About

Since our founding in 1962, the Research & Development Council of New Jersey has worked to advance research and development throughout New Jersey. We advocate on behalf of research-driven companies and universities in the state. We bolster New Jersey’s STEM education and career pipeline. And we foster collaboration among industry, academia and government.
Mission & Vision

Mission: As the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, we collaborate among industry, academia and government to grow and strengthen STEM in education, innovation and the economy.

Vision: Growing STEM. Advancing innovation. Impacting the world.

History and key initiatives
How it all began

The Research & Development Council was founded in 1962 by industry leaders who saw the need for collaboration among industry, academia and government in order to support and strengthen the innovation environment in New Jersey. One such project was development of Liberty Science Center, for which the R&D Council served as principal fundraiser.

Promoting R&D tax credits

The R&D Council worked with the State of New Jersey to create tax credits for R&D facilities to help spur the state’s innovation economy.

Building NJ’s STEM pipeline

The R&D Council today leads the state in guiding and promoting corporate and government investment in STEM education to develop, retain and attract top talent in New Jersey.

Giving R&D a voice in Trenton

R&D Council staff and board members work regularly with state political leaders to strengthen the effectiveness of R&D driven enterprises and to gain insights into the political and legislative agenda.

Spotlighting NJ’s remarkable research talent
The R&D Council honors New Jersey’s best and brightest inventors through the annual Thomas Edison Patent Awards. The annual event, which has been held for four decades, showcases patented innovations that change the world.
Leadership
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Kevin Campos, Ph.D.
Chair

Associate Vice President, Process Research & Development
MERCK

Ellen Ferguson
Vice Chair

Bell Labs Operation and Planning
NOKIA BELL LABS

Colleen Ruegger, RPh, Ph.D.
Secretary

Executive Director, Technical Research & Development (TRD), Development Unit Head CardioRenalMetabolic & Global Health
NOVARTIS

Larry O’Connell, P.Eng Immediate Past-Chair

Vice President, Global Technical Leadership and Global TechLine
IBM

Anthony S. Cicatiello
President

Ex-Officio

BOARD

The Hon. Robert Asaro-Angelo

Commissioner
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Lora Billings, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science
and Mathematics
MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY
Keith Bostian, Ph.D.

Dean of NJCSTM / Technology Transfer Office
Founder & CEO, Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship
KEAN UNIVERSITY

Gary Buchanan, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Science, Research
and Environmental Health

NJ DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Coleen Burrus
Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Office of the Dean for Research PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Ray Carr
Director, Armaments Center Fusion Cell U.S. ARMY ARMAMENTS CENTER
Mario M. Casabona

Founder and CEO
CASABONA VENTURES LLC

Robert Cohen

Vice President, Global R&D; Chief Technology Officer, Stryker Joint Replacement Division
STRYKER

Kathleen W. Coviello

Director, Technology & Life Sciences Division
NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
State Representative to R&D Council

Nandu Deorkar, Ph.D.

Vice President, Research & Development
AVANTOR PERFORMANCE MATERIALS

Atam P. Dhawan, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Research Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Tabetha Dobbins, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
Bruce Ellsworth, Ph.D.

Director, Head of Fibrosis Discovery Chemistry
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB

Jeffrey Grenda, Ph.D.

Corporate Strategic Research
EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY

Paul Hoffman

President & CEO
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER

Virginie Maillard

Head of Corporate Technology US / Head of Technology Field Simulation & Digital Twin
SIEMENS CORPORATION

Alan J. Main, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research
LEXICON PHARMACEUTICALS

Ravi Nargund, Ph.D.
Senior Scientific Director, Global Drug Discovery
JANSSEN R&D
Kris Ohleth

Senior Manager of Stakeholder Engagement
ØRSTED

Sacha (Alexandra) Patera, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President, Rutgers Corporate Engagement Center
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY & RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Aaron Price

CEO
TECHUNITED, NEW JERSEY

Colleen E. Ruegger, RPh, Ph.D.

Global Head, Oral Pharmaceutical Development
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION

Kathleen Scotto, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Research, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

Rob Slone

VP and Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Advanced Materials
HONEYWELL

Jeffrey Stokes

Sr. Director, Power Generation for PSEG Fossil
PSEG

Peter Walther

Senior Vice President, Heterogeneous Catalysis
BASF CORP.

David Zimmerman

Director of Technology Commercialization
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Andrew Zwicker, Ph.D.

Head, Science Education
PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY
NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLYMAN, 16TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Staff

Anthony S. Cicatiello
President
Kim Case, J.D.
Executive Director
Alise Roderer
Governor’s STEM Scholars Director
Shirley Guzman

Programs Manager