About SLU Research

Ken Olliff serves as vice president for research and partnerships at Saint Louis University, a role he has held since July 2016. Olliff is responsible for growing the scale and eminence of SLU’s research enterprise, fostering an innovative research culture, building areas of distinctive strength, and raising SLU’s profile as a preeminent research university. Olliff also oversees SLU’s research innovation efforts, working closely with St. Louis’ innovation and entrepreneurship community to translate research discoveries into the marketplace.

In fall 2018, Olliff oversaw the creation and now serves as director of the Saint Louis University Research Institute. Founded through a 10-year, $50 million gift from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, the vision for the Research Institute is to set SLU on a path to becoming the world’s leading Jesuit research university.

Olliff serves as chair of the Program Committee for the Cortex Innovation Community and on the board of the Center for Creative Arts in St. Louis. He is a member of the St. Louis BioSTL Coalition, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Mission Science Council, and the Governing Council of Washington University’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences.

Olliff joined Saint Louis University after 12 years at the University of Chicago, most recently as associate vice president for program development in the Office of the Vice President for Research and National Labs. Responsible for managing UChicago’s research enterprise along with Argonne and Fermi National Laboratories, the office oversees a combined annual research expenditure of approximately $1.4 billion.

Olliff received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Rochester, and his Doctor of Ministry from Meadville Lombard Theological School. He performed advanced graduate work in religion at Harvard University, and he holds an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.