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Merging the top research spots at the Texas A&M University System and Texas A&M University is not under consideration, says Brett Giroir, the system's vice chancellor for research.
"That's just not on the table," Giroir told The Eagle during an editorial board meeting last week, addressing concerns that the system's vice chancellor for research and the university's vice president for research positions would be combined. "We have no intention of taking over research administration."
He said that in his conversations with Texas A&M System Chancellor Mike McKinney he had "never, ever gotten the impression" that McKinney wanted to move the university's research administration under the vice chancellor's control.
Giroir, who previously held a director position at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in Washington, D.C., said he had spoken several times with Jeffrey Seemann, the incoming vice president for research, who began work last week. Giroir said Seemann, a former dean at the University of Rhode Island, is great for the job.
He said his and Seemann's responsibilities are distinct. Seemann is the university's research chief, while Giroir has more of a "30,000-foot view," he said, in which he oversees the efforts of the entire system of 11 universities, seven state agencies and a health science center.
"I want to be the matchmaker ... I'm eHarmony for researchers," he said, referring to the online service. "My personal opinion is, these are two separate positions."
Since the Board of Regents approved a plan to examine how to merge certain functions between the 48,000-student flagship campus and the system that governs it, many Texas A&M faculty and administrators have expressed concern that the system was trying to take over the university's research administration.
Less than two weeks before the June 15 regents meeting, a performance evaluation of former A&M President Elsa Murano was released in which McKinney wrote that Murano had failed to acknowledge her commitment to the Board of Regents and the chancellor regarding "VPR; Research Foundation." Murano announced her resignation June 14.
System officials haven't explained what that "VPR" reference meant.
"VPR" is the acronym commonly used in university and system circles for the flagship's vice president for research. Murano conducted a national search spearheded by a committee that led to Seemann's hiring.
Giroir also was a candidate for A&M's vice president for research. As the search advisory committee began looking for the new leader, both McKinney and Murano had conversations with Giroir, he said.
The day before Murano officially became president on Jan. 3, 2008, she invited him for an on-campus interview, Giroir said.
Giroir said he began browsing the Texas A&M University Web site, learning about Vision 2020 and everything else he could. It was while he was online a few weeks later, he said, that he learned that Murano had formed a committee to search for the next vice president for research.
Giroir said he called Murano and told her he didn't feel right about being interviewed by the president while the committee was conducting its search.
Giroir, who was McKinney's choice to become the vice president for research, said that a short while later -- in late January or early February -- Murano met with him in Washington. Murano's chief of staff, H. Russell Cross, also was present at the meeting, Giroir said, adding that he didn't see it as a job interview but felt positive afterward about his job prospects.
On April 1, McKinney and Regent Bill Jones, who was then board chairman, met with Giroir in Washington and for the first time discussed the vice chancellor for research position at the Texas A&M System, Giroir said. At the time, the system's research duties were carried out by Guy Diedrich, who held the title of vice chancellor for federal relations, the system's Office of Technology Commercialization and research.
The position was posted shortly afterward, Giroir said. He applied, was offered the job by the chancellor and was formally approved by the Board of Regents on April 23, 2008.
Meanwhile, the search for Texas A&M University vice president for research continued. According to Giroir's account, about a week later, a search firm working with the search committee asked Giroir whether he would be willing to give up the vice chancellor for research position to serve as the flagship university's vice president for research.
He said he would not and was informed the next month that he was no longer in the running for vice president for research.
The VPR search -- which ended the first time in failure last July when the candidate the committee settled on declined an offer -- eventually produced three candidates whose names were forwarded to Murano and Provost Jeffrey Vitter. They selected Seemann.
Seemann, who officially began work Wednesday, will earn a salary of $280,000. After a request for an interview with The Eagle, Seemann replied in a statement through a spokeswoman.
"I have spoken with Interim President [R. Bowen] Loftin and Vice Chancellor Giroir, and they have confirmed to me that there is no plan to merge the VCR and VPR positions," Seemann said.
"As the new Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University, I look forward to working with faculty, administrators, and other partners in the research community to enhance and grow our already very successful research enterprise."
