Dr. Bruce Gnade recently was elected to the board of directors of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
Dr. Bruce Gnade, vice president for research at UT Dallas and the Distinguished Chair in Microelectronics, has been elected to the board of directors of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).
As a consortium of 115 PhD-granting institutions, including UT Dallas, ORAU advances scientific research and education through partnerships with academia and federal research laboratories. ORAU partners with federal, state and industry customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest in science, education, national security and health. The board of directors provides policy and fiduciary oversight of ORAU operations.
Gnade was elected as one of seven new directors.
“These new directors bring strong leadership and experience in diverse fields, from defense to research to strategic consulting,” ORAU president and CEO Andy Page said. “Their insights in academe, government and business will be invaluable as we tackle challenges and explore new opportunities for ORAU.”
The concept for ORAU began in the 1940s as a way to link universities with the scientific resources and equipment developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Manhattan Project. Today the organization’s education component administers fellowships, scholarships, internships and research experience programs funded by a wide range of government agencies, ranging from undergraduate student research programs to faculty sabbaticals.
“My affiliation with ORAU goes all the way back to my graduate school days at Georgia Tech 35 years ago, so hopefully this will allow me to give something back to the organization.”
Dr. Bruce Gnade,
vice president for research and the Distinguished Chair in Microelectronics
Over the past 60 years, the ORAU has connected hundreds of thousands of students and faculty members with federal research facilities across the country. It also offers a variety of science, technology, engineering and math training for middle and high school students and teachers. UT Dallas joined ORAU in 2006.
“It is truly an honor to be selected to serve on the board of ORAU,” Gnade said. “My affiliation with ORAU goes all the way back to my graduate school days at Georgia Tech 35 years ago, so hopefully this will allow me to give something back to the organization.”
Gnade, a professor of materials science and engineering, electrical engineering, and chemistry, leads a large UT Dallas research group studying applications of flexible electronics. He has authored or co-authored approximately 185 refereed journal papers, 76 U.S. patents and 55 foreign patents. His current research group involves nearly 20 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
As vice president for research, Gnade oversees efforts to enhance the University’s research profile by anticipating new technology, potential collaboration partners and commercialization opportunities for University-developed technology.
Before joining UT Dallas, Gnade was chair of the materials science department at the University of North Texas. His industry experience includes managing several programs at Texas Instruments, and he also was a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense.