The University of Georgia has named David B. Berkowitz, an accomplished research administrator and nationally recognized science policy leader, to serve as its next vice president for research, overseeing the university’s research enterprise and strategic priorities.

Berkowitz currently serves as assistant director of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, where he oversees a portfolio of approximately $1.7 billion in funding of research and infrastructure in astronomy, chemistry, materials science, mathematics and physics. Berkowitz also holds an appointment as the Elmer H. and Ruby M. Cordes Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His appointment as UGA’s vice president for research is effective July 1, 2026.

“Throughout his career, Dr. Berkowitz has distinguished himself as an exceptional teacher and mentor, a groundbreaking researcher and a visionary leader,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I am excited to welcome him to the University of Georgia, and I look forward to working with him to further solidify UGA’s standing as one of the top public research institutions in the nation.”

Leadership and national impact

Prior to beginning his current role in 2024, Berkowitz served four years as the NSF division director for chemistry. In this position, he managed a broad portfolio of grants, centers and workforce development grants and key chemistry infrastructure at frontline facilities including the Argonne National Laboratory and the NSF National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

During his tenure at NSF, Berkowitz co-chaired both the Sustainable Chemistry Strategy Team and the Sub-Committee on Quantum Information Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In these roles, he worked under the presidential science advisor and with more than 15 federal agencies to chart national policy for these emerging fields.

“Dr. Berkowitz is an extraordinary leader with significant experience guiding cutting-edge research, driving policy on critical national priorities and forging successful partnerships,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “He possesses a vision that will propel UGA’s thriving research enterprise forward, expand our innovation ecosystem and maximize our positive impact on the state of Georgia and the nation.”

Berkowitz also spearheaded Molecular Foundations for Biotechnology, a cross-directorate NSF initiative that supports collaborative efforts to develop cutting-edge advances at the nexus of chemistry, biology, physics, computer science and engineering to transform biotechnology. This project grew into a productive interagency partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the NSF. Berkowitz was instrumental in launching a collaborative initiative, Molecular Foundations for Sustainability: Sustainable Polymers Enabled by Emerging Data Analytics, to develop polymers with a “digital thread” that includes industrial partners BASF, Dow, IBM, PepsiCo Inc. and Procter & Gamble.

“It is an honor to join the rich historical tradition at the University of Georgia, the nation’s first state-chartered university,” Berkowitz said. “UGA brims with creative talent, from the arts and humanities to the social, physical and biological sciences. I look forward to collaborating with President Morehead and Provost Ayers to nurture the university’s excellent research ecosystem and to partner with the deans, directors and the outstanding faculty to build upon UGA’s status as a thriving, collaborative research powerhouse.”

Academic and research achievements

Beyond his national policy leadership, Berkowitz has distinguished himself as a trailblazing researcher and leader at the University of Nebraska’s flagship campus in Lincoln.

He is the co-lead of the highly successful, systemwide Nebraska Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline, a collaborative initiative that has attracted approximately $46 million in federal funding, including a major project to develop an FDA-approved protective drug for acute radiation syndrome.

Berkowitz’s research focuses on problems at the interface of chemistry and biology, using tools such as biocatalysis and synthetic organic chemistry. He is recognized for pioneering in situ enzymatic screening, a technique that uses enzymes to assist in discovering new chemical transformations, and for the development of novel unnatural amino acids as tools for chemical biology and lead compounds for drug discovery.

In recognition of his achievements, Berkowitz was named an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, elected Chair of the Biocatalysis Gordon Research Conference in 2018, named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2015 and named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2024.

Berkowitz will succeed Chris King, who has served as UGA’s interim vice president for research since July 2024.

“I am grateful for Dr. King’s commitment to the students, staff and faculty that drive UGA’s excellence in research,” Ayers said. “Chris has demonstrated exceptional leadership of the Office of Research, and I join the entire university community in thanking him for his service in this critical role.”

Berkowitz holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and earned his doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University. He completed the two-year Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship at Yale University.

A 17-member committee of faculty and campus leaders helped identify finalists for the position. The committee was co-chaired by Lisa K. Nolan, Georgia Athletics Association Distinguished Professor and dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Ron Walcott, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. The executive search firm of Isaacson, Miller and the UGA Search Group in Human Resources supported the committee.