Forums Set for Candidates for Vice Provost for Research and Innovation

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Three candidates will interview for vice provost for research and innovation, from left in order of their visits to campus: Daniel Sui, Robert Nobles II, and Lynne Parker.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The first of three public presentations by finalists for the position of vice provost for research and innovation is scheduled for Monday. The other two will be June 18 and June 21. All will be held in Room 26 of Gearhart Hall.

The vice provost for research and innovation leads the U of A's research and discovery mission, one of the eight guiding priorities in the university's academic strategic plan. The position is tasked with building the research mission across disciplines through strategic leadership, improved infrastructure and research capacity and by energizing innovation across campus. The position oversees the university's interdisciplinary research centers, including the High Performance Computing Center, undergraduate research, research compliance, research award development and management, and the University of Arkansas Press. The vice provost for research and innovation also works collaboratively with the vice chancellor for economic development on industry engagement, technology commercialization and the University of Arkansas Research and Technology Park.

Vice provost for research and innovation finalists

The following finalists will each participate in a public seminar presentation while on campus in coming weeks.

• Daniel Sui is division director for Social and Economic Sciences Division, Directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation, and Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor at Ohio State University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in geography and Master of Science in remote sensing and geographic information systems from Peking University in Beijing, China. He received his doctorate in geography from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. His public seminar will be held Monday, June 11, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Gearhart Hall Room 26.

• Robert Nobles II is interim vice chancellor for research and engagement at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He earned a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology and Master of Public Health in epidemiology from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, and received his doctorate in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. His public seminar will be held Monday, June 18, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Gearhart Hall Room 26.

• Lynne Parker is interim dean and associate dean for faculty affairs and engagement at the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her Bachelor of Science in computer science at Tennessee Technological University and Master of Science in computer science from the University of Tennessee. She received her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her public seminar will be held Thursday, June 21, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Gearhart Hall Room 26.

More information on the candidates, including curriculum vitae, can be found on the VPRI search website and candidate page. Each of the public seminar presentations will be recorded on video, and links to the videos will also be available for viewing by anyone with a uark email address.

The campus is invited to provide feedback on the candidates to the search committee through an online form.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.