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Letter from Dr. Montgomery on May 14, 2021

Dear colleagues,

Today I am sharing the news that Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy, vice president for research and innovation, has accepted a position as president at Illinois State University.

While we wish her the best in her new endeavor, we will also miss her at Western, where she has played a critical role in highlighting our commitment to research, in advancing our research portfolio and in growing our external funding. Some of the many accomplishments that have taken place during her tenure at Western include:

A growth in external research funding to over $25 million—a level last seen in 2011—and a 33% increase in federal research expenditures.

A collaboration between the president, provost and vice president for research and innovation to re-imagine the Presidential Innovation Professorship awards to celebrate and support creative ideas and risk-taking research.

A reorganized and expanded Office of Research and Innovation to focus on better serving faculty, staff and Â鶹´«Ã½s by integrating grants and contracts and advancing the Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center, establishing a research development focus and initiating new, state-of-the-art electronic research administration systems.

New programs to support research and creative scholarship, including the Interdisciplinary Team Excellence Enhancement Grant with the provost and president, equipment grants and innovation networks to stimulate the creation of interdisciplinary research and creative scholarship groups.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Kinzy in accepting this position and thanking her for her contributions to our University. Her selection as Illinois State’s next president exemplifies the talent and expertise she possesses and also reflects the quality of leader we attracted to Western.

Dr. Kinzy will begin her new role in Illinois on July 1. Look for an announcement regarding an interim vice president for research and innovation coming soon.

Sincerely,
Edward Montgomery
President