Leadership
Research and Engagement has overall leadership and oversight responsibility for the university's research enterprise. We seek to foster innovation, collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches, and demonstrated impact in research conducted on and off campus. UMass Amherst research strengths align with national, state, and regional priorities including advanced materials and manufacturing; applied life sciences and health; big data and computational science; cognitive science; the arts and creative economy; energy, climate science, and sustainability; and equity and inclusion.
Mike Malone
Mike Malone was appointed Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement in August of 2009. Prior to his appointment as leader of research and engagement, he served as Dean of the College of Engineering from 2004-2009 and was named to the Isenberg Professorship in 2003, created to enhance interdisciplinary teaching and research between fields of management, engineering, and science. Previously, he served as department head for the department of chemical engineering from 1997-2002. Mike also served as interim provost in 2023-24.
Laura Vandenberg
Laura Vandenberg was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement in January 2023. Laura previously was the associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs in the School of Public Health & Health Sciences and is a professor of Environmental Health Sciences. In 2023-24, she served as Acting Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. Laura continues to conduct research in an NIH- and foundation-supported research lab. She holds a PhD in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology from Tufts University School of Medicine and a BS in Biology from Cornell University.
Jesse Mager
Jesse Mager was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Support Services in September 2024. He previously served as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Compliance & Support Services for almost a year. Dr. Mager has been at UMass Amherst since 2007 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences. He held the role of the Chair of the UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for 10 years. A geneticist by training, Dr. Mager’s NIH-funded research program focuses on reproductive sciences, development of the early embryo, and epigenetics.