Key Takeaways
- Sam Liss will become the next chief technology development officer and associate provost at Harvard University, starting on January 2.
- Liss has been a member of the Office of Technology Development (OTD) team for 15 years and currently serves as its executive director of strategic partnerships.
- The leadership transition comes as the University works to expand its corporate and industry engagement efforts and deepen its engagement with corporate entities and industry.
- Liss succeeds Isaac Kohlberg, who will step down from his role as senior associate provost and chief technology development officer at the end of the year.
- The University has undertaken efforts to implement recommendations of corporate relations committees and establish advisory groups to provide guidance on potential industry collaborations.
Introduction to Sam Liss’s New Role
Sam Liss will become the next chief technology development officer and associate provost at Harvard University, the University announced on Tuesday. Liss, who has been a member of the Office of Technology Development (OTD) team for the past 15 years, will begin in his new role on January 2. This appointment comes at an exciting moment for OTD and for innovation and technology development at Harvard, as the University works to expand its corporate and industry engagement efforts. Liss’s experience and expertise will be invaluable in driving the University’s efforts to advance scientific discovery, deepen human knowledge, and make the world a better place.
University Leadership’s Reaction to Liss’s Appointment
University Provost John Manning expressed his delight at Liss’s appointment, stating that he is confident that Liss will continue to nurture productive and innovative collaborations that further scientific discovery and make the world a better place. Senior Vice Provost for Research John Shaw also welcomed Liss’s appointment, highlighting his unique background in business development, his strong network of relationships across the University and beyond, and his longtime dedication to advancing science and fostering entrepreneurship. Shaw noted that Liss’s assets will be invaluable to the team at OTD and to the University’s efforts in innovation as a whole.
Liss’s Background and Experience
Liss succeeds Isaac Kohlberg, who will step down from his role as senior associate provost and chief technology development officer at the end of the year but will remain with OTD in a consultative capacity through June 2026. Kohlberg has led the University’s efforts in technology development for the last 21 years, establishing the Office of Technology Development and playing a key role in building corporate relationships and developing strategies to further advance Harvard research. Liss, on the other hand, has been the executive director of strategic partnerships at OTD, leading efforts to develop strategic research collaborations across engineering, the physical sciences, and computer sciences, and to commercialize technologies in quantum computing, robotics, medical devices, and other areas.
The Leadership Transition and Its Significance
The leadership transition comes as a more formal alignment between OTD and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) is established to best support the broader academic research mission of the University. Additionally, the University has undertaken a number of efforts to deepen its engagement with corporate entities and industry, implementing recommendations of corporate relations committees and establishing advisory groups to provide guidance on potential industry collaborations. This transition also comes at a time of heightened faculty interest in working with industry, and Liss’s experience and expertise will be crucial in driving these efforts forward.
Liss’s Vision for the Future
Liss stated that the work of OTD has never been more crucial in advancing research to address a wide range of urgent societal needs. He emphasized that the success of OTD relies on the remarkable research being conducted across the University, combined with deep engagement with dedicated alumni, companies, investors, and entrepreneurs who are vital to the University’s achievements. Liss expressed his gratitude for the OTD team’s hard work in making Harvard innovations useful in everyday life and highlighted his commitment to continuing this work in his new role.
Liss’s Professional Background
Prior to his time at Harvard, Liss served in a variety of business development roles at venture capital-backed startups and was vice president of Corporate Marketing at Dialogic Corporation, which was later acquired by Intel. He was also a management consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton in the software, semiconductor, and electronics sectors. Liss has an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Syracuse University. His diverse professional background and experience will be invaluable in driving the University’s efforts to advance innovation and technology development.
