Vice Chancellor for Research
Joe Elabd, Ph.D
Vice Chancellor for Research
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Support: Claudia Pollard | Email | 979.458.0243
The Texas A&M University System consists of 11 universities and 8 state agencies with externally funded research expenditures exceeding $1 billion annually. As the leader of the Texas A&M System Office of Research, Dr. Elabd is responsible for providing leadership and services to support all 19 system members in areas including intellectual property and commercialization, research compliance, research development, research partnerships, research security, and research strategy.
Dr. Elabd is also a Professor and the Axalta Coating Systems Chair II in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and served as a Senior Fellow at the Instituto di Studi Avanzati, Università di Bologna and a Scholar in Residence at the Food & Drug Administration. He has received numerous research awards including the NSF CAREER Award, DuPont Science and Engineering Award, and the ARO Young Investigator Award.
His research focuses on electrochemical energy (batteries, capacitors, fuel cells) and materials and polymer science and he has authored over 130 research journal publications. Dr. Elabd has taught chemical engineering courses at all levels. Dr. Elabd received his Ph.D. and B.S. both in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, respectively, and was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

Leadership Team

Kevin Gamache
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Research Security Officer

Kim McCuistion
Associate Vice Chancellor
Texas A&M Fort Worth Director

Peter O’Neill
Chief Innovation Officer
Technology Commercialization

Sharmila Pathikonda
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Research Development Director

David Staack
Associate Vice Chancellor
RELLIS Research

Patrick Stover
IHA Director
Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture
Chief Research Officers
System
Universities
Agencies
Research News
News about cutting-edge and impactful research from around The Texas A&M University System.
Texas A&M Today is the official news and information website for Texas A&M University. The website covers various topics related to the university, including research, campus events, student life, and faculty and staff achievements. It provides a central hub for all the latest news and information about Texas A&M, including stories and features, videos, and multimedia content. The website also features a calendar of events and a directory of departments, centers, and offices at the university.
University News
Agency News
Chancellor’s Research Initiative
Research Partnerships
Peter O’Neill
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Innovation Officer, Technology Commercialization
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A boom in startups is primed to begin in Aggieland.
Leaders within The Texas A&M University System said this week that they expect a new approach to commercialization to lead to the creation of thousands of original discoveries, hundreds of innovative companies, and a massive increase in patents derived from the hard work of Texas A&M System researchers and scientists.
“I expect big things from the new commercialization push at Texas A&M,” Sharp said. “I think A&M System inventors will spark an explosion of venture capital and the creation of a lot of exciting new companies.”
At the heart of the new direction is the vision of Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp and President M. Katherine Banks of Texas A&M University. Sharp and Banks realized the opportunities that will be realized when Texas A&M and the System reorganize and consolidate five commercialization offices that have operated independently until now.
The move brings together the commercialization offices of:
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
- Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and
- Texas A&M System’s Technology Commercialization Office
Together, the historically separate entities now will serve all 19 members of the Texas A&M System. Sharp said the new office will help the System to build a robust commercialization ecosystem and will allow System researchers to license technology and form companies that address national and global challenges.
Sharp and Banks also announced the leaders of the effort. Peter O’Neill, who has extensive experience in commercialization at one of the nation’s most pioneering medical institutions, the Cleveland Clinic, will lead the office as the inaugural Chief Innovation Officer. Also, Joe Cunningham, who holds a bachelor’s degree and medical degree from Texas A&M, will be the chairman of a new Innovation Advisory Council. Cunningham co-founded Santé Ventures in Austin in 2006 and is nationally recognized for his expertise in the healthcare sector.
Sharp and Banks reached the decision to consolidate the commercialization offices after they engaged with faculty, staff, inventors, leadership, alumni, venture capitalists, incubator and accelerator directors, and innovation leaders at peer institutions. The goal from the beginning was to understand how to make the Texas A&M commercialization enterprise a national model and a leader among all U.S. universities.
The idea behind the concept came out of a need for a more streamlined way to take new ideas and inventions and commercialize them and quickly get them into the marketplace. The consolidated effort will provide centralized intellectual property protection, licensing, and assistance for new venture formation for all members.
“Our new approach to commercialization will significantly benefit our researchers, The Texas A&M University System, and society at large. Streamlining and expanding our resources will drive life-changing technology and solutions to the market faster, increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and generate revenue to support the future success of these new companies and their innovations,” Banks said. “I believe our approach will soon be a model for other top universities across the country.”
The new combined office has been set up in a renovated and contemporary space in Century Square in College Station, a complex of high-end hotels, restaurants, shops, and apartments.
Research Development
Dr. Sharmila Pathikonda
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Director for Research Development
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Dr. Sharmila Pathikonda is the Director of the Office of Research Development for the TAMU System. Dr. Pathikonda brings over 15 years of experience in proposal and research development activities. Trained as a biologist, her research development experiences has provided first-hand knowledge of research activities and needs across colleges and departments spanning the sciences, education, engineering, and health sciences. She will bring her wide-ranging experiences to enhance research activities across system campuses and all domains of research. Dr. Pathikonda prides herself in being a champion for investigators and is committed to enabling and expanding the research enterprise across the TAMU System.
Research Development Org Chart

Dr. Kevin Gamache
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Research Security Officer
979.862.1965
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The Texas A&M University System Research Security Office (RSO) was established to support all A&M System principal investigators (PIs) in meeting federal requirements for securing classified information, controlled unclassified information (CUI), and to serve as the Export Control Office for the A&M System. The mission of the RSO is to establish and administer export control and research security policies, procedures and technology to enable Texas A&M University System Members to comply with federal guidelines for transporting and handling all levels of U.S. Government information.
Dr. Kevin Gamache is The Facility Security Officer (FSO) for The Texas A&M University System. The FSO is responsible for managing A&M System’s relationship with federal agencies under the National Industrial Security Program requirements.
Through a concerted effort, the Research Security Office fulfills four objectives
• Alleviate the burden of compliance on all faculty
• Support the system in securing regulated date
• Manage the system secure computing enclave
• Advise system members on export control matters
Award-Winning Research Security Office
• 7 consecutive superior ratings
• 2 DCSA Awards for Excellence in Counter Intelligence
• 2 Cogswell Awards for Excellence in Industrial Security
• Willingness to do classified research
• Numerous classified researchers
• DOD facility clearance at TS level
• DOE facility clearance at Q level
• Controlled-access facility for classified research
The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) seeks a knowledgeable, experienced, and collaborative individual to serve as the next Chief Research Compliance Officer (CRCO). The CRCO will have the opportunity to work with committed researchers and campus officials to devise compliance protocols to ensure that research projects adhere to prevailing regulations and norms.
TBN
Chief Research Compliance Officer
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The Texas A&M System Office of Research Compliance, working with the A&M System’s 11 universities and 8 state agencies, provides administrative oversight to ensure that each member develops, implements, and maintains an appropriate research compliance program, and to facilitate and coordinate research compliance programs within and between members.
Dr. David Staack
Associate Vice Chancellor
979.845.4063
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David Staack, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University and serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the Texas A&M University System.
In his administrative role as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Staack supports multi-university and multi-agency research projects, intellectual property and commercialization, institutional infrastructure projects, and industry/university relations. Previously he served 5 years as the College of Engineering Director of Undergraduate Laboratory Instruction where he led the brand-new design and implementation of a common laboratory and maker space infrastructure and pedagogy for the entire College of Engineering in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex. He also has served on the Faculty Senate and as Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee.
In his roles in Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Staack holds the Sallie and Don Davis ’61 Career Development Professor and teaches courses in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and experimental design. He has an active research program as a principal investigator at the Plasma Engineering and Non-Equilibrium Processing Research Laboratory, where his group investigates various plasma discharge phenomena and applications. His research touches on many diverse fields including green energy technologies, medical device and sensor development, hypersonic and spacecraft propulsion, environmental remediation, oil and gas reforming, drilling technologies, advanced manufacturing, and high-speed diagnostics. His work includes fundamental research and translation to industry with over 60 journal publications and over 50 patent publications.
David Staack has been a professor at Texas A&M University for 13 years, he joined Texas A&M University after receiving his doctorate at Drexel University, working 4 years at Princeton University at the Department of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and completing his master’s and undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Kim McCuistion
Associate Vice Chancellor
979.458.0243
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Dr. Kim McCuistion serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of the new Texas A&M – Fort Worth campus. In this role, Dr. McCuistion’s focus is to turn the new campus into a hub for collaboration between key Fort Worth industries and top research, education, and workforce training assets of the Texas A&M System.
Prior to joining the Texas A&M System, she served as the Vice President for External Operations and Dean of the Fort Worth campus at Tarleton State University. As dean of the Fort Worth campus, she worked with North Texas business and industry leaders, Tarleton faculty and staff, and community college partners to expand existing degree programs and add new ones. She was responsible for the university’s teaching sites in Waco, Midlothian, and Bryan as well. Dr. McCuistion also served as Chief of Staff to Tarleton’s President James Hurley and President Emeritus Dominic Dottavio and was a tenured Professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Tarleton State University.
Dr. McCuistion spent 11 years with Texas A&M University-Kingsville before moving to North Texas in 2017. At A&M Kingsville, she had a split appointment with the Department of Animal, Rangeland, and Wildlife Sciences and the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. She also served as Dean of Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Honors College for three years.
Dr. McCuistion holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University, a master’s in animal science from Kansas State University, and a doctorate in agriculture from West Texas A&M University.
Dr. Patrick Stover
IHA Director
979.845.8486
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Patrick Stover, Ph.D., is the director of the Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA) at Texas A&M AgriLife. The IHA is the world’s first research institute to bring together precision nutrition, responsive agriculture, and behavioral research to reduce diet-related chronic disease in a way that considers environmental and economic effects. Supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the state of Texas, the IHA has an annual budget of more than $30 million and includes an embedded USDA-ARS unit.
As an international leader in biochemistry, agriculture and nutrition, Stover’s research focuses on the biochemical, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie the relationships among nutrition, food fortification and human pathologies such as developmental anomalies, neuropathies and cancer. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is former president of the American Society for Nutrition and has served two terms on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board. He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Clinton, the government’s highest honor bestowed on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
He has over 23 years of academic leadership experience, serving as vice chancellor and dean for agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M AgriLife, director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University, a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the Medical College of Virginia and completed his postdoctoral studies in nutritional sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.
Contact
The Texas A&M University System Office of Research
Phone: 979.458.0243
Fax: 979.458.6044
Address:
Moore/Connally Building
301 Tarrow Street, 7th Floor
College Station, TX 77840-7896
Mail Stop:
1122 TAMU
College Station, TX 77840-7896