Sam Liss will become the next chief technology development officer and associate provost, the University announced Tuesday.
Liss, who has been a member of the Office of Technology Development (OTD) team for the past 15 years and currently serves as its executive director of strategic partnerships, will begin in his new role on Jan. 2. It 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.
“I am delighted that Sam has agreed to take on this role at a pivotal moment for the Office of Technology Development,” said University Provost John Manning. “I know that in his new leadership position, Sam will continue to nurture productive and innovative collaborations that further scientific discovery, deepen human knowledge, and make the world better as a result.”
Senior Vice Provost for Research John Shaw agreed, “This is a key moment for industry engagement at the University, and we are thrilled to have Sam take on this role. We know that his longtime dedication to advancing science and fostering entrepreneurship, his unique background in business development, and his strong network of relationships across the University and beyond will be incredible assets to the team at OTD and to the University’s efforts in innovation as a whole.”
Liss succeeds Isaac Kohlberg, who will step down from his role as senior associate provost and chief technology development officer at the end of this 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.
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. In addition, 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. It also comes at a time of heightened faculty interest in working with industry.
In his current role as executive director of strategic partnerships, Liss leads OTD 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 a range of other areas. Additionally, he manages two translational funds aimed at advancing research projects toward startup formation: the Harvard Grid Accelerator Fund and the Climate and Sustainability Translational Fund.
“The work of OTD has never been more crucial in advancing research to address a wide range of urgent societal needs,” stated Liss. “Our success relies on the remarkable research being conducted across the University, combined with our deep engagement with dedicated alumni, companies, investors, and entrepreneurs who are vital to our achievements. I’m grateful for the OTD team’s hard work to make Harvard innovations useful in everyday life.”
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. He has an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Syracuse University.
