Greg Howell, a veteran university administrator with global experience, has been selected as the director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. His tenure begins on May 2.

“Cal Poly Pomona is experiencing a true renaissance under President Soraya Coley, and I am excited to join the university at such a promising time in its history,” Howell says. “Along with Dr. Sadiq Shah, the staff in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and staff at the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, I am looking forward to working diligently to increase the opportunities for research and scholarly pursuits for faculty, staff and students.”

Howell has been the associate director of the Office of Sponsored Proposals and Awards at Georgia State University in Atlanta since 2013. He oversees negotiations and administers contracts for sponsored research activities.

“We are pleased to have Mr. Howell join Cal Poly Pomona. He brings significant experience in pre- and post-award administration, legal and industrial contract negotiation, and an understanding of intellectual property issues,” says Shah, the associate vice president for research, innovation and economic development. “He has worked at various prestigious institutions in research administration and his experience will help us move the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to the next level to support our faculty.”

Previously, Howell was the head of the Office of Sponsored Programs at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. He also was the associate director of the Office of Research Administration, Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In addition, he was the senior manager of industry contracts in the Office of Intellectual Property at the University of South Carolina.

Before setting on a career in university research administration, Howell practiced law for six years. He earned his bachelor’s in foreign service from Georgetown University in 1990. Howell went on to UC Berkeley where he earned his MBA and his Juris Doctor law degree. He also spent three years in Japan as an exchange student and is proficient in Japanese.

He then served as an attorney in the U.S. Air Force with the rank of captain at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina and Misawa Air Base in Japan. He later became an executive associate at the American International Group in Delaware and New York before joining the McNair Law Firm in South Carolina. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar.

Howell and his wife, Hikari, have two sons in college and a daughter in high school.