ORS Director McGowan Retires
NIH’s Office of Research Services (ORS) Director Colleen McGowan retired at the end of 2025. Her NIH journey began in December 2001 and spanned 24 years of service.
McGowan arrived at NIH as a senior administrative officer at the Clinical Center (CC), a fitting segue from her previous role as a hospital administrator with the U.S. Air Force. She ascended to the role of CC deputy chief operating officer in 2010 and then executive director in 2016. She applied for the ORS director position at the urging of an NIH friend and officially became director in 2019.
“My predecessor, Dr. Alfred Johnson, described the ORS director position as the NIH mayor,” McGowan recalled. She has found this description to be true. “It’s like running a city.”
She oversaw 22 different divisions, offices and branches in NIH’s Office of the Director and advised the NIH deputy director for management and other NIH senior staff on the management and delivery of technical and administrative services in support of the NIH research mission.
“Every day is different,” she said.
McGowan recalled the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was a challenging, memorable time for all of ORS. Many employees were essential, and McGowan herself met seven days a week with NIH leadership to manage crucial campus operations. She organized a series of “Gratitude Tours” with then-NIH-director Dr. Francis Collins to thank the various essential ORS employees who never stopped working during the pandemic.
“I wanted to illuminate the important work that our unseen players do,” she said.
Other memorable (but maybe lower stakes) events McGowan managed over the years include visits from then-Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, the Dalai Lama, various U.S. presidents, members of Congress and public figures like singer Barbra Streisand and poet Maya Angelou.
These visits, McGowan said, “made me realize that NIH impacts everyone,” whether they are patients coming to receive care or members of Congress who want to learn more about the NIH mission. “The fight against disease resonates with everyone.”
Upon her retirement, she plans to take a few months off to relax and spend time with her two teenage daughters. McGowan said she may seek out a second career as a consultant or executive coach.
“I feel called to pass on the lessons I’ve learned to others,” she said.
