VCU names new vice president for research

By Pamela Lippincott

RICHMOND, Va. – Following a national search, Marsha R. Torr, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a former NASA scientist, was named as Virginia Commonwealth University’s new vice president for research. She will assume her new post on Sept. 1, pending approval by VCU’s board of visitors on Aug. 10.

Torr has led the University of Nebraska’s research division since 1999, after serving as vice provost for research and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of South Carolina from 1995-99. Prior to her work in higher education, Torr held appointments as chief scientist in NASA’s Marshall Space Center in the Payload Projects Office from 1993-95, the Solar-Terrestrial Physics Division from 1987-93, and the Atomic Physics Branch from 1985-87.

"Dr. Torr brings a unique set of skills and experience to VCU as vice president for research," said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D. "She has been a successful researcher in both academics and in government. Her roles as chief scientist at NASA and vice president for research at two universities have provided her with impressive administrative experience that will help grow VCU’s research mission."

As VCU’s vice president for research, Torr will oversee all research activities across both VCU campuses, including research in human subjects as well as research involving animal subjects. In addition, she will lead VCU’s continuing efforts to accommodate the reorganization and expansion of the Office of Research.

"VCU is an institution that has come a tremendous distance in the past 30 years," Torr said. "All of the assets are in the right place to make a big step forward. The institution is positioned in the right location with the right areas of emphasis in place to move forward. For that reason, I am very excited to get started."

Among Torr’s goals are to provide a strong new infrastructure to support the growth and diversity of research and scholarly activities of VCU faculty. She plans on cultivating teams and partnerships among VCU faculty and administrators to put strategic initiatives in place.

"During the interview process, Dr. Torr displayed a remarkable knowledge of research activities and resources at VCU and will be a major contributor to our Life Sciences initiative," said VCU Provost Roderick McDavis, Ph.D., who served as co-chair of the search committee. "She articulated novel strategies for enhancing research programs across the university. Her preparedness demonstrated the kind of attention to detail that inspires confidence and her ideas reflect a vision that will create new research programs and accelerate existing ones."

In her new VCU appointment, one of Torr’s top priorities will be to fill the newly created position of associate vice president for research conduct. This position will focus on meeting all guidelines governing research at VCU including the increased federal oversight of research. With combined efforts of the associate vice president for research development — a position held by Roy Pickens, Ph.D. — and the new research conduct vice president, Torr will continue to enhance VCU’s expansion of its committee infrastructure, which is needed to meet human subject research compliance with the federal government.

"I am looking forward to working with Dr. Torr," said Francis Macrina, Ph.D., acting vice president of research and co-chair of the search committee. "She understands the impact that genomics research will have in both the clinical and basic sciences, and she is anxious to facilitate genomics initiatives at VCU. She is also prepared to meet the challenges that now face us in the areas of research compliance and in responsible scientific conduct education."

A veteran researcher, Torr has been the primary researcher for projects that have collectively generated millions of dollars in research funding for NASA. Her main research focus was studying the physics and chemistry of the upperatmosphere as well as building instruments to fly on space shuttles and satellites. Torr has authored hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals and also has presented just as many papers on topics such as building advanced instruments to measure the photochemistry of the upperatmosphere.

A native of South Africa, Torr earned her bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, in 1963. She also received a master’s in physics in 1966 and a doctorate in physics in 1969 from the same university.