Bob Webster, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Provost for Commercialization & Technology Transfer; Richard A. Schroeder Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Otolaryngology, Neurological Surgery, Urologic Surgery, and Medicine
For appointments, please contact:
Beth Porter
beth.porter@vanderbilt.edu
(615) 343-5562
Bob Webster serves as Senior Associate Provost for Commercialization & Technology Transfer within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. He oversees the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, guides research and development partnerships with industry and chairs the Technology Review Committee, advancing innovation pathways across Vanderbilt.
Webster is the Richard A. Schroeder Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a faculty member in Otolaryngology, Neurological Surgery, and Urology. A pioneer in surgical robotics, he directs the Medical Engineering and Discovery (MED) Lab and co-founded the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering. His research develops novel medical devices for minimally invasive surgeries throughout the human body. Webster collaborates closely with clinicians, mentors student innovators, and translates research into practice through startup and industry partnerships. His work has shaped both academic inquiry and commercial development in surgical engineering.
Richard Willis, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Provost for Research Operations; Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker, Jr., Professor of Accounting; Vice Dean and Senior Associate Dean for the Faculty
For appointments, please contact:
Beth Porter
beth.porter@vanderbilt.edu
(615) 343-5562
Richard Willis serves as Senior Associate Provost for Research Operations at Vanderbilt University. For OVPRI he oversees federal agency-sponsored research and development execution and operational processes in close coordination with Elizabeth Zechmeister. His responsibilities include leading investment efforts stemming from the Computing Catalyst Working Group, managing the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education, and aligning research strategy with key trans-institutional initiatives such as the Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Willis, Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker, Jr., Professor of Accounting and Senior Associate Dean for the Faculty, is highly regarded for his extensive experience in accounting and financial reporting and his distinguished scholarly research. Recognized for teaching excellence in the U.S. and abroad, he has received the Daimler-Chrysler Award from the Fuqua School of Business and the James A. Webb, Jr. Award for MBA Teaching from The Owen School, among others. His research, focusing on security analysts, firm disclosure, and shareholder litigation, has been published in leading journals, including The Accounting Review, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Financial Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research.
Elizabeth J. Zechmeister, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Provost for Research & Development and Interim Chief Research Officer; Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science; Senior Advisor, Center for Global Democracy
For appointments, please contact:
Beth Porter
beth.porter@vanderbilt.edu
(615) 343-5562
Elizabeth J. Zechmeister is Senior Associate Provost for Research & Development and serves as the interim Chief Research Officer for Vanderbilt University. In this latter role with Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, she oversees Sponsored Programs Administration, Research Integrity and Compliance, Research Development and Support, and the Vanderbilt University Research Council. She also leads major internal funding programs, including Seeding Success, Scaling Success and Provost Bridge funding, in collaboration with Richard Willis.
An expert in international survey research and comparative political behavior, Zechmeister is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science and former Director of the LAPOP Lab. She has led the award-winning AmericasBarometer and Comparative Study of Electoral Systems survey projects, and has worked to advance best practices in public opinion research via invited collaborations with the National Academies and the United Nations. Her research has earned Vanderbilt’s Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research. A dedicated educator, Zechmeister has won multiple teaching and mentoring awards and has created programs that foster student involvement in research including the LAPOP Fellows program and a summer NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
Alan Bentley, M.S.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property Development
alan.bentley@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-2430
Bentley joined CTTC in June 2011 and is responsible for directing all aspects of the office, focusing on faculty service and transactional efficiency. Prior to Vanderbilt, Bentley served for five years as the director of commercialization for Cleveland Clinic Innovations, that health care center’s technology commercialization function. Before the Cleveland Clinic, he served as the associate director of the University of Virginia’s Patent Foundation. Bentley received his M.S. in physics from the University of Virginia, and separate undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and in physics from Carnegie Mellon University. Bentley is a registered patent agent and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of University Technology Managers.
Jennifer Bischoff, CPA, MAcc
Executive Director for Research Operations
jennifer.bischoff@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-4798
As the Executive Director for Research Operations in Vanderbilt University's Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, Jennifer Bischoff oversees operational, financial, and administrative activities. She plays a crucial role in developing centers and institutes reporting to the Vice Provost. Before her current role, she held various leadership positions in financial administration at Vanderbilt since 2006. With over 20 years of experience in business management and financial operations, she earned her Master of Accountancy from Belmont University and a BA in Economics and Psychology from Vanderbilt.
Laurie Cutting, Ph.D.
Associate Provost
laurie.cutting@Vanderbilt.edu
Laurie E. Cutting is the Associate Provost at Vanderbilt, where she aims to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and boost Vanderbilt's position in ARPA-H projects. A distinguished scholar in neuroscience and child development, she also serves as the Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Prior to Vanderbilt, Cutting was an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins in both Neurology and Education. She has received numerous accolades including an NIH MERIT Award in 2018 and has contributed over 150 scholarly publications. Her role also involves promoting innovation, commercialization, and industry partnerships.
Hunter Hagewood
Interim Executive Director of ACCRE
mark.h.hagewood@vanderbilt.edu
Prior to joining ACCRE, Hunter worked for over 10 years in the private sector, including director-level roles at Equian and Informatics Corporation of America. Hunter was also the founder and CTO of Nevoa Networks, one of the first commercially available cloud storage providers. Hunter has a master’s in information and library science from University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s in computer information systems from Lipscomb University.
Cara Ince, M.A.
Director of Research and Innovation Public Partnerships
cara.ince@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-2347
Nashville native and Vanderbilt alum, Care Ince, specializes in enhancing research and innovation collaborations between Vanderbilt and public sector leaders. Ince coordinates with key university units to identify and advance projects that align with government priorities and address community needs. Prior roles include serving as director of federal grants for Congressman Jim Cooper, Tennessee State Parks partnership director, and director of community relations at Conexion Americas. Her work focuses on creating synergies to benefit Nashville and Tennessee communities.
Jean Mercer, M.R.A.
Senior Assistant Provost for Sponsored Programs Administration and Compliance
jean.m.mercer@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-4390
As senior assistant provost, Jean Mercer oversees an expansive portfolio within Sponsored Programs Administration including grant proposal submission and non-financial award set-up, negotiation and management of contracts and subawards, research administration systems reporting, and training and procedures. Additionally, Mercer oversees Research Integrity and Compliance functions. With over 25 years in research administration, she is a certified research administrator and active contributor to national conversations in the field. Mercer holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Colorado and a master's in research administration from the University of Central Florida. She started her career at Indiana University, where she worked for 20 years, eventually becoming their director of grant services.
Hilda McMackin, Ph.D.
Director, Research Administration Systems and Reporting
hilda.mcmackin@Vanderbilt.edu
615-875-2716
As Director of Research Administration Systems and Reporting, Hilda McMackin led the transition to the Vanderbilt Electronic Research Administration (VERA) system, aiming to streamline research administration. With a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Vanderbilt, she has diverse roles within the university, including lab management and grants oversight. She joined the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation in 2017, where she launched research development programs and managed compliance activities. McMackin has worked with an array of research sponsors and is an active member in the research administration community. In 2023, she won the National Organization of Research Development Professionals mentoring award.
Liane Moneta-Koehler, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost for Research Integrity and Compliance
liane.monetakoehler@Vanderbilt.edu
615-322-2875
As Assistant Provost for Research Integrity and Compliance at Vanderbilt, Liane Moneta-Koehler oversees the Research Integrity and Compliance Program, which includes human subjects research, research security, and export compliance. She collaborates with various departments to enhance Vanderbilt's research integrity and accountability, helps faculty navigate policies, and supports research growth in a manner that mitigates risk. Previously a director in the Office of the Vice Provost and a postdoctoral fellow, Moneta-Koehler holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Human Development and has expertise in math cognition and doctoral student success.
Herschel Pollard, M.S.
Research Communications and Events Manager
herschel.pollard@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-7995
Herschel Pollard, a strategic communicator and Nashville native is a journalism graduate from The University of Tennessee. He began his career in digital journalism with WTVF, earning two Emmy awards. After completing his master's, he transitioned to strategic communications, working at the Healthcare Solutions Group and later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a senior strategy consultant. In his current role, Pollard focuses on enhancing Vanderbilt’s research and innovation reputation through comprehensive communications, events, and strategic collaborations.
Christopher Rowe, M.E., Ed. D.
Executive Director for Industry Collaborations
christopher.j.rowe@vanderbilt.edu
615-343-0348
Christopher Rowe is executive director for industry collaborations in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, working on the Vice Provost’s team and with the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. He leads the institution’s efforts to create and expand mutually beneficial industry research collaborations that advance strategic scientific programs, solves industry-relevant research and development challenges, and provides channels to deploy and commercialize new technologies of substantial societal impact. He holds faculty appointments in engineering management and communication of science and technology. Prior to his current role, he served as associate dean for external relations, communications director, and inaugural faculty director for the A. James Clark Scholars Program in the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. Professor Rowe has authored scholarly papers on first-year engineering education, tech-based entrepreneurship, global engineering education and commercialization strategies for new technologies. He has held leadership positions in the American Society for Engineering Education; is a member of the American Society for Engineering Management, the Council of Engineering Management Academic Leaders, and the Association of University Technology Managers; and completed ABET’s Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership. He holds degrees in biomedical engineering and management of technology from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. He has consulted with a wide range of engineering companies, focusing on high-tech startups developing commercialization strategies.
Joanne Spitz, M.A., C.R.A
Executive Director, Research Development and Support
joanne.m.spitz@Vanderbilt.edu
615-343-8949
Joanne Spitz is the Director of Research Development at Vanderbilt University, responsible for enhancing faculty research funding. With over 30 years of experience, she previously elevated grant initiatives at Baylor University and spent 32 years in various research roles at Washington University in St. Louis. Spitz is a Certified Research Administrator and holds degrees from St. Louis University and Washington University. She coordinates with multiple departments to support Vanderbilt’s research aims and has a history of establishing successful grant programs. She has also worked as a freelance academic editor for over 15 years.
Jason Valentine, Ph.D.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Faculty Liaison
jason.g.valentine@Vanderbilt.edu
615-875-5508
Professor Jason Valentine is a mechanical engineering faculty at Vanderbilt University, specializing in optical metamaterials and hot electron devices. A Purdue and UC Berkeley alum, his work was named one of Time Magazine's "Top 10 Scientific Discoveries in 2008." He has received the NSF CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and the Chancellor’s Award for Research at Vanderbilt. As faculty liaison, he collaborates with Vanderbilt faculty and leadership to align research priorities between the university and ORNL.