Professor Jesse Mager appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Support Services

The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences is pleased to congratulate Professor Jesse Mager on his appointment as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Support Services, effective September 1, 2024. In this role, Dr. Mager will work closely with the Office of the Provost and other Vice Chancellors to focus on research elements of the strategic plan. The focus will be on oversight of specialized research facilities, capacity building within the research enterprise, and initiatives to increase sponsored research efforts especially post-award.

Dr. Mager served last year as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Compliance & Support Services. In his role as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mager oversaw areas of compliance including the administration of the Animal and Human Subjects compliance offices, Animal Care Services, Institutional Biosafety, and Research Facilities Infrastructure.

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 genetic and epigenetic control of early mammalian development. He has been a strong advocate for students, supporting both undergraduate and graduate student researchers, and is a member of the Animal Biotech & Biomedical Sciences and Molecular & Cellular Biology graduate programs.

Dr. Mager holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA and at the University of Pennsylvania.