It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Greg Hirth, Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, as Brown’s next Vice President for Research. Greg has been serving in the role on an interim basis for the past few months, and I’m delighted to formalize his appointment in this important leadership position.

Under Greg’s direction since October, the Division of Research has seen a record number of submissions to the University’s internal SEED and Salomon grant programs –  leveraging new funds for research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences – and continues its stewardship of Brown’s annual $300 million in federal research operations. Over the past two weeks, Greg has been instrumental in helping Brown researchers navigate grant submission guidelines and new directives from federal agencies in the wake of the new presidential administration.

As vice president for research, Greg will continue to advance Brown’s mission and impact by supporting faculty and students in all aspects of their research activities – from the conception of new ideas through the dissemination of the knowledge they create. Identifying the highest research needs of faculty across the University, Greg serves as a strong advocate for their support, and collaborates with senior academic and administrative leaders on research initiatives and policy development. Working closely with Deputy Vice President for Research Marty Scholtz, Greg will lead research operations and drive major, multi-phase initiatives in the research space.

Throughout his time leading the Division of Research, Greg has contributed a wealth of expertise to Brown’s research enterprise. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work in tectonophysics, a field of geophysics that studies the movement of the Earth's crustal plates, the formation of mountains and earthquakes, and other tectonic phenomena. Greg has led research teams that have significantly advanced our understanding of deep-earth earthquakes and the processes driving the formation and deformation of lithospheric plates.

As I noted when he was named interim vice president for research, Greg was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences last year, two of the highest honors a scholar can achieve. In recognition of his contributions, he has also received the prestigious George P. Woollard Award from the Geological Society of America, among numerous other accolades. Beyond his academic achievements, Greg has demonstrated leadership within the American Geophysical Union and served as chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.

Greg earned his bachelor’s degree in geological sciences from Indiana University, followed by master's and doctoral degrees in geological sciences from Brown.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with Greg and to collaborating with him and the entire Division of Research staff to support Brown’s ambitious research goals.

Sincerely,

Francis J. Doyle

Provost