BLOG: Recognizing the Faculty and Staff Who Fuel UK Research

The foundation of research at the University of Kentucky is our dedicated faculty and staff. Every day, they work tirelessly to inspire, collaborate and empower in the name of discovery and innovation. We want to recognize a number of individuals vital to our success.

We would first like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Martha Peterson on her new role as Acting Associate Provost of Graduate and Professional Education and Acting Dean of The Graduate School. Throughout her 14 years of service and leadership in the Office of the Vice President of Research, Martha’s expertise has helped countless faculty, staff and students achieve excellence. Whether it was with our Internal Research Support Programs — Research Pilot Programs, Research and Creative Activities Support, Conference and Workshop Grants, Equipment Maintenance and Equipment Competitions — or through her work with University Research Professorships and Diversity Postdoctoral Programs, she improved every initiative and answered the call to every challenge. Most recently, she partnered with our team to develop and enhance Research Priority Area (RPA) Initiative and undergraduate research efforts. The Graduate School’s gain is certainly our loss, but we wish her nothing but the best of success going forward. Thank you, Martha, for all you have done over the years to grow research at UK.

To strengthen research collaboration and multidisciplinary networks, we have added leadership positions for several of our colleagues across campus. 

Linda Dwoskin serves as Senior Associate Vice President for Research (VPR), Special Programs and Operations. In this role, she directs Research Support Cores, Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR), Diversity and Inclusion, Research Leadership Academy, Centers and Institutes, and the Research Priority Area Initiative. She also oversees Internal Programs, joined by newly named Associate VPR Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, who will lead the University Research Professorships, our Conference and Workshop Grant Program and the Research and Creative Activities Support Program.

Rodney Andrews serves as Senior Associate VPR, Research Development and Communications. He will oversee Research Innovation and Economic Impact, Research Communications, Proposal Development Office, Research Information Services, and Undergraduate Research. 

Philip Kern joins us as Associate VPR, Clinical & Translational Research. It is a role in which he will oversee translational efforts across campus through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). He will also work with Research Priority Area teams, taking basic scientific discoveries from those areas into community and clinical research. 

Ian McClure joins us as Associate VPR, Innovation and Economic Impact, and he will oversee platforms intended to promote entrepreneurship and social innovation through UK Innovate.

Danelle Stevens-Watkins has moved to Associate VPR over Diversity and Inclusion, with an emphasis on the UNITE Research Priority Area.

In addition to these talented leaders, we have several others who continue to facilitate the programs and offerings from OVPR across campus, including Allan Butterfield (Associate VPR, Centers and Institutes, RPAs), Alan Daugherty (Associate VPR, Research Support Cores), Nancy Schoenberg (Associate VPR, Health Disparities, IPEP), Kim Carter (Associate VPR, Research Grants Administration), Helene Lake-Bullock (Assistant VPR, Research Integrity), Mark Suckow (Associate VPR, Attending Veterinarian), Judy Duncan (Assistant VPR, Fiscal Affairs), and Baron Wolf (Assistant VPR, Data Analytics).

We thank these talented faculty and staff who are committed to the university mission of enabling research to improve lives in Kentucky and beyond. 

For more, see the updated Research Org Chart.