The University of Delaware has appointed Tracy Shickel, a business leader with Delaware roots and two decades of commercial leadership in life sciences, as its new director of economic development.

“Tracy Shickel is a proven leader, highly respected for her ability to cultivate partnerships and develop successful ventures in the science and technology arena,” said Alan Brangman, UD’s executive vice president and treasurer. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the University of Delaware from her leadership roles at major corporations, in entrepreneurial organizations assisting startup companies, and as a business owner herself. We are pleased to welcome her aboard.”

Shickel, a UD alumna who grew up in Newark, will play a key role in the strategic planning, marketing and business development of UD’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. The 272-acre site, previously home to a Chrysler auto assembly plant until the facility’s closure in 2008, is rapidly transforming into a hub of innovation.

Today, STAR Campus brings together innovation communities with cutting-edge research in diverse areas—from biotechnology, health science, medical devices, renewable energy and advanced materials to autonomous vehicles—connected to leading academic programs and businesses. This dynamic and growing ecosystem fuels unprecedented opportunities in business, learning and discovery for UD students and faculty, startups and established companies, with the goal to drive Delaware’s economy forward.

“I’m thrilled to formally join the University of Delaware team after collaborating and supporting UD innovation for many years—it’s like returning home for me,” Shickel said. Among recent engagements, she served as UD Horn Entrepreneurship’s National Advisory Board chair for three years.

“There’s a great foundation of activity to build on at the STAR Campus, and I’m looking forward to leading our economic development efforts,” Shickel said. “I know how meaningful this site has been, and will continue to be, for the community. So many impactful opportunities are on the horizon.”

In just the past year at STAR Campus, UD and the Chemours Company broke ground for a 312,000-square-foot research and development facility, and UD began construction of a six-story, $156 million Biopharmaceutical Innovation Building, which will house the headquarters of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and UD facilities and programs in biotechnology and the life sciences.

The 120,000-foot, 10-story STAR Tower will house state-of-the-art classrooms and labs for health science research and education along with high-tech commercial tenants, and a new train station, with enhanced access to Amtrak and SEPTA, Philadelphia’s regional commuter rail system, will anchor the site in the heart of the Northeast corridor.  

In addition to reaching out to prospective collaborators that value proximity and enhanced engagement with UD, Shickel said she is looking forward to working closely with the University’s seven colleges.

“I’ll be meeting with each of the deans for vision on how their programs will grow to help build these sophisticated innovation communities blending research, education and business,” Shickel said.

Shickel earned her marketing degree from UD’s Lerner College of Business and Economics. Previously, she served as vice president for innovation and entrepreneurship at Delaware Innovation Space, a nonprofit, public-private partnership that offers support for scientific entrepreneurs at the Experimental Station campus in Wilmington, Delaware.  

Her career also has included product and sales management positions at FMC Corporation, director of business development at Monsanto, pharmaceutical platform leader at W.L. Gore and Associates, and founder and president of GreenKite Marketing.

Shickel is located at STAR Campus and may be reached at tshickel@udel.edu.