Kathryn Uhrich, Ph.D., serves as the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for the University of California, Riverside, providing leadership at the intersection of academics, student success, and intercollegiate athletics. In this role, she supports UCR’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and a holistic student-athlete experience, working collaboratively with campus leadership, coaches, athletics staff, and students to promote academic and athletic excellence.
Uhrich is an internationally recognized scientist, inventor, and academic leader with extensive experience building cross-disciplinary teams and advancing innovation from discovery to impact. Her work spans polymer chemistry, biomaterials, and translational research, with a strong record of patents, commercialization efforts, and partnerships that bridge academia and industry. Uhrich's lab has produced over 200 peer-reviewed publications and almost 60 issued patents, engaging hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students.
Uhrich obtained her BS degree from the University of North Dakota and PhD from Cornell University. She then held postdoctoral positions at AT&T Bell Labs and MIT. Uhrich was a professor at Rutgers University where she served on the Athletic Admission Oversight Committee and as Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. A Distinguished Professor of chemistry, Uhrich is the former Dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the National Academy of Inventors
As a campus leader and advocate for inclusive excellence, Uhrich has long championed pathways that expand opportunity and promote student thriving—whether in the classroom, research laboratory, or athletic arena. Uhrich’s appointment as FAR reflects UCR’s continued dedication to strengthening the student-athlete experience while upholding academic standards and institutional values. She looks forward to working with the UCR Athletics community to foster a culture of integrity, support, and achievement for all Highlanders.
