CBSHS associate dean named research leader fellow by the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities

Eric Muth, associate dean for research and graduate studies in Clemson’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, has been named a research leader fellow by the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The fellowship provides training to individuals who aspire to become vice presidents, vice chancellors or vice provosts for research to develop critical new knowledge and skills.

The APLU’s Council on Research named Muth along with only six other rising research leaders across the country for this second cohort of research leader fellows. The fellows, who join eight inaugural fellows selected in 2017, were selected earlier this summer and introduced at the 2018 CoR Summer Meeting in Bozeman, Montana. Of all 15 fellows, Muth is the only associate dean. All other fellows are associate vice presidents working for central administration.

“This fellowship is an opportunity for me to build on and leverage a life-long succession of leadership and academic experiences,” Muth said. “It will allow me to advance both the success and sustainability of the academic research enterprise in general and specifically here in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.”

The fellowship assists rising research leaders with developing expertise in areas outside of their current research-related responsibilities. Because many universities have segmented research support organizations, rising research leaders often oversee relatively confined areas such as research administration, research development, research compliance, research communication, economic development or sponsored programs.

The fellowship allows rising research leaders to gain expertise outside of their respective portfolios and to foster connections with the council’s extensive network of senior research officers through site visits and participation in council meetings. The fellowship is 18 months in duration. Howard Gobstein, executive vice president for the APLU, leads the association’s research policy and STEM education efforts, and he welcomed new fellows to the program.

“Congratulations to the new fellows!” Gobstein said. “The APLU is pleased to host the CoR Research Leader Fellowship as a key effort to help build our members’ institutional capacity and prepare the next generation of public university research leaders.”

Muth’s application was supported by Robert H. Jones, Clemson’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, Tanju Karanfil, Clemson’s vice president for research, and Brett Wright, dean emeritus of Clemson’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.

Jones, Karanfil and Wright all cited Muth’s long track record as a faculty member and leader at Clemson. They also recommended him for this fellowship based on his own research endeavors and his success in building and growing research and graduate programs in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.

Karanfil said he looks forward to Muth using the knowledge he gains to continue to advance research within the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.

“Dr. Muth will benefit greatly in learning from peers at similar institutions, and the college stands to benefit greatly from his appointment as fellow as well,” Karanfil said.

Muth became associate dean for research and graduate studies of Clemson’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences in 2016. Since that time, the college’s research expenditures have increased 20 percent to $4.8 million in 2018.

Muth joined Clemson in 2000. His current research focuses on two main areas, the first of which is the development of wearable mobile health technologies for studying and changing eating behavior. Muth’s second area of research involves understanding the physiology and prevention of motion sickness, with particular emphasis on head-mounted displays.

Muth has served as a graduate mentor throughout his career, has over 80 publications and has received funding from a variety of agencies including the Defense Advanced Projects Agency, the Office of Naval Research, the National Institutes of Health and several private corporations.

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