IDI Faculty Director (Interim)

This page provides specific information about the IDI Faculty Director (Interim) appointment, an overview of the Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge (ERIK) and IDI, the position summary/scope of the position, candidate qualifications, and the application materials submission link. Applications and materials are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026. Note that this is a part-time faculty administrative position and is in addition to academic appointment duties and responsibilities. Compensation for the position is provided via a Faculty Administrative Attachment that is ~10% of base salary.

Position Information

Organization: Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI); Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge (ERIK)

Position Title: IDI Faculty Director (Interim, one-year appointment)¹

Position Reporting Line: Position reports to: Dr. Loren Wold, Senior Associate Vice President for Research, ERIK; Dotted reporting line to: Dr. Steven Ringel, Senior Associate Vice President for Research, ERIK

Position Term¹: July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 (opportunity for extended term based on performance and other key factors as determined by ERIK leadership)

Position Appointment: This is a supplemental, part‑time faculty administrative appointment; the selected candidate will retain their primary faculty appointment and responsibilities within their TIU(s).

Position Compensation: Faculty Administrative Attachment (~10% of current salary; as determined by ERIK leadership).

Enterprise for Research Innovation and Knowledge

The Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) at The Ohio State University is a dynamic, forward-thinking organization dedicated to pushing the boundaries of discovery and innovation. ERIK positions Ohio State to expand curiosity-driven research and creative expression, further develop our research community of faculty, staff, and students, and grow the innovation ecosystem to address big challenges and improve communities locally and globally. We are seeking passionate individuals who are committed to making a meaningful impact through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. To learn more about the ERIK mission and work, please visit https://erik.osu.edu/.

Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)

The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is an established, highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research institute with a strong organizational foundation that has cultivated a robust, university‑wide network of over 1,000 members, including faculty, students/trainees, staff, and external partners. This network showcases Ohio State’s unique breadth, depth, and infrastructure—including its walkable, co‑located Colleges of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Medicine; Veterinary Medicine; and the Wexner Medical Center—spanning diverse colleges, departments, centers, programs, and areas of disciplinary expertise. IDI’s impact is strengthened by key Ohio State research assets/facilities, including the multiple BSL-3 facilities like the Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research (PAAR) facility on the Wooster campus, for which the IDI is a major partner and financial supporter.

The IDI operates the Genomics and Microbiology Solutions Lab (IDI‑GEMS), which has BSL-2 laboratory capabilities and houses several fee-based services (i.e., university earnings operation) including the IDI-GEMS Next‑Generation Sequencing service, the Buckeye Tick Test service, and the Bacillus Genetic Stock Center, the only academic‑based repository of its kind in the world. In addition, IDI holds two prestigious Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) Reference Center designations (one in antimicrobial resistance and one in zoonotic coronaviruses), further reinforcing its global reputation and Ohio State’s leadership in the infectious diseases space. Together, these assets create extraordinary institutional strength and infrastructure, further enhancing the environment in which the incoming IDI Faculty Director will lead.

Building on decades of growth and success that is rooted in the Public Health Preparedness in Infectious Diseases (PHPID) Program and the Infectious Diseases Discovery Theme Initiative (DTI), the IDI has evolved to its current mature and integrated structure, anchored by its One Health approach and its well-developed leadership teams. The IDI benefits from exceptional leadership continuity—having had a single Faculty Director since its inception in 2017, who was previously part of the PHPID and the IDI DTI—and a remarkably strong and stable network of Thematic Program Co‑Directors whose composition provides consistency, institutional memory, and a firmly embedded collaborative culture. This continuity is further strengthened by the Senior Staff Leadership Team, which brings deep institutional knowledge of the IDI, ERIK, and Ohio State, ensuring stability, historical awareness, and experienced guidance that will support the incoming Faculty Director.

The IDI’s strong foundation, key assets, and well‑established network create an especially inviting opportunity, providing the incoming Faculty Director with a thriving environment in which to lead, innovate, and advance the institute’s mission: harnessing the beneficial effects of microbes and developing innovative solutions that mitigate the detrimental effects of infectious agents on human, animal, plant, and environmental health.

Position Summary

The IDI Faculty Director provides senior‑level, visionary leadership for a premier, university‑wide organization reporting through the Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge (ERIK). The Faculty Director is responsible for advancing interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach across all domain(s) of infectious diseases. Within a shared leadership model, the Faculty Director works in close partnership with the IDI Executive Committee, Thematic Program Faculty Co‑Directors, and the Senior Staff Leadership Team to position Ohio State as a global leader in infectious disease discovery, training, innovation, and real‑world impact. While this collaborative leadership structure provides support and continuity, the Faculty Director serves as IDI’s chief strategic leader and holds ultimate responsibility for guiding IDI’s direction, priorities, compliance, financial health, and overall success. Together, with the IDI leadership teams, the Faculty Director drives initiatives that generate transformative, interdisciplinary research, catalyze new collaborations, and produce outcomes and impacts that improve the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems worldwide.

During the one-year interim appointment, the IDI Faculty Director will:

Provide strategic, collaborative leadership that elevates IDI’s interdisciplinary, One Health–driven research and impact.

Operate effectively within IDI’s shared leadership model and engage program leaders to advance aligned institute priorities.
Serve as chair of the IDI Executive Committee.

Communicate IDI’s mission and science clearly and accessibly to internal and external audiences.

Foster a supportive, opportunity-rich environment that develops the next generation of infectious diseases talent and strengthens workforce pathways.

Integrate basic, translational, and clinical science while expanding IDI’s interdisciplinary network across the university, including disciplines that aren’t well represented in the IDI community.

Drive sustainable revenue growth through large-scale funding, partnerships, and commercialization/entrepreneurship.

Advance operational excellence through resource-aware planning, responsible stewardship, and strategic-doing–based execution.

Strengthen and expand IDI-GEMS as an innovative, and collaborative model research services platform that operates at a cost-neutral/slightly profitable fiscal position.

Collaborate across the university to explore a coordinated approach to high-containment research and shared facility stewardship.

Canidate Qualifications

Rank: Full Professor
Required Terminal Degree: PhD
Candidates must be internal (i.e., hold a primary faculty appointment and have their principal research and academic activities physically based at The Ohio State University).
Actively engaged in the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) through participation in programs, initiatives, or leadership activities.
Leadership experience, including programmatic development.
Interdisciplinary research accomplishments as reflected through publications, funding, and outreach.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to:

Lead the IDI by strategically and collaboratively executing initiatives and programs that embrace interdisciplinary research and the One Health framework, elevate the institute’s national and international profile, and advance large‑scale funding efforts, nontraditional revenue development, commercialization/entrepreneurship, AI‑enabled initiatives, and philanthropic engagement.
Function effectively within a shared‑leadership structure centered on strong, on-going collaboration with the IDI Executive Committee (senior‑level faculty and staff leadership) and engage IDI thematic program and cross‑cutting initiative leaders to support their programmatic priorities equitably and align them with the broader mission of the institute.
Communicate effectively across varied audiences by clearly articulating the IDI’s mission, goals, and structure, and by translating complex infectious‑disease science into clear, accurate, and accessible messages that advance understanding and support for the institute among IDI members, university leaders, external partners, and the public.
Foster a supportive, and opportunity‑rich environment for students and learners at all levels to cultivate the next generation of infectious diseases scientists, clinicians, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and to strengthen workforce development pathways that prepare them for impactful careers.
Bridge basic, translational, and clinical science across IDI’s thematic programs and cross‑cutting initiatives while broadening the institute’s interdisciplinary network by engaging disciplines and units not traditionally represented in infectious diseases, fostering a cohesive research and clinical ecosystem that spans the full spectrum of methods, applications, and academic domains across Ohio State.
Grow and diversify IDI’s revenues through large‑scale research funding, industry partnerships, commercialization, and other nontraditional funding avenues by leading as a practical visionary who inspires interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurial exploration, translating creative ideas into SMART‑aligned, resource‑aware strategies that leverage the strengths of the IDI community to drive sustainable revenue growth in alignment with the Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge (ERIK) and university priorities.
Advance operational excellence and continuous improvement by championing strategic doing—a practical, action‑focused, learning‑by‑doing framework—ensuring IDI aligns its ambitions with finite resources while maintaining responsible stewardship (i.e., operating within allotted budget), effective execution, and policy compliance.
Steward IDI Genomics and Microbiology Services Lab (IDI‑GEMS) as a signature IDI resource and key branding asset—advancing its sequencing, bioinformatics/microbiome platform (in partnership with the Center of Microbiome Science), tick‑borne pathogen testing (i.e., Buckeye Tick Test), and Bacillus Genetic Stock Center services—by ensuring cost‑neutral operations, expanding innovative, fee-for-service capabilities that support the infectious diseases research community, and collaborating with other university earnings units to position IDI‑GEMS as a model, integrated research services platform that strengthens interdisciplinary science, public health impact, commercialization, and the global visibility of IDI and Ohio State.
Participate in efforts to explore a unified university approach to high‑containment research, ensuring the sustainable and strategically aligned use of shared facilities (e.g., BSL‑3, BSL‑3 Ag, PAAR) in partnership with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; ERIK; other campus units; and university leadership

Application Submission

Applicants for the IDI Faculty Director (Interim) position must submit materials as PDF attachments by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026. Note that this is a part-time faculty administrative position and is in addition to academic appointment duties and responsibilities. Compensation for the position is provided via a Faculty Administrative Attachment that is ~10% of base salary. Submit your application here:

Submit application

Required materials:

Current curriculum vitae (CV)
Statement of Vision for the IDI (max one page)
Executive Qualifications and Leadership Summary (max two pages):
1. Why you are interested in the position
2. An outline of your qualifications and leadership experience
3. How this position aligns with your career plans