Planned transition positions Research Triangle Park for its next era of innovation and growth as Levitan prepares to retire and Pruitt assumes the role
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. [July 7, 2026] — As Research Triangle Park (RTP) prepares to advance its recently adopted RTP 3.0 land-use framework, the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina (Foundation) today announced a planned executive leadership transition that will guide the organization into its next chapter.
After nine years of transformative leadership in RTP and a more than 45-year career leading prominent urban innovation and university anchored developments, Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Scott Levitan will retire Oct. 2, 2026. Following an extensive succession planning process and national candidate search, the Foundation’s Board of Directors selected Jonathan C. Pruitt, currently executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer (COO) for The University of Texas System, as its next president and CEO. Pruitt will join the organization on Sept. 15 and work alongside Levitan to ensure a seamless transition.
Home to more than 385 companies employing more than 55,000 people, RTP is one of the nation’s largest and most influential research parks. With the recent approval of RTP 3.0, the Foundation is shifting from long-range planning to implementation, advancing a vision designed to strengthen the Park’s global competitiveness while preserving its core mission of fostering research, development and innovation among Triangle universities and industry.
Levitan joined the Foundation in August 2017 and helped fundamentally reposition the organization from steward of a successful research park to architect of its next generation. Under Levitan’s leadership, the Foundation assembled 100 acres of land within RTP’s service district to create the vision for Hub RTP, a mixed-use campus designed to serve as the Park’s vibrant downtown destination. Early in his tenure, Levitan transformed a former IBM office campus into Frontier RTP, creating the Park’s first free coworking space and welcoming a new generation of entrepreneurs, startups and growing companies to operate out of the Park. The success of Frontier RTP strengthened the Foundation’s long term financial model while fostering a sense of community through dedicated placemaking, programming and events tailored to today’s workforce.
Building on that momentum, Levitan led the launch of Boxyard RTP in 2021, an innovative retail, dining and entertainment venue created from shipping containers. Boxyard became a proving ground for local entrepreneurs and emerging restaurant concepts while demonstrating demand for new amenities and gathering places within RTP.
With support from Durham County and RTP company leaders, the Foundation secured $105 million in funding to advance key infrastructure projects and site readiness on the east side of the Hub RTP campus. In 2020, Levitan worked closely with the Foundation board to guide the critical decision to start construction on Horseshoe, which recently welcomed its first restaurant and office tenants and sits as one of the region’s few, newly constructed Class A office-over-retail developments available for lease.
Under Levitan’s guidance, the Foundation selected MAA as the residential development partner within Hub RTP, bringing the first residents in RTP’s history to live within the Park. Levitan led these initiatives while advancing shovel-ready development sites along Interstate 40 for future office, hospitality and mixed-use investment opportunities.
While these development efforts were underway, Levitan also served as a lead visionary and convening force behind RTP 3.0, reimagining land use across the Park’s nearly 7,000 acres while preserving research and development as its core purpose. In June 2026, the 50-year planning framework received unanimous approval and adoption by the RTP Owners & Tenants Association and Foundation Board of Directors, opening the possibility to new enhanced corporate campus, residential and mixed-use development options for the first time since the Park was founded in 1959.
“Serving as president and CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation is the privilege of my career,” said Levitan. “The true strength of Research Triangle Park has never been its land or buildings. It was always the remarkable concentration of talent, curiosity and collaboration that exists here every day. None of our accomplishments would be possible without our extraordinary Foundation staff, our Board, our university partners, our companies and our public-sector leaders.”
Levitan continued, “Together, we created a vision that honors RTP’s remarkable legacy while preparing it for the next 50 years. I leave knowing the Park’s future is incredibly bright, and I could not be more excited to watch Jonathan and this outstanding team bring RTP 3.0 to life.”
Pruitt was selected following a national search launched by the Research Triangle Foundation Board of Directors starting in December 2025 and led by Board Chair Barbara Mulkey. The search committee sought a leader capable of building on the Foundation’s momentum, guiding implementation of RTP 3.0 and strengthening the partnerships that have made the Park one of the world’s premier innovation ecosystems.
“Scott challenged us to think differently about what Research Triangle Park could become,” said Barbara Mulkey, chair of the Research Triangle Foundation Board of Directors. “He honored RTP’s remarkable history while giving us a bold vision for its future. RTP 3.0 is a roadmap that will shape innovation and economic opportunity in North Carolina for generations. On behalf of the Board, I thank Scott for his exceptional leadership, creativity and enduring contributions.”
Mulkey continued, “As we looked for the Foundation’s next leader, we sought someone who could build upon that legacy while guiding RTP through its next phase of implementation and growth. Jonathan emerged as the clear choice. He brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational expertise and partnership-building experience, along with a proven ability to align diverse stakeholders around ambitious initiatives. The Board is confident he has the skills, judgement and collaborative approach needed to position the Park for continued success.”
As the Research Triangle Foundation’s 10th president, Pruitt brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience guiding strategy, finance, operations and capital development for large and complex institutions. In his current role as executive vice chancellor and COO for The University of Texas System, he oversees multibillion-dollar finance, operations, real estate and capital planning across one of the nation’s largest public higher education enterprises, including nine academic institutions, four health institutions and System Administration.
He previously held senior leadership roles within the University of North Carolina System and UNC Chapel Hill. During his almost 20-year tenure at the UNC System, Pruitt was the primary strategic advisor to the System President and oversaw UNC System business affairs.
Throughout his career, Pruitt has led major capital initiatives, managed intricate stakeholder environments and built partnerships spanning higher education, government and industry. His work has required close collaboration with governing boards, legislative bodies, business leaders and community stakeholders, earning a reputation as a trusted strategist and convener across sectors.
Pruitt’s experience translating long-term vision into operational execution aligns closely with the opportunities ahead for RTP as it advances implementation of RTP 3.0, expands development opportunities within Hub RTP, strengthens university-industry partnerships, and builds upon its global reputation as a premier research park.
“Research Triangle Park is one of North Carolina’s greatest assets and one of the world’s leading centers for research and innovation,” said Pruitt. “I’m honored to return to North Carolina and join the Research Triangle Foundation at such a pivotal moment. Scott and his team, along with the Foundation’s Board and partners, have created an extraordinary foundation to build upon. My priority is to work with our universities, companies and community partners to continue the momentum already underway while ensuring RTP remains a place where innovation, collaboration and discovery thrive.”
Pruitt continued, “Research Triangle Park was founded on a simple but powerful idea: that Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill could accomplish more together than they ever could alone. That vision helped reshape North Carolina’s economy, attract world-class companies and create opportunities for generations of residents. The spirit of collaboration remains RTP’s greatest competitive advantage, and together we will build on it for decades to come.”
About Scott Levitan
Retiring in October 2026, Scott Levitan has served as president and CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation since August 2017, leading a transformative period in Research Triangle Park history. Under his leadership, the Foundation developed RTP 3.0, the Park’s 50-year vision and reimagined land use framework, transformed its long-term financial model through Frontier RTP and Boxyard RTP, secured $105 million to build out Hub RTP as the Park’s downtown destination, and helped attract transformative investments, including Apple, Lilly and Novartis.
Before joining the Foundation, Levitan led the development of the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins University and held senior real estate and development leadership positions with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard University, specializing in university research parks and innovation districts. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Louisiana State University, he earned graduate degrees from Harvard University and the University of York, England.
He is also active in and has served on a number of real estate and economic development organization boards, including the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), International Association of Science Parks (IASP), Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro, among several other leadership roles locally, regionally and globally. Levitan served on the Planning and Design Commission at Georgia Tech and the Board of the Qatar Science & Technology Park. For his full biography, visit https://www.rtp.org/bio/scott-levitan.
About Jonathan C. Pruitt
Jonathan C. Pruitt has been named incoming president and CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina. He currently serves as executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer for The University of Texas System, where he oversees finance, operations, capital planning and real estate across nine academic institutions, four health institutions and System Administration. He previously held senior leadership positions with the University of North Carolina System and UNC-Chapel Hill. Pruitt holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree from Centre College. For his full biography, visit https://www.rtp.org/bio/jonathan-pruitt.
About Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park (RTP) is one of the most powerful engines of innovation and economic growth in the United States. As the largest research park in North America and one of the largest and most influential in the world, RTP spans 7,000 acres at the center of North Carolina’s eponymous Triangle region and is home to more than 55,000 employees and over 385 companies, startups and national labs.
Anchored by its founding Tier I research universities—Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—RTP connects world-class research, talent, and industry to attract investment, support job creation, and advance global innovation. The Park is home to industry leaders including Apple, BASF, Biogen, Cisco Systems, EPA, Fidelity Investments, IBM, Labcorp, Lenovo, Lilly, NetApp, NIEHS, RTI International, and United Therapeutics. RTP generates an estimated $25.1 billion in annual economic value for North Carolina.
RTP is stewarded by the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that guides the Park’s long-term vision, development, and growth. Through its board of directors and staff, the Foundation oversees land use, covenants, and shared amenities across RTP while convening leaders from universities, industry, and government to foster collaboration and drive economic opportunity for the state.
With a legacy of collaboration and a forward-looking approach to growth, RTP continues to evolve as a premier corporate destination for innovation and opportunity. To learn more, visit https://rtp.org.
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