APLU Council on Research Names Ninth Cohort of Research Leader Fellows 

The APLU Council on Research (COR) has named nine research leaders to its ninth 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 newly selected fellows were chosen in early May and will be formally introduced at the 2026 COR Summer Meeting in Boulder, Colorado taking place in late June. 

“Strong research universities need strong research leaders. This fellowship helps prepare new leaders for their complex, important roles,” said Rob Rutenbar, Senior Vice Chancellor of Research at the University of Pittsburgh, 2026 Chair of COR. “It gives the fellows a chance to expand their portfolios, learn from peers across the country, and strengthen the national community of research leadership in the process”  

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. 

“We are thrilled to welcome our ninth cohort of COR Fellows,” said Debbie Altenburg, Vice President for Research Policy and Advocacy. “APLU is proud to continue investing in programs like the COR Fellows that develop and strengthen the next generation of public research university leaders. This program reflects our commitment to building leadership capacity across our member institutions and ensuring that public universities remain at the forefront of research excellence.” 

The 2026 COR Research Leader Fellows are: 

• Noureddine Abidi, Interim Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation, Texas Tech University. 

• Kari Babski-Reeves, Associate Vice President for Research, University of Tennessee System. 

• Gabriele Casale, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation, Appalachian State University. 

• Kimberly Kirkpatrick, Associate Vice President for Research Capacity Building, University of Minnesota. 

• Paul Lukacs, Associate Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana. 

• Vasileios Maroulas, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

• Erdogan Memili, Executive Associate Director (Associate Dean for Research) Cooperative Agricultural Research Center, Director, Prairie View A&M University. 

• J. Scott Miller, Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington. 

• Carl J. Yeoman, Associate Vice President of Research, Montana State University.