Richard Waugh, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been appointed to the newly-created position of associate vice president for research.
"Rick has been collaborating with researchers on both the River Campus and the School of Medicine and Dentistry for more than three decades," said Robert Clark, senior vice president for research. "His great institutional knowledge and familiarity with a cross-section of departments make him a bridge among all research faculty. He was a natural choice for the job."
One of Waugh's initial responsibilities will be to help develop a strategic plan that identifies specific research goals, as well as opportunities for bringing together faculty members from different departments. He will also be involved in building a stronger research community on campus and fostering relations with the corporate sector.
"I have a good understanding of why research is done so well at the University of Rochester," said Waugh. "I look forward to using that knowledge to help faculty work together in some new ways."
The University Board of Trustees last summer approved a plan to restructure the University's rapidly growing research enterprise, which included the creation of the senior vice president for research position. Clark, dean of the University's Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, was appointed to that position two months ago following a national search.
"The appointment of Rick as associate vice president solidifies our core oversight team and recognizes the University's commitment to research," said Clark.
Waugh came to the University in 1980 in the Department of Biophysics. In the following 33 years, he has served on the faculty in multiple departments, both at the University of Rochester Medical Center and in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He was the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Waugh received his undergraduate degree at Notre Dame and earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Duke University. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Biomedical Engineering Society.
In addition to his new duties, Waugh will serve out the remaining three years of his term as department chair and continue with his own research projects in biomedical engineering. His work focuses on cellular mechanics and cell adhesion and how these affect blood flow and inflammation.