RTI appoints Angela Quick, Nicole Barnes and Eric Otto Johnson to key strategic leadership roles

Senior executives will enhance RTI’s scientific impact through client-centered innovation and business expansion

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Independent scientific research institute RTI International has appointed three senior executives, Angela Quick, Ed.D., Nicole Barnes and Eric Otto Johnson, Ph.D., to key strategic leadership roles effective October 1. These appointments are part of a broader organizational redesign to enhance RTI’s scientific impact through client-centered innovation and business expansion.

Serving as senior vice president of the Solutions unit, Quick will be responsible for delivering customized solutions to solve complex client challenges. Barnes will lead business expansion in the public and commercial sectors as senior vice president of the Growth unit. Johnson will provide strategic scientific leadership to advance research excellence as chief science officer.

“Angela, Nicole and Eric are accomplished leaders who embody RTI’s client-centric culture, scientific rigor and innovative spirit,” said RTI President and CEO Tim J. Gabel. “They will leverage their strategic insights and exceptional leadership skills to guide the institute in our next chapter as we positively impact 1 billion people with science-based solutions.”

Quick joined RTI in 2016 and currently leads the Education Practice Area. She brings deep experience in educational leadership and organizational transformation, having served as deputy chief academic officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and interim CEO of NC New Schools. Quick has successfully guided large teams through complex transitions.

She holds a doctorate degree and an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Cambridge College, a master’s in business administration (MBA) from Western Governors University, a master’s in science education from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s in biology from Appalachian State University.

Barnes has been with RTI for 22 years, most recently leading the Sustainable Growth and Resilience unit as a municipal finance adviser and has since led major strategic initiatives on a global scale focused on the institute’s long-term growth. Barnes is known for her cross-sector leadership and innovation in business development.

She holds a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a bachelor’s in global studies from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Johnson joined RTI in 2006, most recently serving as a Distinguished Fellow and Chair of the RTI Fellow Program. He brings extensive experience in building multidisciplinary teams, mentoring emerging scientists, and translating research into practical solutions. Johnson began his RTI career in behavioral health epidemiology and has led 14 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, including as the principal investigator for the current Integrative Omics Center for Accelerating Neurobiological Understanding of Opioid Addiction. He has published more than 170 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Johnson earned postdoctoral fellowships in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and in genetics at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He received his doctorate and master's degrees in sociology from Western Michigan University and his bachelor's in sociology and psychology from Olivet Nazarene University.

These new appointments will propel RTI on its path to drive innovation and measurable impact through science, research and technology. Learn more about RTI’s new leaders in their blog interviews linked below.  

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