Associate Dean for Research Mark Aakhus Appointed Senior Provost Leadership Research Fellow at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

September 29, 2023

Aakhus’ appointment recognizes his major contributions to Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s research task forces.

SC&I Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Communication Mark Aakhus has been appointed a Senior Provost Leadership Research Fellow for the 2023-24 academic year by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

In this role, he will help the Office for the Vice Provost for Research move forward the recommendations set out by the Provost’s Strategic Task Force on Cyberinfrastructure and Data Science. This includes serving as a liaison for the Cyberinfrastructure and AI for Science and Society initiative awardees and the Artificial Intelligence faculty cluster hires. He will also advise on strategically connecting the Life Science Alliance Task Force with DS/AI.

“We have every confidence that he will have an indelible, positive impact on the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and, more generally, the entire Rutgers–New Brunswick community as a Senior Provost Leadership Research Fellow,” said the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

While serving as an OVPR fellow, Aakhus will continue serving as Associate Dean for Research and a faculty member in the Communication Department at SC&I.

In this role, Aakhus will help the Office for the Vice Provost for Research move forward the recommendations set out by the Provost’s Strategic Task Force on Cyberinfrastructure and Data Science.

Aakhus, whose research investigates the relationship among communication, argumentation, and design in digital society, said “I appreciate the opportunity to help realize and implement a comprehensive, forward-looking strategy for AI and Data Science across the broad range of research, scholarship, and creative activity at Rutgers, New Brunswick.”

Aakhus has held a variety of research-oriented leadership positions at the university since he joined the faculty in 1996. Most recently, he served as the co-chair of the Provost Strategic Task Force on Cyberinfrastructure and Data Science.

“Mark’s prestigious appointment as Senior Provost Leadership Research Fellow recognizes his major contributions to the university’s research task forces,” said SC&I Interim Dean Dafna Lemish. “Please join me in congratulating Mark and wishing him good luck in this important role!”

Learn more about the Department of Communication at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.