Susan S. Margulies, PhD
Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Vanderbilt University

Biography: Dr. Susan S. Margulies earned a B.S.E. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, followed by an M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing postdoctoral research at the Mayo Clinic, she joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty, later serving in senior academic leadership roles at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, including Chair of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. From 2021–2025, she led the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering, being the first biomedical engineer to do so, overseeing national efforts in engineering research, education, and innovation. Dr. Margulies' professional honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors, along with fellowship in multiple leading engineering and scientific societies.