APLU Council on Research Names Sixth Cohort of COR Research Leader Fellows

Washington, DC – The APLU Council on Research (COR) has named eight research leaders to its sixth cohort of COR Research Leader Fellows. APLU’s Council on Research, which is comprised of senior research officers at the nation’s public research universities, created the fellowship to enable individuals who are new vice presidents, vice chancellors, or vice provosts for research, or aspiring to these positions, to develop critical new knowledge and skills. The new fellows, who join five previous cohorts of fellows, were selected this April and will be introduced at the 2023 Joint COR-CII Summer Meeting at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in late June.

“The fellows chosen for the 2023 cohort are the future leaders in the nation’s public universities,” said Lynne Chronister, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of South Alabama and Chair of the APLU Council on Research. “The program helps broaden fellows’ exposure to research activities and advance their professional development.”  

The COR Research Leader Fellowship helps rising research leaders develop expertise in areas outside of their current research-related responsibilities. Because many universities have segmented research support organizations, rising research leaders often oversee relatively confined areas such as research administration, research development, research compliance, research communication, economic development, or sponsored programs. The fellowship allows these research leaders to gain expertise outside of their respective portfolios and fosters connections with COR’s extensive network of senior research officers through site visits and participation in COR meetings. The fellowship lasts 12 months.

“Congratulations to the 2023 COR Fellows”, said Howard Gobstein, APLU Senior Vice President for STEM Education and Research Policy and Advisor to the President, who leads the association’s research policy and STEM education efforts. “APLU is honored to enhance the development of these outstanding research leaders.  Their broadened experience will bolster university research efforts and help support research at public universities that solves our nation’s greatest challenges to ensure a brighter future.”

The 2023 COR Research Leader Fellows are as follows, and bios of each fellow are available here:

• Robert Cunningham, Vice Chancellor for Research Infrastructure, University of Pittsburgh
• Karen Eck, Assistant Vice President for Research, Old Dominion University
• Nicholas E Hagemeier, Vice Provost for Research, East Tennessee State University
• Kristian O’Connor, Associate Vice Provost for Research, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Laura Regassa, Associate Provost in the Office of Research, Georgia Southern University
• Bradley Ritts, Senior Associate Vice President for Research, University of Idaho
• Tanner Schaub, Assistant Vice President for Research, New Mexico State University
• Heather Harris Wright, Associate Dean for Research, East Carolina University

Please contact APLU Senior Vice President Howard Gobstein with any questions about the fellowship.