Fairfax, Va.—George Mason University is pleased to announce that Dr. Andre Marshall has been named Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development and President of the George Mason University Research Foundation, effective July 1. He will also join the faculty of the Volgenau School of Engineering.
Dr. Marshall currently serves as the Program Director for the National Science Foundation’s $38 million Innovation Corps Program, which helps researchers reduce the time it takes to translate promising ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace. He was instrumental in converting the in-person experiential learning I-Corps Teams Training program to virtual delivery.
He has been on assignment at NSF from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was founder and director of the Fire Testing and Evaluation Center since 2001. He previously served as the program director for the Industry-University Cooperative Research Center Program at the NSF.
“Dr. Marshall is a triple threat: An award-winning faculty member with a successful entrepreneurial track record and a strong leadership background,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “We’re excited for him to bring that energy to Mason’s research enterprise, and we can’t wait for him to get started.”
As an academic, he focuses on research discoveries in advanced diagnostics and computational modeling to drive innovation in fire protection engineering. He has been responsible for $4.9 million in research funding, and has been published extensively.
In 2007, Dr. Marshall received the prestigious NSF Presidential Early CAREER Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for his research focused on characterizing sprays used in fire suppression and combustion systems. The PECASE award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers.
He founded a technology startup and holds patents in the propulsion and fire safety sectors with technologies licensed by the fire safety industry.
Dr. Marshall began his professional career at Rolls-Royce Corp. where he developed aircraft engine pollution abatement technology in partnership with NASA.
“Dr. Marshall will accelerate Mason’s positive trajectory as a respected comprehensive research university that pursues innovation and upholds its commitment to community engagement,” Mason Provost Mark Ginsberg said. “His broad knowledge and breadth of experience will help further strengthen our research capacity while enhancing the educational experiences of our students as we advance our university as a national leader.”
"I am so impressed with how Mason is finding ways to innovate and thrive even in the face of the pandemic. Mason’s culture of access, inclusion, innovation and excellence caught my attention and captured my imagination,” Dr. Marshall said.
“It is an honor to lead Mason’s research enterprise at such a critical time of change and growth. As we continue to expand the fastest-growing research portfolio of any public university, I look forward to supporting Mason’s community of scholars and our stakeholders in their efforts to create new knowledge and new forms of expression, solve important societal problems, and build enterprise through research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. I can’t wait to meet you in-person.”
Dr. Marshall received his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, with a specialization in combustion, from the University of Maryland, after previously having been awarded undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
He succeeds Deb Crawford, who left Mason to become vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Aurali Dade, Mason’s associate vice president for research and innovation, has served with distinction in an interim position since Crawford’s departure.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 38,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at www.gmu.edu.