Richard Mocarski

Associate Vice President for Research, Office of Research

Phone: 408-924-2488
Email: richard.mocarski@sjsu.edu


Biography

Dr. Mocarski joined SJSU in October 2021 from University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), where he served as the Chief Research Officer and the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research. Richard has over 16 years of experience in academic research administration, including the development and expansion of a strong research culture on and across R1 campuses, securing and administering over $400M in research funding, and being a member of the senior research leadership team for the Nebraska University system.

Richard also keeps an active research portfolio. At UNK, he successfully led cross-disciplinary, NIH-funded, community-based participatory research aimed at reducing health disparities in the transgender population through advocacy interventions. As a PI or co-PI, he has secured $5.7M in funding, published over 25 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, presented over fifty manuscripts, and mentored eight graduate students and five undergraduate students. 

Richard holds a bachelor's degree in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan as well as a master's degree in Communication Studies and a Ph.D. in Communication & Information Sciences, both from the University of Alabama. 

Vision

The academy is one of the foundational pillars of society, acting as a knowledge commons where ideas are created, taught, and disseminated between students, faculty, staff, industry, and the broader community. The role of the Office of Research in this commons is to support the generation and sharing of ideas and knowledge in laboratories, social scientific realms, and studios across the university and into society, by providing opportunities for collaboration, platforms for dissemination, and support for the piloting process. Dr. Mocarski views his role in realizing these ideals as a coalition builder, facilitator, and an ally that works with faculty and staff to reduce barriers to entry into the commons.