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Tennessee Tech welcomes Zhanjiang “John” Liu as vice president for research
Zhanjiang “John” Liu
The executive committee of the Board of Trustees at Tennessee Tech University voted
unanimously at its Sept. 18 meeting to appoint Zhanjiang (John) Liu, Ph.D., as vice
president for research following a wide-ranging nationwide search. Liu’s appointment
will be effective Oct. 1, 2023.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the next vice president
for research at Tennessee Tech,” said Liu in remarks at the executive committee meeting.
“I am very excited to join the leadership team at this time to bring Tech to be one
of the finest research universities in the state and country.”
In comments to the executive committee prior to the unanimous vote, Tech President
Phil Oldham said, “We believe Dr. Liu would be an incredible asset to our efforts
here at Tennessee Tech. We have made significant strides in recent years in our research
enterprise on campus and hit an all-time record this past year with over $36 million in externally-funded research, which is an incredible
increase over previous years. Dr. Liu, with his expertise and experience, is going
to be able to take us to even higher levels."
Liu brings to the role decades of research and academic experience, culminating in
his current position as vice president for international strategy and professor of
biology at Syracuse University. Previously, Liu served for more than 20 years at Auburn
University as associate provost, associate vice president for research, associate
dean for research, distinguished alumni professor of aquaculture and other capacities.
He began his career in higher education as a graduate research and teaching assistant
at the University of Minnesota, where he also earned a master’s degree in plant pathology
and a doctorate in cell and developmental biology.
A prolific and frequently published researcher, Liu has been awarded more than 80
grants totaling over $50 million by the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and various other federal and state funding agencies
and industries. Oldham announced that Liu would be bringing a sizable USDA research
grant with him to the university.
Liu was inducted into the prestigious USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Hall of Fame in 2022. He is also a fellow in the World Aquaculture Society, a fellow
in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a recipient of Syracuse
University’s Chancellor’s Medal for Outstanding Leadership, and a recipient of the
University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award, among other recognitions.
“I have heard nothing but very high praises from everyone who has met you on campus
and a huge level of excitement from the faculty and the administration about your
participation with us,” said Board of Trustees Chair Trudy Harper at the Sept. 18
meeting. “I hope you enjoy Cookeville as much as we have all enjoyed Cookeville.”
Executive committee members also lauded departing Interim Vice President for Research
Carl Pinkert, who exits his role on Sept. 30. Pinkert answered a call to serve at
Tech on a temporary basis after a distinguished career that included service as vice
president for research and economic development at the University of Alabama and associate
vice president for research at Auburn University, where he served as Liu’s longtime
colleague.
“Dr. Liu is an outstanding researcher, mentor and academic administrator who brings
a wealth of experience to Tennessee Tech. His research track record is exceptional,
and he has a demonstrated history of consensus building and developing private, public,
foundational and governmental partnerships while stewarding transformative change,”
said Pinkert. “His background and leadership experiences provide a unique blend of
skills allowing him the opportunity to readily support, appreciate and advocate on
behalf of all disciplinary and programmatic priorities at Tennessee Tech on day one.”
Liu’s appointment comes as Tech recently celebrated another enrollment increase for fall 2023, driven by the fourth largest freshman class in university history,
and was named a top national university for the ninth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Colleges”
rankings.
Tech is recognized as an R2 doctoral, high-research activity university by the Carnegie
national classification system. Learn more about research at Tech at www.tntech.edu/research.
