Susan Burns, Brandon Strickland Joining the Institute's Research Enterprise Leadership Team

Georgia Tech is pleased to announce the appointment of two new leadership positions within the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR). These positions report to the Chief Research Operations Officer. 

Susan Burns has agreed to serve as interim Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Infrastructure (AVP-ROI), effective immediately. Susan is a distinguished professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, with extensive experience in research operations and infrastructure. Her leadership and commitment to advancing research excellence will be instrumental in supporting the Institute’s strategic goals. A search for a permanent AVP-ROI will begin in the near future.

Brandon Strickland will be joining Georgia Tech as the new Associate Vice President for Research Administration (AVP-RA), effective June 16, 2025. Brandon, an engineer and attorney by training, brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as Executive Director of the Office of Research Administration at the University of Miami, where he managed a dynamic research enterprise with an annual portfolio of more than $700 million in expenditures. His expertise streamlining research administration processes, providing strong service to faculty, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations will be invaluable to Georgia Tech.

“We’re excited and grateful to welcome Susan Burns and Brandon Strickland to our leadership team. Their combined expertise and dedication to research excellence will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts in research administration processes, operations, and infrastructure. I look forward to working with them,” said Bill Dracos, Interim Chief Research Operations Officer. 

The EVPR’s office thanks Susan Puryear for her service as interim AVP-RA over the past several months. Susan will remain at Georgia Tech into the summer during the transition to Brandon.