Newly Launched Office of Research and Innovation to be Led by Glasgow

Provost Dr. David Dausey is pleased to announce the following changes in the Office of Research effective Thursday, July 1.

Now named the Office of Research and Innovation to reflect its new vision, the office will be led by Dr. Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, who will assume the role of vice provost for research while retaining her role as dean of the School of Nursing.

“We are excited to welcome in a new era of research at Duquesne,” said Provost Dr. David Dausey. “I’m confident that this new structure will enable us to pursue new research agendas and grow our research portfolio. Dr. Glasgow is the ideal leader for this role and will be a change agent to help establish and carry forward our vision for the future.”

As vice provost for research, Glasgow will provide strategic leadership, expertise and operational direction for all research activities at the University as they pertain to research needs, proposal development, implementation, infrastructure and growth. In addition, this role is responsible for advancing the Duquesne’s vision, mission and strategic plan in relation to scholarship, research, creative activity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“It is an honor to support the faculty in pursuing their research and scholarship interests while simultaneously elevating research at the University,” Glasgow said.

While fostering a culture of excellence in collaborative multidisciplinary scholarship and innovation, Glasgow plans to develop the necessary research infrastructure for the University to support novel research partnerships with health care. She will communicate to key stakeholders and keep the University community apprised of the state of the research enterprise.

An accomplished scholar and administrator, Glasgow has led efforts to increase the rankings and research profile in the School of Nursing. Prior to being named nursing dean at Duquesne in 2012, she served as associate dean for nursing, undergraduate health professions and continuing education at Drexel University, responsible for 3,300 students, and was integral to the research success of the College of Nursing & Health Professions.

Dr. Melissa Kalarchian will serve as associate provost for interdisciplinary research and strategic initiatives while retaining her role as associate dean for research at the School of Nursing. She will be responsible for expanding research and evaluation activities, and will serve as liaison to faculty researchers.

In addition, Kalarchian will address issues related to incentives and supports for faculty scholarship, recruitment of diverse faculty researchers, workload and course buyout and student engagement in research. She will also work toward coalescing and coordinating research efforts in the various schools at the University, with an emphasis on the sciences, health sciences, pharmacy, nursing and the College of Osteopathic Medicine from bench to bedside.

A skilled researcher in the area of obesity, Kalarchian has conducted many NIH-funded studies and has led research initiatives in the School of Nursing since 2013. Prior to her arrival at Duquesne, she served as an associate professor at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. A clinical psychologist, Kalarchian also held a secondary appointment in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Elisabeth Rather Healey will serve as associate provost for regulatory affairs and applied innovation. She is a registered U.S. patent attorney currently at Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton, a chemist and a patent holder with more than eight years of experience in intellectual property law.

Healey’s areas of expertise include strategic counseling in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret issues; portfolio management; preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent applications; due diligence; assessment of patent infringement and validity; freedom-to-operate analyses; and technology evaluation in support of product development, acquisition and launch in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

In her new role, Healey will be the liaison to the Office of Legal Affairs concerning legal issues and will be responsible for scientific oversight of regulatory affairs in the Office of Research and Innovation. She will assume responsibility for leading, coordinating and expanding innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Healey also will provide excellence in the development and oversight of applied innovation initiatives and associated intellectual property rights.