Jeffrey M. Stanton, associate dean for research and doctoral programs in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, has been named by Vice President for Research Gina Lee Glauser and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina as the University’s first associate vice president for research (AVPR).
Reporting to the vice president for research, the AVPR is similar to the rotator positions that exist in many federal agencies, and is intended to strengthen the connections between the Office of Research and researchers in the University’s schools and colleges. Appointments to this position will be of limited duration—one to four semesters—to assure that fresh perspectives from faculty members with strong records of extramural sponsorship are integrated continually into University-wide plans and structures to support high-impact, funded research and enhance the culture of collaborative research and creativity across the full spectrum of disciplines and cross-disciplinary areas at SU. Stanton and future faculty who are named to the position will return to their faculty positions at the end of their respective terms. The AVPR’s limited term provides time for a meaningful contribution, including innovative input to research services, while still allowing the research program of the appointed individual to flourish. Stanton’s term will run through December of this year.
Stanton will continue his longstanding work to foster and promote large multidisciplinary, multi-university, public-private research collaborations spanning the campus, the region and the nation. In the AVPR position, he will work with the Office of Research to reorient administrative services to better support faculty researchers and connect more faculty members to the opportunities available through the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Integrity and Protection, the Office of Technology Transfer, Corporate Relations and Foundation Relations. Stanton will also provide consultation and support for several campus-wide sponsored projects, including the recently awarded $3.4 million, five-year ADVANCE institutional transformation grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (on which he is a co-principal investigator).
“The University has always maintained a strong commitment to developing its people. This new rotator position will provide a unique opportunity for interested faculty to learn how to navigate the University’s research infrastructure and enhance connections with our external funding partners,” says Spina. “Later, when the faculty member returns to his or her school or college, the unit will reap the benefit of those new ideas and connections.”
Lee-Glauser says that Stanton is the perfect choice as the inaugural AVPR. “Jeff’s expertise in organizational behavior will be invaluable in facilitating large collaborative teams,” she says. “He is an active researcher, an award-winning mentor and collaborator who is widely respected across the SU community, and a leader with experience in large-scale collaborative research projects bridging technologists to social sciences.”
Stanton hopes to contribute to the growth of the University’s research enterprise. “In seeking funding for my own research I’ve realized the importance of building a network of partners, both in industry and in the federal funding agencies,” Stanton says. “Working with the Office of Research, I will focus on ways to help faculty across campus to cultivate connections with a range of sponsors for their creative work.”
A member of the Syracuse University community since 2001, Stanton focuses his research on the intersection of organizational behavior and technology. His recent projects have examined equity and inclusion issues in the information technology workforce. He is lead author of the book “Information Nation: Education and Careers in the Emerging Information Professions” (Information Today, 2010).
Stanton has published two books, 11 book chapters, 40 refereed journal articles and more than 60 conference papers. His work has appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Human Performance, Communications of the ACM, the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Information Technology and People and the Journal of Information Systems Education. Stanton teaches social science research methods and is a nationally recognized expert on web-based survey research.
Stanton’s research program has been supported through 20 different grants and contracts, including the NSF’s prestigious CAREER Award.
Stanton’s background also includes more than a decade of experience in business, including engineering and management in three different Boston-area start-up firms. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.
