The University of California, San Diego has promoted Sam Ward to senior associate vice chancellor for research and innovation.
The promotion was effective 1 July, though the university only made its announcement at the end of August.
He has been a professor in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Radiology since July 2015, having joined UCSD as a postdoc in October 2003.
Ward has also served as vice dean of research in the School of Medicine and Bioengineering, initially in an interim capacity from July 2024, and then permanently from March 2025. He will be transitioning out of that role over the next year to help ensure continuity.
Among his new responsibilities will be growing and diversifying connections across UCSD’s research enterprise and expanding engagement with external partners.
He also plans to modernise and integrate discovery, research and innovation across campus.
“I’m deeply honoured by the opportunity to serve as senior associate vice chancellor for research and innovation. UC San Diego has an extraordinary research community that I feel privileged to be a part of,” says Ward. “This is an exciting opportunity to reach broadly across campus, connect with colleagues across the UC system and to strengthen the infrastructure that makes the impact and benefit of our growing research enterprise possible.”
