Purdue announces merger of research, global partnership offices

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With the goal of broadening sources of research funding and strengthening institutional support for the research enterprise, Purdue University announced that it will merge its offices of research and global partnerships into one organization, reporting directly to President Mitch Daniels. Dr. Suresh Garimella, who currently heads the global partnerships organization, will assume leadership of the newly combined entity. Dr. Al Rebar, currently director of Discovery Park, will broaden his responsibilities to include direction of the research office.

"Purdue's recent record in research has been strong," Daniels said. "The funding environment is tough and getting tougher. We intend to build on recent success, but also to broaden the range of research partners with whom our faculty collaborate. I have great confidence that this new consolidated entity under Dr. Garimella's leadership will advance Purdue's research mission in important ways."

Suresh Garimella  Download Photo

As executive vice president for research and partnerships, Garimella will work closely with faculty to enhance and diversify Purdue's success in attracting federal funding, while continuing to support the development of grant applications, management of contracts and compliance with regulations. He is charged with expanding Purdue's partnerships with industry, fostering connections in Indiana, nationally and internationally with corporate enterprises whose research interests fit with those of Purdue faculty. Purdue's global affairs programs will continue to report to Garimella, as will the research office and Discovery Park - Purdue's center for large-scale interdisciplinary research. 

"I am honored by, and grateful for, this tremendous opportunity to serve Purdue in an expanded capacity," Garimella said. "My faculty colleagues have rightly enjoyed good success in obtaining federal investment in basic and applied research, and I look forward to working with them in leveraging that success for even greater public support. Likewise, as interest among potential corporate partners broadens and our global reach flourishes, Purdue faculty have unprecedented opportunities for support for their cutting-edge research. I can think of no better way to put my experiences in research, education and engagement to use than by fostering those connections."

Garimella is the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor in Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Cooling Technologies Research Center, a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. He succeeds Richard Buckius, who, on assignment under the intergovernmental personnel act, will serve as senior science adviser in the Office of the Director at the National Science Foundation.

"This model for linking the research enterprise and international partnerships has met with great success at top-tier institutions like MIT and Berkeley," Daniels said. "Additionally, this move allows us not to have a gap in leadership in this all-important area of research."

The executive vice president for research and partnerships will work in close collaboration with Purdue's new Provost Deba Dutta, Purdue Research Foundation President Dan Hasler and all of Purdue's colleges to enhance the university's research profile and develop strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors and other institutions.

Garimella's research interests lie in the fields of micro- and nano-scale transport phenomena, energy efficiency in electronics, high-performance compact cooling technologies, sustainable energy systems and policy, and materials processing. He continues to serve on the editorial boards of a number of nationally and internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals in engineering. Garimella was appointed Purdue's chief global affairs officer in May 2013; he led Purdue's Office of Engagement as associate vice president from August 2011 to May 2013.

Rebar's research interests are in comparative veterinary hematology, diagnostic cytology and toxicologic pathology. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, a former member of the Council of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, past-president of the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, former editor of the journal Veterinary Clinical Pathology and current editor of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. Rebar is a professor of veterinary clinical pathology, and he is a former dean of Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Sources: Mitch Daniels, president@purdue.edu 

Suresh Garimella, garimell@purdue.edu