North Columbus News

John M. Horack has been appointed as the new vice president for research at The Ohio State University, effective October 1. In this role, Horack will lead the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK), which oversees the university’s research operations, innovation initiatives, partnerships, and knowledge development. He will report directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda.

Horack is a professor in both the College of Engineering and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State. His career includes nearly 20 years at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he contributed to astrophysics and cosmology research. He has also served as vice president for research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and as vice president of space systems at Teledyne Brown Engineering. Since joining Ohio State’s faculty in 2016, he has held the inaugural Neil A. Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy.

“John is a preeminent scholar, collaborator and visionary leader who shares our aspirations for research excellence at Ohio State,” Bellamkonda said. “With deep experience in academia, industry and the public sector, he will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious research goals and solidify Ohio State’s position as a national leader in life-changing and life-saving research.”

The appointment comes as part of Ohio State’s Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan, which aims to expand its research enterprise to $2 billion by 2035. Horack’s responsibilities will include building strategic partnerships, supporting commercialization efforts, and encouraging collaboration among researchers across campus.

“I am honored to step into this role at Ohio State, as research is the first link in the value chain of prosperity,” Horack said. “With such a talented and visionary team of faculty, staff and students, we will push new boundaries, foster new collaborations and turn discovery into impact in accordance with our land-grant mission.”

Horack is recognized internationally for his work in space-based research, flight hardware development, program management, and space policy. At NASA he held leadership roles overseeing science missions and communications; he also served as a mission scientist for the space shuttle program.

At Ohio State, Horack has played an important role in advancing spaceflight research through partnerships such as with Voyager Technologies. This collaboration led to the creation of the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park on Ohio State's Aerospace and Air Transportation Campus. He also leads efforts related to Starlab—a next-generation space station supported by VISTA.

Alongside Horack’s appointment, Ohio State announced plans to conduct a national search for a chief scientific officer for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. This executive will oversee biomedical research strategy across both the medical center and university-wide initiatives while reporting jointly to its CEO and to Horack.