Sue Porterfield named senior associate vice president for research operations

Sue Porterfield, who previously spent 20 years at Johns Hopkins University before departing in 2023 to become vice president of research at Kean University in New Jersey, will return to Johns Hopkins next month as the university's senior associate vice provost for research operations.

In this new role, Porterfield will be responsible for operations at both the School of Medicine's Office of Research Administration (ORA) and the Johns Hopkins Research Administration (JHURA), as well as supporting other university research operations. As part of this work, she will work to harmonize the vital work of ORA and JHURA teams with an eye toward building capacity to enhance service across the entire research enterprise.

Her return to JHU was announced in a message from Stephen Gange, executive vice provost, Denis Wirtz, vice provost for research, Landon King, executive vice dean at the School of Medicine, and Antony Rosen, vice dean of research at the School of Medicine.

"Sue is a proven leader and a dedicated colleague. Her past work supporting both faculty and staff embodies our institution's commitment to research and discovery, and we are confident that she will do the same in her new role," they wrote. "We are excited to welcome her back to Johns Hopkins and look forward to the experience and enthusiasm she will bring to the role."

Porterfield brings an established track record of success in leading collaborative efforts at Hopkins that have bolstered research activities. She helped build the Office of the Vice Provost Research from the ground up beginning in 2014 and played an integral role in developing the office's signature initiatives, including the Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships program, the Research Development Team, and internal funding programs such as the Catalyst and Discovery awards.

"I am elated to welcome Sue Porterfield back to Johns Hopkins University," Wirtz said. "Sue is the consummate colleague who will bring a broad array of skills in research administration, development, and management to our team. I look forward to her return and to getting to work with her to further build upon Johns Hopkins' world-leading research enterprise."

Added King: "We deeply appreciate our colleagues in research administration for the incredibly important work they do and want to express our sincere gratitude to them as we herald Sue's return."

Prior to joining the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Porterfield was executive director of JHU's Institute for NanoBioTechnology, where she oversaw major multidisciplinary, multi-divisional research and education initiatives at the interface of engineering, life science, and medicine.

In two years at Kean University, she founded a research administration office and helped Kean achieve R2 status—denoting a doctoral-granting institution with "high research activity"—in February.

Porterfield holds a Bachelor of Science in business management and psychology from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in human resources management from Towson University, and a Doctor of Organizational Leadership from Stockton University in New Jersey.

"I'm incredibly honored and excited to return to an institution that has shaped my professional journey, and to step into this inaugural role with a deep sense of purpose and possibility," Porterfield said. "It's a privilege to help shape something new in a place that feels like home."