Hector Aguilar-Carreño, professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Marjolein van der Meulen, Swanson Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering, have been named associate vice provosts in the Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation (OVPRI). Their appointments began July 1.

The associate vice provosts in Research & Innovation act as points of contact to address the needs of three broadly conceived and overlapping research communities – focused on biological, physical and societal systems – that span colleges and campuses at Cornell. Each associate vice provost also takes the lead on strategic university-wide goals across disciplines. 

For Research & Innovation, Aguilar-Carreño will support research communities focused on biological systems, from microbes and plants to animals and humans. Additionally, he will coordinate intercampus research collaborations and oversee engagement by Research & Innovation with Cornell’s postdoctoral community across disciplines.

Van der Meulen will support research communities focused on physical systems, encompassing theoretical and applied disciplines including astronomy and particle physics, materials enabling quantum technology and medical imaging technology. Across disciplines she will lead strategic planning for research infrastructure and equipment at open user or core research facilities. She will also lead efforts to support external recognition of faculty and staff researchers.

Natalie Bazarova, M.S. ’05, Ph.D. ’09, professor of communication in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, continues in her appointment as associate vice provost announced in 2023. She supports research communities that use data, applied math and research computing and external collaborations to achieve societal impact through policy and practice, denoted within Research & Innovation as research communities focused on societal systems. Additionally, Bazarova serves as a faculty point person for research data and security implementation across disciplines and for communications with research communities.

“I am pleased to welcome Hector and Marjolein to the Research & Innovation team. Each associate vice provost brings valuable experience and insights for our work of coordinating resources, infrastructure and administrative support so that our Cornell colleagues can excel on their core research, teaching and mentoring responsibilities. This teamwork helps us all increase Cornell’s regional and global impact,” said Krystyn J. Van Vliet, vice president for research and innovation.

In announcing the appointments, Van Vliet thanked outgoing associate vice provosts Paula Cohen, professor of genetics in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Julia Thom-Levy, professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

“Paula has reimagined and coordinated interdisciplinary distinguished seminar series, distributed seed funds for faculty research and served a leading role in planning Atkinson Hall, a new research building under construction on the Ithaca campus. Most recently, she took on leadership of Cornell’s cross-campus research collaborations and funding in biomedical research, known as the academic integration program. Julia has made large and lasting contributions to the significant segment of Cornell’s research community that depends heavily on research infrastructure and facilities, specialized equipment, public-private partnerships and workforce education,” Van Vliet said.

Cohen, who has served in the associate vice provost role since 2018, assumed the role of associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Veterinary Medicine on February 1. Thom-Levy assumed the role of chair of the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences on July 1.

Research & Innovation maintains web tools and other online resources for Cornell researchers, including information about the research lifecycle and research administration at Cornell, at the Research Services website.

J. Edward Anthony is a writer for the Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation.