New Jersey Innovation Institute, a Newark-based subsidiary of New Jersey Institute of Technology, has added three new hires to its leadership team, it announced Tuesday.
Thomas Murphy will be director of defense manufacturing technology, Michael Chirico will be compliance officer and Thomas Villani will be assistant vice president of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the Entrepreneurship Division.
“As NJII continues to grow, we are delighted to onboard industry experts to further advance our mission,” President Michael Johnson said in a prepared statement. “As the ‘Gateway to Innovation’ in New Jersey, NJII is continuing to accelerate technology translation, foster innovation and upskill the workforce. With these new additions to the team, NJII is poised for strength and growth as we expand innovative methodologies, such as artificial intelligence. We are looking forward to tapping into the knowledge and leadership our new members bring, which will further our mission to make positive economic impact in New Jersey.”
Murphy has more than 10 years of defense-focused research related to military technology and resources. He is a former member of the Canadian Army, and worked in the Advanced Materials Technology Branch with the U.S. Army.
Chirico is an attorney and technologist, as well as a compliance leader and former chief information security officer at two New Jersey hospitals, during his more than 20-year career.
Villani has most recently worked as chief science officer at a contract research organization, Visikol, which he co-founded with Johnson.