University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: February 17, 2005

By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor

Four scientists have emerged as finalists for the position of vice president for research.

The candidates are Howard Federoff, senior associate dean for basic research at the University of Rochester School of Medicine; Joseph Glorioso, chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Jorge Jose, chair of the Department of Physics at Northeastern University; and Myron Salamon, associate dean in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois.

Each of the candidates "has a distinguished research record as a scientist, significant administrative experience and an interest in building the research portfolio of faculty from the entire UB campus," noted Iain Hay, chair of the vice president for research search committee and Grant T. Fisher Chair and professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Each candidate will spend two days at UB, meeting with a wide array of faculty, staff and students, as well as President John B. Simpson; Provost Satish Tripathi, executive vice president for academic affairs; the deans; vice provosts; vice presidents; and selected university research partners, volunteers and community members.

The schedule for each visit will allow for "broad-based participation in the search process, which will help to inform President Simpson and Provost Tripathi as they decide on a final appointment to the vice president for research position," Hay said.

Moreover, members of the campus community are invited to attend open sessions with the applicants. The session with Federoff will be held from 10-11 a.m. tomorrow in 280 Park Hall, North Campus. The session with Salamon is scheduled for 10-11 a.m. Tuesday in the Poetry Collection, 4th floor Undergraduate Library, Capen Hall, North Campus.

Glorioso is scheduled to visit UB March 2 and 3; Jose's visit is set for March 3 and 4. The curricula vitae for the candidates, as well as campus interview schedules, are available at http:// www.buffalo.edu/vprsearch/candidates.htm. Information on the public sessions for the Glorioso and Jose visits will be posted after Feb. 21.

The search committee has been working since late last year to recruit and review prospective candidates. Advertisements were placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Affirmative Action Register and ScienceJobs.com, and correspondence soliciting nominations was sent to campus and community colleagues, as well as to national leaders in academic and research administration, Hay said.

The result, he noted, was "an outstanding and diverse pool" of approximately 50 candidates. The search committee conducted preliminary interviews in mid-January with 14 of those individuals. Simpson, Tripathi and James "Beau" Willis, chief of staff in the Office of the President, also met with each candidate, separate from the search committee interviews, "to discuss the future of UB's research portfolio, opportunities and challenges," Hay said.

Based on the preliminary interviews, the candidates' records and a review of references, the committee narrowed the pool to the four finalists, he added.

Hay stressed that the search committee welcomes the input of the campus community, which can be sent to vpr-search@vpsa.buffalo.edu.