, innovation, and impact in advancing university research and strategic partnerships, he is uniquely positioned to help elevate research at the University of Oklahoma to even greater heights – uniting our campuses in pursuit of the bold aspirations within our Strategic Plan, transformative collaboration, and global distinction.
Currently based in ASU’s Washington, D.C., office, Dr. Hulver has expanded ASU’s national and international presence by fostering strategic partnerships with federal agencies, policymakers, global research institutions, and industry leaders to drive research innovation and economic impact. His accomplishments include advancing international memorandum of understanding efforts to foster collaboration in strategic priority areas, shaping large-scale strategic initiatives aligned with federal and institutional priorities in areas such as energy, critical minerals, space and defense, and supporting collaborative research partnerships such as the Mayo Clinic–ASU Alliance for Healthcare.
For the past year, Dr. Hulver also has served as Interim Managing Director of ASU Research Enterprise (ASURE), a research nonprofit to increase university-derived technologies and research and development activities into applied mission-ready solutions for defense and national security.
During his tenure as ASU’s Vice President of Research, Dr. Hulver contributed to advancing the university’s research enterprise during a period of significant growth – at a time when the institution was elected to membership in the Association of American Universities. He helped secure major federally funded research initiatives and led the development of strategic priorities in areas such as health, national security, sustainability, space exploration, and emerging technologies – all of which closely align with OU’s research strengths and aspirations.
His broad academic and leadership experience also includes 15 years at Virginia Tech, where he held several faculty and administrative positions, including Co-Director of the Center for Transformative Research on Health Behavior, Assistant Dean of Health Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and, most recently, Executive Director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.
A respected scientist in his own right, Dr. Hulver is a Professor in ASU’s College of Health Solutions and has published extensively on the relationship between metabolism, skeletal muscle biology, and chronic disease. He holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kansas.
As we prepare to welcome Dr. Hulver to Oklahoma in just a few short weeks, we extend our sincere thanks to both Dr. Carol Silva and Dr. Darrin Akins for leading our research endeavors. Dr. Silva has served as Interim Vice President for Research and Partnerships on the Norman campus, providing steady guidance and continuity throughout the search process. Dr. Akins, who recently announced his retirement after 27 years of dedicated service to OU, has most recently served as Vice President for Research at OU Health Sciences, where his leadership has helped drive critical growth in our research enterprise. Their contributions – and those of our broader research community – have laid a strong foundation for the next era of excellence in research at OU.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Hulver to the OU Family, and we look forward to the bold strides we will make under his leadership.
Live On, University,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
