Research chancellor to leave MU
Published July 11, 2007
With the strong emphasis that is put on the research program at MU, the university might have lost a big piece of its hierarchy.
Jim Coleman, who is departing as MU's vice chancellor for research, doesn't begin his new job as vice provost for research at Rice University until mid-September, but MU Provost Brian Foster said a permanent replacement will not be found in the meantime. He said until Coleman's replacement is found, there will likely be an interim replacement.
"We'll have to do an immediate appointment," Foster said. "He has to be replaced one way or another."
A national search committee has been ruled out to fill Coleman's vacancy at this juncture, because it would take too much
time, Foster said.
Foster said Coleman has, through the course of his tenure, made his role in the university's administrative framework a highly recognized one.
"Jim's really changed the campus position of that office," Foster said.
Coleman said although he was frustrated by certain rulings of the state legislature, lackluster state support for higher education was not the sole motivator for his decision to take the new position.
"I'm leaving for a new opportunity," Coleman said. "I'm not running away here."
Coleman said he was impressed with how well the university has fared with such "poor support" from the state.
"The environment is making it difficult to recruit and keep faculty," Coleman said.
Coleman's exit from MU follows the departure of high-ranking officials from the UM system.
Former UM system President Elson Floyd accepted a position in December as president of the University of Washington in Pullman, Wash. Earlier this year, John Gardner, UM system vice president for research and development, also took a job at the University of Washington.
Since Coleman began with MU in 2003 as vice provost of research, the university received record-breaking levels of research funding from local, state and federal sources. Last year, MU received $174 million for external research. Coleman was promoted to vice chancellor in 2007 and announced on June 29 that he had accepted the new position with Rice, a private university in Houston.
Among these noted accomplishments, Foster also said Coleman did extraordinary work in providing intellectual property protection for would-be inventors in MU's
research community.
"That's an important addition to the local economic base," Foster said.
Coleman said he was pleased with the growth of life sciences research at MU during his time at MU.
Construction has recently begun for Discovery Ridge, a 114-acre research park at MU's South Farm.
"We're definitely going to miss Jim Coleman," MU spokesman Christian Basi said. "Losing Jim means we're losing a person with an excellent set of skills and knowledge."
Office of Animal Resources Director Lon Dixon said Coleman was always able to find funding for MU's research community, even in difficult situations.
"He was very responsive to our needs," Dixon said.