He comes to Columbia from the National Institutes of Health, where he served as executive officer and, for the past year, as acting deputy director for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. At NINDS, he played a major role in aligning the organization with a recent growth in resources; this process involved engaging academia, patient advocacy groups, and industry in addition to the 1,000-member Institute staff.

He also was instrumental in organizing efforts to establish a new laboratory at the NIH, one that will set new standards for biomedical facilities and the way research is conducted.

Before joining the NIH, Mr. Kirby conducted and directed research in the Department of the Army and served as science adviser for the Army Forces Command. At the Army Research Laboratory, he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility, concluding as deputy director for operations.

A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in chemical engineering, Mr. Kirby participated in the Sloan Fellows Program at MIT, earning an M.S. degree in management. In 2000, he received a second M.S. degree in social and organizational learning from George Mason University.

"Kevin brings a wealth of management and leadership experience in scientific organizations to this position," says Dr. Gerald Fischbach, executive vice president and dean.

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