University of Colorado Boulder Provost Russell L. Moore today announced the three finalists selected for the position of vice chancellor for research. The candidates will visit campus over the coming weeks to meet with students, faculty, staff and university administrators.
The finalists for the position are Terri Fiez, director of strategic initiatives and professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at Oregon State University; Robert McGrath, senior vice president at Georgia Tech; and Patricia Rankin, associate vice chancellor for research and a professor of physics at CU-Boulder.
“I am delighted with the strong pool of candidates who will soon be coming to campus as finalists for the position of vice chancellor for research,” said James Williams, dean of University Libraries and chair of the national search committee. “This position is mission-critical for the campus, particularly from the perspective of the campus’s research profile and Chancellor Philip DiStefano’s priorities related to student success, revenue generation and institutional reputation.”
Public sessions for the three candidates will be held at the following times at Norlin Library in the Center for British and Irish Studies on the fifth floor:
● Robert McGrath: Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m.
● Patricia Rankin: Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m.
● Terri Fiez: Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m.
Terri Fiez is director of strategic initiatives and professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at Oregon State University (OSU). Prior to 2014, she was head of the School of EECS. Fiez’s scholarly interests focus on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits and approaches to innovative education. She is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) fellow, a former National Science Foundation Young Investigator awardee, and the recipient of multiple IEEE and OSU curriculum/teaching awards. After securing venture funding, she took a leave of absence in 2008-09 to co-found, launch and serve as CEO of a startup company and since then has helped support several other early stage startup companies. She has three issued patents, one executed license, and has served in numerous professional leadership roles. Fiez has a BS and an MS in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from OSU.
Robert McGrath has served as educator, researcher and executive administrator at several major universities and national laboratories. He currently serves as senior vice president at Georgia Tech, and similarly served as associate vice president for research at Penn State University and as senior vice president for Research at Ohio State. McGrath has a strong track record of accomplishments working with federal agencies such as NSF, NIH, DOE, NASA, DoD and DHS, as well as on R&D partnerships with industry, IP management, technology transfer, economic development and job creation. McGrath regularly contributes to the nation’s overall R&D strategy by serving, for example, on the Defense Science Board in 2013, and currently is serving on a task force for the Secretary of Energy assessing National Laboratory management, investments and industry partnerships. McGrath earned a BS in engineering sciences, an MS in physics and an MA in mathematics from Penn State University, and a PhD in nuclear engineering (plasma physics) from the University of Michigan.
Patricia Rankin is associate vice chancellor for research and a professor of physics at CU-Boulder. Her research interests range from precision measurements as tests of the Standard Model through efforts to understand the symmetries of nature to how to broaden participation in science and engineering. She came to CU-Boulder in 1988, was tenured in 1995 and became a full professor in 2002. She worked for two years in Washington, D.C., as a program officer for particle physics at the National Science Foundation and has served as associate dean for natural sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty director in the Office of Faculty Affairs. As principal investigator for CU-Boulder’s NSF Advance Institutional Transformation program she helped develop the campus’s LEAP (Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion) program and consults nationally and internationally on professional development programs. She is a recipient of a Sloan Fellowship, a Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, the Elizabeth Gee award, and the “Best Shall Teach” award among others recognizing her contributions to interdisciplinary research and to CU-Boulder. Rankin earned a BS and a PhD in physics from Imperial College, London University.
Moore announced in October that Stein Sture will retire in June 2015 after 35 years of service to the campus, including his role as vice chancellor for research during the past nine years.
-CU-
Contact:
James Williams, 303-492-7511
james.williams@colorado.edu
Malinda Miller-Huey, CU-Boulder media relations, 303-492-3115
millerm@colorado.edu
Terri Fiez
Robert McGrath
Patricia Rankin