photo by: Submitted

Marc Medonca

A research executive at the University of Indiana and a former director of research and innovation at the University of Louisville have been announced as candidates for a vice chancellor position to lead University of Kansas research initiatives.

Marc Mendonca, director of research development at Indiana University, and Kevin Gardner, the past vice president for research and innovation at Louisville, have been announced as the second and third candidates for KU’s vice chancellor of research position.

Mendonca is an expert in the field of radiology, serving as professor of radiation oncology and molecular genetics at Indiana’s school of medicine, in addition to serving as the director of research development for the university.

Mendonca’s research has focused on how radiation can induce certain types of cancers, and methods to prevent such incidents. Since 2011 he has served as editor-in-chief of the scholarly journal Radiation Research.

In his current administrative role, Mendonca has helped lead the development of the research strategic plan for Indiana University, which like KU is a longtime member of the prestigious research group Association of American Universities.

Mendonca has a doctorate in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an undergraduate degree in biology from the College of the Holy Cross.

photo by: Submitted

Kevin Gardner

Gardner currently is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Louisville, but recently served as the university’s executive vice president for research and innovation for years.

In that role, Gardner oversaw growth in research activity at Louisville, with research expenditures hitting the $230 million mark. Gardner previously worked as a vice provost for research and director of strategic initiatives for the University of New Hampshire.

His research focuses on contaminants and how they behave in aquatic environments.

Gardner will give a public presentation about his vision for the KU position at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Lied Center Pavilion on West Campus. Mendonca gave a public presentation last week. It, and the presentations of all candidates for the position, can be viewed at the KU webpage devoted to the vice chancellor search, https://provost.ku.edu/vice-chancellor-research-search-page.

KU intends to interview four candidates for the vice chancellor position. Shelley Hooks, an associate vice president for research at the University of Georgia, interviewed last week. A fourth candidate will be announced in the coming days and will make a public presentation on May 1.

The vice chancellor position, which oversees all research activity at KU, became available after Simon Atkinson left the post to take a similar research position at the University of California, Davis.