UBC’s VP Research and Innovation Gail Murphy is seeking reappointment after holding the role for over four years.
In a broadcast sent to the university community this morning, President Santa Ono wrote that an advisory committee will be considering Murphy’s reappointment.
The VP Research and Innovation (VPRI) role reports to the president. According to the university’s job description, the VPRI will “provide leadership in the development, administration and the promotion of research and innovation at both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan” and be an “articulate, credible advocate for the full range of the University's research.”
Murphy, who is also a computer science professor, was held the associate vice-president research pro tem role for one year in 2016. She was appointed to the role of VPRI in June 2017.
In a 2017 interview with The Ubyssey, Murphy expressed the desire to shape the VPRI office into a central resource hub for researchers at UBC.
“Really, [the VPRI office is] trying to enable the extremely strong research community we have to understand what connections they can form and make it possible for them to meet,” she said at the time.
The advisory committee will be made up of Board of Governors faculty representatives Dr. Anna Kindler and Dr. John Klironomos; Senators Dr. Guy Faulkner and Dr. Greg Garrard; Professor Gina Ogilvie; Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation Matthew Evenden; graduate student and Graduate Student Society president Kimani Karangu; graduate student Johnathan Low and Julie Wagemakers as a non-voting secretary. Ono will chair the committee.
Community members are encouraged to share their thoughts on Murphy’s potential reappointment by emailing president.staff@ubc.ca before December 30, 2021.