Smolka, a biochemist and former interim director of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, will support life sciences across the university. His two-year appointment began May 1. Smolka succeeds Hector Aguilar-Carreño, professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who served in the role from July 2024 through April 2025.