The university vice president credited with boosting funding for the school’s research division and increasing its stature among its peer institutions will leave his position at the end of this month for a post at Northeastern University.
Vice President for Research Mel Bernstein announced his departure to university President Dan Mote a few weeks ago. Chemical and life sciences college Dean Norma Allewell will serve as the research division’s interim head while a permanent replacement is sought.
During his four years at the university, Bernstein helped his department reach record funding last year, at $518 million, and secure partnerships with such prominent institutions as the National Cancer Institute and Smithsonian Institute, according to Associate Vice President for Research Development Ken Gertz.
“Mel has really done a tremendous job,” Gertz said. “We have seen a tremendous jump in our research volume and a significant enhancement of the research abilities at College Park.”
“He’s really done a lot to change the culture on campus in terms of how we feel about research,” Gertz added.
Gertz said he expects the permanent replacement for Bernstein to be selected by the next university president after Mote steps down at the end of August.
Steve Halperin, dean of the computer, mathematical and physical sciences college, is proposed to absorb Allewell’s current role should her school merge with his.
Bernstein said he is confident the research division will continue to thrive under Allewell’s leadership.
“She will certainly continue the momentum,” Bernstein said of Allewell. “I wasn’t leaving anything I felt couldn’t continue [without me].”
Allewell is no fundraising slouch either. During her time as dean, she helped increase her college’s research funding to more than $30 million and hired more than 60 faculty members. She also helped improve and expand its facilities, including the construction of the Bioscience Research Building and the Chemistry Teaching Wing.
Arthur Popper, the associate dean of the chemical and life sciences college, said Allewell, as a member of the life-sciences community, will bring a new aspect of knowledge to Bernstein’s position. Bernstein, on the other hand, is an engineer.
“She knows all kinds of people and understands what the research department should be doing,” Popper said of Allewell.
Gertz added that Allewell’s connections in the life-sciences community will fit into the department’s strategic plan to build up funding with the National Institutes of Health and enhance partnerships with other major medical centers.
“Norma really understands the world of funding, particularly in regard to the life sciences,” Gertz said.
Allewell said she looks forward to working with Bernstein’s team at the research division, but it was too early to say whether she hoped to be considered for the full-time position.
“I have very big shoes to fill,” Allewell said. “I know the university would love to have [Bernstein] stay.”
Bernstein said the university’s research program must continue to pursue global projects and build successful partnerships to build the university’s reputation as a premier research institution.
“Almost everything we do is competitive,” Bernstein said of the research division. “We need to be sure we put forward the best proposals, and the university continues to provide support.”
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