The University has named Dr. R. Ariel Gomez, a pediatric physician and long time faculty member, to the post of vice president for research and graduate studies.
Gomez has served as the interim vice president since August 2001.
A professor of pediatrics, Gomez has been a member of University faculty since 1984. Gomez has held a number of leadership positions both at the University and elsewhere. He served on the Virginia 2020 Science and Technology planning Commission and directs the University's Center for Organogenesis and the Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology.
In addition to continuing his own research, Gomez's responsibilities include ensuring that University research endeavors comply with federal and other regulations.
Gomez also will be charged with steering the University's quest to enhance and expand its research programs, an endeavor of high importance, said University Spokeswoman Carol Wood.
"In the 21st century, research increasingly has been a critical component of higher education for both its financial and intellectual contributions," Wood said.
To this end, Gomez said he will work to strengthen ties between schools and departments at the University.
"We try to pool strengths from various departments and schools to create new opportunities, ask new questions, and make new discoveries," Gomez said.
Creating effective research centers requires strong graduate programs, Gomez said.
"The goal is to create programs that capitalize on existing strengths and provide [individual schools] with the tools to attract and retain the very best graduate students," said Gomez.
Gomez said he hopes to encourage the existing efforts of academic faculty to find practical applications for their research in concert with private industry.
"We are very interested in pushing the relationship between the University and industry," Gomez said.
The University will continue to develop links with private industry through research facilities, like North Fork and Fontaine research parks, where faculty members and private companies work side by side to create applications for academic research.
"These projects bring intellectual and material wealth to the University and the Commonwealth," Gomez said.
This interaction between the public and private sectors potentially will create jobs for members of the Charlottesville community and may help recruit faculty members with the promise of greater opportunity employment for their spouses.
Successfully integrating these strands
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