Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

The fastest-rising ranked university in the country, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is currently in the midst of an ongoing expansion of the student body, faculty ranks, and research enterprise. UCR is an economic powerhouse, contributing $2.7 billion to the U.S. economy and ranking among the Top 30 public institutions contributing to the public good. It is into this dynamic context that UCR seeks to invite a collaborative, strategic, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its next Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development.

 

UCR is comprised of seven colleges and schools: the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences; the Bourns College of Engineering; the School of Business; the Graduate School of Education; a newly accredited School of Medicine; and a new School of Public Policy. In Fall 2018, UCR had an enrollment of 23,922 students, including 20,581 undergraduates and nearly 3,341 graduate and professional students. UCR has over 1,100 instructional faculty, including more than 840 ladder rank faculty. UC Riverside offers bachelor degree programs in over 100 majors, 55 Master’s degree programs, and 42 Ph.D. programs. University Extension offers continuing education to the community as well as English instruction to thousands of international students each year.

 

Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Cynthia Larive are overseeing an ongoing expansion of the campus writ-large, which includes growing the student body, faculty ranks, research enterprise, fundraising operations, and campus infrastructure. Total research contract and grant funding has increased from $110 million in 2014 to over $159 million in 2018. Four-year graduation rates have increased by over 20 percentage points in the past decade, while achieving near-parity in graduation rates across income and racial/ethnic groups. Full-time instructional faculty numbers have increased by 29%, with increasing gender and racial/ethnic diversity among incoming faculty. Moreover, the campus launched its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign and has raised over $230 million toward the $300 million goal.

 

Reporting to the Chancellor and working in close collaboration with the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development (VC-RED) provides a broad vision and executive leadership for campus-wide research initiatives. The Vice Chancellor is responsible for inspiring and managing a diverse portfolio of research and creative activity, as well as economic development activities in coordination with the region, state, and other external partners, via technology transfer, commercialization of intellectual property, entrepreneurship, and affiliations with established companies. The Vice Chancellor provides broad, strategic vision and collaborative leadership that supports academic deans, faculty, staff, and students to elevate the quality and scope of UC Riverside's research and economic development mission and portfolio.

 

UC Riverside's next Vice Chancellor will contribute to the further development of a dynamic, service-oriented, and discovery-driven intellectual environment. The incumbent will be a highly accomplished individual with a track record of successful, transparent, and collaborative leadership of a complex research organization and who possesses the interpersonal, managerial, and communication skills necessary to build and operate an effective research and economic development enterprise, and to work productively and in partnership with internal and external colleagues and stakeholders. The ideal candidate should have demonstrated success as a principal investigator of substantial competitive federal research grants (or equivalent) and in attracting support for research from private partnerships, government agencies, industry, and other funding entities. The Vice Chancellor will have knowledge of and a deep commitment to research compliance and integrity, and possess the ability and acumen to help translate research for societal gain, transfer technologies for commercial applications, and enhance workforce development for economic growth. Ideal candidates should be qualified to hold an appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure at the University of California. For more information about this search, please visit www.wittkieffer.com.

         

Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by April 24, 2019. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Statement, a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. For more information on the Statement of Contributions to Diversity, please see http://www.ucr.edu/faculty/diversity.html. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to the University of California Riverside’s consultants Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D., Jen Pickard, Ph.D., and Julia Venetos at UCRViceChancellorResearch@wittkieffer.com. The consultants can be reached through the office of Francine Heymanson at 949-797-3503.

 

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.