The Pennsylvania State University has named Georgia Tech Regents Researcher Lora G. Weiss, interim senior vice president and interim director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), as its new senior vice president for research.

“In addition to her international recognition for innovative and pace-setting research and scholarship, Lora Weiss is a proven leader,” said Chaouki Abdallah, Tech’s executive vice president for research. “We are especially grateful for her stepping in to lead the 2,300 engineers, scientists, and support staff at GTRI and serving on Georgia Tech’s senior leadership team during the past year. Penn State is very fortunate to have her as its senior vice president for research, and we wish her the best.”

When she begins her new role on September 16, Weiss will report directly to the president and oversee an annual research budget of nearly $1 billion. She will serve as the principal academic and administrative officer for Penn State’s Office of the Vice President for Research, supporting the full breadth of the university’s research activities. She also will lead efforts to support and expand its innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Weiss joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 2006 as a principal research engineer. Over the years, her responsibilities at GTRI included serving as lab chief scientist, technical director for autonomous systems, chief scientist, and chief technology officer. Her research on robotics and unmanned systems, autonomous control, and digital and acoustical signal processing has garnered international recognition.

During her tenure as interim director, GTRI’s portfolio grew by 29 percent with FY2019 awards exceeding $642 million, a record. GTRI also expanded its facilities, adding more than 50 acres and four buildings at its new Cobb County Research Facility – South location and placing 100 of its researchers in the Tech Square’s new Coda building.

“I am extremely grateful for everyone’s support during my time at GTRI,” Weiss said. “I have had the remarkable fortune of working with amazing talent, creating new research directions, and emplacing new operational practices. I will always treasure these relationships and experiences.”