FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development at the University of Arkansas, has been elected to a three-year term on the executive committee of the Council on Research at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.

The Council on Research is composed of vice presidents for research and graduate deans at APLU member institutions. The council provides a forum for the discussion of research development and management, research policies and regulation, budget strategies, faculty roles, graduate education, research collaboration among universities and across sectors, and the importance of research to the overall mission of APLU member institutions. 

The council works closely with APLU’s Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity on issues related to intellectual property and technology development. It also works closely with APLU’s Council on Governmental Affairs in monitoring government legislation and regulations affecting campus-based research and graduate education.

Rankin has been the U of A’s chief research officer since 2010. He came to the university from Ohio University, where he was associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and director of the Avionics Engineering Center.

He has a faculty appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering. He has more than 30 years of experience in avionics research and design from both academic and industrial perspectives.

The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities is a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.