Tina Savla has been named executive director of the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment.
A professor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech, Savla has built a nationally recognized research portfolio as a social gerontologist and quantitative methodologist. She has secured more than $19 million in external funding for work examining the intersection of life stressors, health, and well-being, particularly among middle-aged and older adults.
Savla began her appointment Aug. 10. She succeeds founding executive director Karen Roberto, who served in the role for 20 years before retiring.
“The Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment is the place you come to when an idea is too complex, too cross-sector, or too ambitious for any one department to carry alone,” Savla said. “For 20 years, it has been exactly that for a devoted community of scholars. My goal is for every faculty member at Virginia Tech to know it that way, and for funders, policymakers, and peer institutions across the country to know ISCE as Virginia Tech’s engine for interdisciplinary and translational scholarship in the social sciences and humanities.”
Savla’s vision for the institute reflects an interdisciplinary approach that has shaped her own career, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and community partners to address complex societal challenges and translate social science research into policy and practice.
“I started my career studying how families care for older adults,” she said. “To answer those questions, I had to work across disciplines to understand how daily caregiving affects health and well-being and build something families could actually use. Those collaborations often began because someone made an introduction or vouched for me, helping me get somewhere my own discipline couldn’t take me. This role means it’s my turn to give back. I want the institute to be a place where finding those connections doesn’t depend on already knowing the right person.”
As executive director, Savla will report to Dan Sui, senior vice president for research and innovation.
“Dr. Tina Savla brings a rare combination of scholarship, interdisciplinary leadership, and a deep commitment to translating research into meaningful impact. Her record of building collaborations across disciplines and connecting research to the needs of communities makes her exceptionally well-suited to lead the institute,” Sui said. “I’m excited to see her build on the institute’s strong foundation and expand its role in helping Virginia Tech faculty pursue their ambitions in social sciences, humanities, and beyond.”
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2007, Savla is also a research methodologist in the Center for Gerontology and director of the Whole Health Consortium. She holds a secondary appointment at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Most recently, Savla received the Victor W. Marshall Fellow in Applied Gerontology Award from the Southern Gerontological Society.
As executive director, Savla will lead the university’s social science investment research institute, preparing faculty to pursue large external funding opportunities while offering programming for professional and research development. Since its founding, the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment has invested more than $9 million in Virginia Tech’s social science community, helping researchers increase the reach and impact of their work.
Savla will build on this strong foundation to help shape the institute’s strategic vision for the future, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support innovative social science research across the university.
“This is a demanding moment for the social sciences and humanities, and my response will be a disciplined offense: diversifying the funding base, building external coalitions, competing for larger opportunities, translating our work more visibly, and advocating relentlessly for the faculty whose scholarship depends on this institute,” Savla said. “I want to make Virginia Tech famous for the social sciences and humanities.”
Savla received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human development from the University of Bombay in India and her Ph.D. in child and family development from the University of Georgia. She also received a National Institute of Mental Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State.
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