RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. [Oct. 2, 2026] – The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) has named Scott Levitan, retiring president and CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, as the recipient of its 2026 Vision Award, recognizing a career spanning more than four decades dedicated to advancing research parks, innovation districts and university-industry collaboration.
The Vision Award is part of AURP’s 2026 Awards of Excellence in Innovation program, which annually recognizes the outstanding leaders, organizations and communities advancing research, commercialization and innovation-driven economic development.
Levitan concludes a distinguished 45-year career that has shaped some of the nation’s most influential innovation ecosystems. During his nine years leading Research Triangle Park (RTP), he helped guide the Park’s historic evolution by developing Hub RTP as a downtown destination and leading RTP 3.0, the Park’s long-range land-use framework for future growth and development. His leadership also helped secure critical infrastructure investments, attract transformative corporate expansions and position RTP for its next generation of innovation and economic impact.
Before joining the Foundation in 2017, Levitan held senior leadership positions with Johns Hopkins University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard University, helping advance university-anchored research parks and innovation districts nationally and internationally.
“Scott has made a profound impact on RTP and the global research park community,” said Vickie Palmer, CEO of AURP. “I have been fortunate to know Scott not only as a respected colleague and longtime member of the AURP Board of Directors, but also as a dear friend. Throughout his career, he has brought a unique perspective as a trained architect, understanding how thoughtful planning, placemaking and real estate development can create environments where research, innovation and collaboration thrive. From university research parks to innovation districts around the world, Scott has helped communities think differently about how place can advance discovery, economic opportunity and entrepreneurship. Few leaders have done more to strengthen and advance the mission of university research parks, and we are proud to recognize his extraordinary career with the 2026 Vision Award.”
While leading RTP, Levitan helped guide one of the most significant transformations in the Park’s history. He launched Frontier RTP and Boxyard RTP, advanced the vision for Hub RTP, secured critical infrastructure investments and led development of RTP 3.0. Together, those efforts positioned RTP to welcome new amenities, housing and mixed-use development while preserving research and development as the Park’s defining purpose to strengthen RTP’s role as a global center for innovation and economic opportunity.
Levitan announced his retirement in July. Jonathan C. Pruitt joined the Foundation Sept. 15 and succeeds Levitan as president and CEO. Under Pruitt’s leadership, the Foundation is transitioning from long-range planning to implementation of RTP 3.0, as well as continued progress to develop Hub RTP.
Levitan was recognized alongside fellow honorees during an awards ceremony on Sept. 30 during the AURP International Conference at Pegasus Park in Dallas. To view the full list of AURP’s 2026 Awards of Excellence in Innovation recipients, visit https://aurp.org/aurp-honors-visionary-leaders-and-communities-with-2026-awards-of-excellence-in-innovation.
Watch a farewell to Scott on YouTube.
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.
Media Contact:
Kelly Propst
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Research Triangle Foundation of N.C.
propst@rtp.org