David Sholl

David Sholl is an internationally recognized expert in research strategy, clean energy and scientific leadership. Immediately prior to his position as Executive Vice President for Research at Rice, Sholl served as the executive director and vice provost of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Sholl has a distinguished record of leadership, including directing the Transformational Decarbonization Initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and advising the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

From 2013 to 2021, Sholl served as chair of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is editor-in-chief of the AIChE Journal, a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Sholl’s research has primarily focused on using materials modeling methods to develop new materials and processes for chemical separations and energy applications. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and has written several books, including “Density Functional Theory: A Practical Introduction” and “Success and Creativity in Scientific Research.”

After earning his undergraduate degree in theoretical physics from the Australian National University, Sholl received his master’s and doctorate in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Sholl oversees Rice's Office of Research, which includes the Office of Innovation, Office of Technology Transfer, Office of Sponsored Projects, Office of Research Integrity, the Animal Resources Facility and the Office of Research Security.