Fourth Vice President for Research Candidate To Visit Texas Tech
February 26, 2009
Randy K. Avent was recommended by the search committee as a candidate for Vice President of Research.
Randy K. Avent is the associate chief technology officer at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory.
Guy Bailey, Texas Tech University president, Feb. 26 announced that a fourth finalist
for the position of vice president for research will visit the campus next week.
Randy K. Avent, associate chief technology officer at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, will visit campus March 2-3.
“The new vice president for research will be instrumental in our reaching our goal
of increasing external research funding,” Bailey said. “I asked our search committee
to recommend the very best candidates to come to campus for extensive interviews.
It is through this process we’ll find the right individual to lead our university
as we continue to expand our already excellent research mission.”
Avent will participate in an open forum at 4 p.m. Monday (March 2) in the Escondido
Theatre in the basement of the Student Union Building. All faculty, staff, students
and interested Lubbock community members are welcome to attend the forum. While on
campus, Avent will meet with the president and his executive cabinet, the provost,
academic deans, the faculty and staff senates and the student government association
among others.
“The search committee was charged with recommending three-to-five finalists for this
position,” said Bob Stafford, committee chair and former member of the Texas Tech
University System Board of Regents. “We have already brought three strong people to
campus. Dr. Avent gives us a fourth outstanding candidate to evaluate for a position
that is absolutely vital to the university’s future success.”
Avent joined MIT in 1986. Lincoln Laboratory was created in 1951 as a federally funded
research center focused on improving the nation’s air defense system through advanced
electronics. Avent’s research interests are focused on radar, microwave imaging and
signal processing. He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University
of North Carolina, a second master’s degree from North Carolina State University and
is a graduate of the MIT, Sloan School of Management, Greater Boston Executive Program.
[Extended Biography]