Francine Berman, high performance computing endowed chair at the University of California, San Diego and director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, will be taking over as Rensselaer’s new vice president for research, effective August 1.
In the position, Berman will be responsible for advancing the research enterprise across the full range of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary activities and will work closely with the president and provost in the development and implementation of policies relating to all aspects of the Institute’s research mission.
Berman earned her bachelor’s in mathematics in 1973 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and then her master’s and doctorate in mathematics from the University of Washington. She began her teaching career at Purdue University in 1979, and joined UCSD in 1984. In 2001, she moved to the Supercomputer Center which she has run since her arrival there.
Excited about The Rensselaer Plan, Berman looks forward to working with Associate Vice President for Research Wolf von Maltzahn—who had served as acting vice president for research prior to Berman’s appointment—as well as others at RPI to move things forward in the realm of research.
“Research is really important and the university is its most important training ground,” Berman commented. “All of you will be our leaders in a decade or so.” She plans to work with the administration, faculty, and students on moving the research enterprise forward and allowing faculty to have more of an impact on research while ensuring students have the experience of problem-solving.
Berman looks forward to working with the new Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations at Rensselaer, stating that it is a great resource and a “great example of how people are using high-powered computers to do high-level research.” She said that the new centers at Rensselaer—the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, the CCNI, and the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center—have so much potential in the area of research and that they will “really help people push the frontiers of knowledge.”
Berman also noted how blurred the lines are becoming between different disciplines, particularly the integration of arts and the sciences. “It’s exciting to see how this can be used in a novel and innovative way,” she commented. “It would be terrific if EMPAC could provide that new venue for thinking in such ways.”
When questioned about how Berman anticipates the economy will affect Rensselaer in terms of research, she stated that it is a common problem among universities, which find themselves buckling under the impact of the economy; however, Berman said, “At the same time, science and technology are bigger priorities with the federal government, and there are still incredible opportunities that accompany the challenges of the economy.”
Berman feels that “Rensselaer is on top of things in terms of trying to be smart about keeping research and enterprise going the right way, while minimizing the impact of the economy.” She hopes to use contacts in the community as well as Washington to ensure that there is attention paid to the ideas growing at RPI. “You must take advantage of the opportunities that are coming out of this challenging time,” Berman said.
She continued, “The time motivates you to be extra creative and innovative because you don’t have the resources you would normally have, and Rensselaer is doing a terrific job at this.”
President Shirley Ann Jackson commented in an e-mail to the RPI community, “Berman is an exceptional addition to our leadership team. She has brought an unrelenting dedication and broad vision to her work, and I know she will continue to prosper here at Rensselaer as she helps to
guide our growing research enterprise.”
