Dr. M. Omar Faison serves as Vice Provost for Research & Economic Development and Chief Research Officer at Virginia State University. Dr. Faison has led university-wide initiatives to expand sponsored research, drive innovation, and foster strategic partnerships. He has guided the university to new records in research expenditures, proposal submissions, and indirect cost recovery, supporting VSU’s recent achievement of the Carnegie R2 classification.
Dr. Faison is a champion for faculty development and institutional capacity building. He has developed comprehensive grants training programs and played a key role in two University wide strategic planning efforts. His funded projects span data science, biomedical research, STEM education, and regional resilience.
A neuroscientist by training, Dr. Faison earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and completed postdoctoral research at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is an alumnus of the American Council on Education Fellows Program and serves on multiple national and regional advisory boards focused on research impact, economic development, and innovation in higher education.