On Friday, Oct. 6, Portland State announced the hire of Professor Jennifer Dill as interim Vice President for Research. Dill will step into the position until a permanent replacement can be selected. She replaces Dr. Kevin Reynolds, current Vice President of Finance and Administration, and the current interim VP of Research.
Dill, presently a professor in the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning and director of the Transportation Research and Education Center, and National Institute of Transportation & Communities, has been at PSU since 2001.
The selection of an interim VP of Research as the search for a permanent replacement is found aligns with PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi’s goal of bolstering the school’s research base.
In a written statement, Shoureshi stated, “One of my primary goals is to build our research enterprise at PSU, and Jennifer has proven her ability to accomplish this through her own outstanding work.”
“Her influential research in transportation has been a shining example of how PSU is shaping not only our city but urban centers across the nation,” Shoureshi added.
In the same statement, Dill shared her eagerness to expand PSU’s research endeavors.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to work across campus to strengthen PSU’s research portfolio,” Dill said. “PSU has a deep history of multidisciplinary, engaged research that has a real impact on people’s lives, communities, and the environment at all scales. I look forward to working with faculty and students to learn how to help them succeed even more.”
The VP of Research position has been unfilled on a permanent basis since the exit of PSU Geology Prof. Dr. Jonathan Fink, who served since the position’s inception in 2010 and left in 2016 to pursue “smart city” initiatives.
This article has been slightly modified from the print version for grammatical errors.
