KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has named Bradley W. Fenwick as its new vice chancellor for research.
Bradley W. FenwickFenwick, currently the vice president for research at Virginia Tech University, will join UT later this summer.
“The university’s research enterprise is more critical than ever as we seek to improve our standing as a leading institution,” said UT Knoxville Chancellor Loren Crabtree. “Brad brings a strong background in research and a passion and enthusiasm for building on our university’s strengths.”
As Virginia Tech’s chief research officer, Fenwick oversaw the expansion of the university’s research program to more than $300 million in annual funding over the course of his tenure.
Fenwick says that UT is poised to be a national and international leader in the coming years.
“Some of the problems facing the world are so complex, and only a few universities have all the pieces in place to make a difference, and UT is one of those,” said Fenwick. “It has strong public support, strong partnerships and very good leadership. While there are number of universities that have upward trajectories, there are few as steep as UT has right now.”
Before he went to Virginia Tech in 2004, Fenwick served as the chief science adviser for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s competitive research program for two years. He oversaw a research program spanning a wide variety of subject areas in the biological, environmental, physical and social sciences.
Prior to that time, Fenwick held faculty and administrative positions at Kansas State University, where he also received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He also earned a Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis. It was during his time at UC Davis that he first became interested in university administration. He later participated in the prestigious Fellows program of the American Council on Education.
Fenwick is a nationally recognized researcher in his own right, and will continue his work in microbiology and infectious diseases of animals at UT. He is currently an editor of the Journal of Microbiology, and has published more than 130 research papers.
Fenwick underscored the importance of the extensive partnership between UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the university’s research enterprise.
“From laboratory to laboratory, researcher to researcher, that’s where the partnership happens,” said Fenwick. “It’s an asset you cannot ignore.”
UT Knoxville had more than $126 million in grants and sponsored research in fiscal year 2006.
Crabtree recognized the efforts of Lee Riedinger, who has served as the interim vice chancellor for research for the past year.
“Lee’s efforts have paved the way for a smooth transition to a new permanent vice chancellor for research,” said Crabtree. “His leadership and service has been exceptional, and he will continue to be an integral part of many of our efforts in his return to the physics department.”
In addition to Fenwick’s appointment, the university also has named Greg Reed, professor and head of the civil and environmental engineering department, as the new associate vice chancellor for research, taking the place of Frank Harris, who recently retired after serving in the position since 2002.
Reed, who has served in his current position for 20 years, also served as the interim dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences in 2005-2006.
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Contacts:
Jay Mayfield (865-974-9409, jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu)
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