Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's vice president for research and economic development is electing to return to teaching and full-time research, and will serve as interim assistant to the president for economic development, all pending approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
The university will begin a search to replace Colin G. Scanes, who has served since 2004 as research vice president at the land-grant institution.
"Dr. Scanes has played a key role in the attraction of major new industries to our state and region, tied closely to research areas such as aerospace and software engineering," President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong said.
"His contributions have made an impact on the Golden Triangle and on our state, and we appreciate all that he's accomplished," he added.
Foglesong said a search committee soon will be named and the process of identifying a new vice president "will move ahead quickly."
While a search is under way, Kirk Schulz, dean of MSU's Bagley College of Engineering, will serve as interim vice president.
"We're proud of what Mississippi State has accomplished in its research program, and we'll be looking for someone to move the university to the next level," Foglesong said. "We want to build on well-established research strengths and aggressively expand the university's ability to make contributions to the citizens we serve."
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.