Grand Challenges Team

Paul Dodd, PhD rejoined UC Davis full time in January 2024 in a new role of Associate Vice Chancellor, Grand Challenges. His focus in this role is to ensure UC Davis’ research is making the greatest positive impact on global problems. We bring together experts from across disciplines – connecting the community around solution-oriented work, ensuring the participation of underrepresented people and disciplines, organizing product-centered strategic convenings including company and government partners, and we facilitate the creation of new campus-wide teams and ventures. He leads efforts in the Emerging Health Threats and Climate Solutions challenges, and actively supports the Sustainable Food Systems and Reimagining the Public Land-Grant University challenges.

Previously Paul held the position of Vice President, Engagement at University of Galway from 2022-2024 – leading a team of over 30 professionals, he was a member of the University Management Team and had executive responsibility for a number of university-wide functions including Development, Marketing and Communications, and Community and Industry engagement. During this time he co-led the team that renamed and rebranded the university to become University of Galway, developed a record ‘signature partnership’ with Medtronic Inc and expanded the unique partnership between the university and the Galway International Arts Festival. During this time he also supported UC Davis with European university research partnerships on a part-time basis. From 2012-2022 he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives at UC Davis, supporting over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, and leading campus efforts in research development helping to drive a 50% increase in research revenue during in less than a decade. He was a Program Officer, then Director, Industry Collaborative Programs at Science Foundation Ireland (2005-2012), where he was responsible for stimulating many new industry-academic partnerships, including leading the development of the SFI Centers program design. He spent two-years on partial sabbatical to IDA Ireland as an ICT Technologist in 2009-10, based in silicon valley, he worked with IDA officers across the USA, helping develop research investments from US multinationals into Ireland. Earlier in his career he worked in the data storage industry with Seagate (1999-2005) in their state of the art recording head wafer fab in Derry, Northern Ireland where he held a number of R&D and engineering leadership roles.

He holds BA and MSc degrees in science of materials from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in physics from Queen’s University Belfast.