Event Date
Join us at the Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series, featuring:
Theresa Maldonado
Vice President for Research and Innovation
Division of Academic Affairs
University of California Office of the President
All are welcome! To ensure we have sufficient food and supplies for all in-person attendees, please RSVP using the form below.
For questions about this event, contact engineeringevents@ucdavis.edu.
Speaker Bio
Theresa A. Maldonado is the systemwide Vice President for Research & Innovation (R&I) at the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). In this role she leads large-scale efforts that require the rich expertise and unique assets across the 10 campuses, three UC-managed DOE national labs, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR), and UC Health. Recent efforts include the California Climate Action Initiative, the California Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), and the statewide response to the CHIPS Act opportunities, among others. In addition, she is working across the UC system to transform the innovation transfer ecosystem. R&I also provides oversight of multi-campus research centers and institutes. The “power of UC” is harnessed for collective impact in research, research translation, innovation, and policy.
Dr. Maldonado’s academic career spans 33 years, with a total of 24 years in administration. She served as dean of engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso for three years prior to joining UCOP. She also served a total of 15 years in research administration appointments at four other universities, including 12 years at Texas A&M University. Her experience includes system-level roles as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the Texas A&M University System; as Deputy Director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, a statewide agency of Texas; and as founding director of the systemwide Texas A&M Energy Institute. At each university she was a tenured full professor of electrical & computer engineering.
Dr. Maldonado has extensive experience at the federal level, having served two terms at the National Science Foundation for a total of six years, including four years as Division Director in the Engineering Directorate. At NSF she was engaged in advancing engineering research centers, education, and commercialization initiatives. She co-chaired the NSF-wide CAREER Coordinating Committee. She also served on the committee that established the ADVANCE program and the NSF-wide National Nanotechnology Initiative committee, both in FY01. When at TAMU she served on the NSF Math and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee as well as chaired the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), a congressionally mandated advisory committee to NSF. Before entering academia, Dr. Maldonado was a member of technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. She earned the BEE with Highest Honors, MSEE, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research background is in nonlinear optical devices and materials, electromagnetics, and optical fiber technologies. Dr. Maldonado is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.