Stephen L. Rice, UNLV's new associate provost for research, arrived on campus this week to begin his new job.

He will be responsible for coordinating funded research campus-wide.

"I'm delighted to be on campus, and one of my first goals is to acquire a deeper understanding of UNLV's research dimensions," Rice said. "I am currently meeting with all academic deans to learn about initiatives in each college, and to gain insights into where my office can be of most assistance. All of us in Sponsored Programs are dedicated to serving the needs of research-active faculty.

"As I visit the individual colleges, the stories I hear on research accomplishments and potential are truly inspiring, and I am anxious to meet more faculty over the weeks ahead," he said. "Following this information-gathering phase, I will work with faculty and personnel in my office to develop specific initiatives and programs to encourage and support research development."

Rice, who received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California - Berkeley in 1972, comes to UNLV from the University of Central Florida where he had served since 1988 as associate dean for graduate studies and research.

He previously had chaired the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Central Florida; held engineering faculty positions at the University of Connecticut, Storrs; and served as a design engineer at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley.

Rice, who has a successful track record of securing research funding from such organizations as the Kennedy Space Center and the National Science Foundation, has published extensively in books, professional journals, and conference proceedings. An active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education, he has a long record of committee service in those organizations, as well as at the University of Central Florida and the University of Connecticut.