Engineering associate dean named VP for research at UF

December 21, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — David P. Norton, the University of Florida’s associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, has been named vice president for research.

Norton will assume his new role Jan. 30.

“Moving our research enterprise forward is one of our most important priorities, especially in today’s economy,” UF President Bernie Machen said. “I’m confident that David will provide the leadership necessary to make that happen.”

Said Win Phillips, UF’s senior vice president and chief operating officer: “David’s experience with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee combined with the institutional knowledge he has gained here at UF make him a solid choice for this role.”

Norton succeeds Phillips, who became vice president for research in 1999 and was named senior vice president and chief operating officer in September 2011.

Norton has held his current position since 2009. He joined UF in 2000 as an associate professor in the department of materials science and engineering. From 1991 to 1997, he was a research staff member in the Solid State Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He was a senior research staff member at Oak Ridge from 1997 to 2000.

“Being selected as the vice president for research at the University of Florida is a remarkable honor and privilege,” Norton said. “The research enterprise at the University of Florida positively impacts the education of our students, changing the trajectory of young people in remarkable ways. Serving as vice president for research at this university represents a challenging opportunity to contribute to its continued success and growth. I very much look forward to serving UF in this capacity.”

Norton’s research interests primarily focus on electronic, photonic and magnetic thin film materials. He has published more than 300 articles in refereed journals and books, presented numerous invited papers and lectures at national and international conferences, and organized conferences and workshops in the areas of electronic oxides and laser processing. He is a Fellow of the American Vacuum Society, the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the Materials Research Society and the Electrochemical Society.

He performed his undergraduate and graduate studies within the department of electrical and computer engineering at Louisiana State University, receiving his doctorate in 1989.