After taking the role on an interim basis a year ago, Evan Facher is now permanent director of Innovation Institute in addition to vice-chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship.
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) named Evan Facher (pictured) as the permanent director of its commercialisation hub, Innovation Institute, and vice-chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship on Wednesday.
Facher had been director of Innovation Institute on an interim basis since August 2017. He first joined the hub in 2014 as the lead for Pitt’s strategic efforts to generate more spinouts.
He replaces Marc Malandro, who stood down as director of Innovation Institute to join philanthropic research firm Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Prior to starting at Pitt, Facher was CEO and president of regenerative medicine developer SironRx Therapeutics from 2012 until 2014. He previously spent more than three years at life sciences group Bayer, latterly as its general manager for operations in Pittsburgh between 2011 and 2012.
Facher has also held managerial positions at stem cell therapy developer Athersys. He completed a PhD in human genetics at Pitt in 1997, going on to receive an MBA in entrepreneurship from Case Western Reserve University.
Facher said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to build on the positive momentum that has been established over the past five years since the creation of the Innovation Institute.”
“Our talented staff is focused on reaching more Pitt faculty, students and early-stage businesses in the region to inspire and enable them to accelerate the impact of their ideas and discoveries through entrepreneurship and innovation commercialisation.”
Rob Rutenbar, senior vice-chancellor for research at University of Pittsburgh, said: “Evan’s performance in the interim role and his contributions during his overall time at Pittsburgh convinced me and the search committee that he deserved the opportunity to continue executing on the strategies that he and his team have developed to innovate and improve upon the services that the Innovation Institute delivers to Pittsburgh faculty, students and partners.”
– Photograph courtesy of University of Pittsburgh
