National search for UAlbany's Vice President for Research and Economic Development

Dear UAlbany Community,

I am very pleased to announce that we have launched a national search for UAlbany’s Vice President for Research and Economic Development.

Research excellence is one of five core priorities in our strategic plan. Consequently, through this process, we will identify and recruit a national leader who will advance UAlbany’s research productivity, quality, and reputation as a Carnegie R1 research institution. To achieve this, we will need to attract a diverse pool of exceptional candidates with the demonstrated leadership, experience, and expertise to lead the University’s research and economic development enterprise.

The new Vice President must be able to expand and grow our extramural research funding portfolio; support faculty in the development and implementation of new and ongoing research initiatives; create and advance intellectually stimulating and rewarding collaborations among faculty, researchers, and students; foster public and private sector research and development partnerships; and spur economic development and entrepreneurship across our research community. A focus on externally funded interdisciplinary research collaborations will be critical to our success in expanding and strengthening our research enterprise. This is indeed a tall order, but the ability to carry out these activities will be essential for this pivotal hire.

I am also very pleased that the Search Committee will be co-chaired by Dr. Jeanette Altarriba, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Erin Bell, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the College of Integrated Health Sciences, who will lead a distinguished and diverse group of UAlbany faculty and administrators. Russell Reynolds Associates, a global leadership advisory and executive search firm, will assist the Search Committee.

We expect to complete the search and appoint the Vice President for Research and Economic Development by the start of the Fall 2021 semester. While we will strive to meet this timeline, we will certainly not compromise on the rigor of this process in selecting an excellent candidate.

We will keep the University community informed throughout the search and will seek your active engagement. I would like to thank the members of the Search Committee and the entire campus community for your support in advancing this critical process.
 

Sincerely,

Havidán Rodríguez
President