Trevor Owens Named as AIP’s First Chief Research Officer

Newswise — WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 – AIP is delighted to announce the appointment of Trevor Owens as its first Chief Research Officer. Starting Feb. 12, Owens will lead AIP Research, a core element of the Institute’s strategic transformation enabling AIP to leverage its work in statistical research, history, policy, culture, and its library and archives to bring thought leadership to the wider community.

“Trevor has extensive experience and background in history of science research, library and archives leadership and management, deploying digital research tools, as well as applied social science research,” said Michael Moloney, AIP CEO. “I am thrilled for him to join AIP to lead initiatives and spearhead research and analysis products to address important topics and effect positive change in the physical sciences enterprise.”

As Chief Research Officer at AIP, Owens will be charged with delivering innovative strategies that enable and accelerate the development of the newly formed AIP Research team. Working with a staff of more than 25 social scientists, survey scientists, historians, librarians, and archivists, Owens’ leadership of AIP Research will also draw on expertise across the Institute to advance the success of AIP Member Societies, elevate AIP as a trusted source, and ensure excellence in our research and analysis activities.

“It’s an energizing opportunity to be a part of the creation of AIP Research,” Owens said. “I’m looking forward to facilitating collaborations to advance the goals of AIP’s vibrant federation of Member Societies.”

Prior to joining AIP, Owens was the director of Digital Services at the Library of Congress. Over the past decade, Owens has held progressively senior roles, advancing vision and strategies for the future of research organizations. While serving at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), he was responsible for convening representatives from libraries, associations, funders, and technology innovators to establish the National Digital Platform framework. Through his work at the Library of Congress, IMLS, and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, Owens gained extensive experience and background in history of science research, library and archives leadership and management, and applied social science research. He has a particular expertise and interest in the power of digital assets and content, which aligns with AIP’s strategic vision. And in 2023, he served as a member of AIP’s Blue-Ribbon Panel engaged to recommend a strategic vision for the future of AIP’s history, library, and archives programs.

In 2022, Owens served as a Fulbright Specialist with the National Library of Kosovo, leading the development of their first digital collections strategy. In 2021, the American Library Association named Owens the recipient of the Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, an award that recognizes a body of research having a positive and substantive impact on the publication, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information.

Owens is the author of three books, the most recent of which, The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation, was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2018 and has won outstanding publication awards from both the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. His next book, After Disruption: A Future for Cultural Memory, will be published by University of Michigan Press in the spring of 2024.

“The staff of AIP Research are renowned for their expertise, service, and leadership in their respective fields. It is a privilege and an honor to have this opportunity to support them in advancing AIP’s mission,” said Owens. “I plan to bring a lot of curiosity, enthusiasm, and a strong spirit of collaboration to this work.”

###

ABOUT AIP

The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP is a federation that advances the success of our 10 Member Societies and an institute that operates as a center of excellence supporting the physical sciences enterprise. In its role as an institute, AIP uses policy analysis, social science, and historical research to promote future progress in the physical sciences. AIP is a 501(c)(3) membership corporation of scientific societies.

###