Reuben F. Burch V, Ph.D.

About

As Vice Provost for Research, Burch is leading the expansion of TCU’s research enterprise by strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing the university’s path toward Carnegie R1 status.

Before joining TCU, Burch served in multiple leadership roles at Mississippi State University, including associate vice president for research, executive director and founder of the Athlete Engineering Institute and professor of industrial and systems engineering. Throughout his career, he has built nationally recognized research programs, secured transformational philanthropic and competitive funding, and developed partnerships across academia, industry, government and athletics.

An inventor, entrepreneur and internationally recognized researcher, Burch holds nearly 50 patents and previously led research and development initiatives at FedEx focused on wearable technologies, autonomous systems and workforce innovation. He is widely recognized for founding the discipline of Athlete Engineering, an interdisciplinary field that connects engineering, human performance, sports science and emerging technologies.

At TCU, Burch is building a collaborative, future-focused research ecosystem that empowers faculty, students and partners to advance discovery, creative activity and real-world impact.

"Our role is simple: serve our faculty, remove barriers to discovery and create the conditions for research and creative activity to thrive. When we keep the main thing the main thing, extraordinary things happen." — Reuben F. Burch V, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Research