Dear Colleagues:
After a nationwide search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig LaMunyon to the permanent position of Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation within the Division of Academic Affairs, effective July 1, 2024.
Dr. LaMunyon has been the interim Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development at Cal Poly Pomona for three years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cal State Fullerton and his Ph.D. in genetics from Cornell. Prior to joining Cal Poly Pomona in 2003 as an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences, Dr. LaMunyon was a Research Professor at the University of Arizona and an Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. LaMunyon has secured $3.3 million in research funding, published extensively, and mentored many student researchers. He served as the Chair of Biology from 2015 to 2018 and then as the Associate Dean for Research and Academics in the College of Science until 2021.
I appreciate the work of the following search committee members and their commitment to the search process:
Ghada Gad, Assistant Professor, Construction Engineering and Management (Committee Chair)
Alison Baski, Dean, College of Science
Belal Hasan, Assistant Professor, Nutrition & Food Sciences
Denis Iurchenko, Assistant Professor, management & Human Resources
Andrew Steele, Professor, Biological Sciences
Cynthia Tessler, Coordinator, Animal Care Facility
Xu Yang, Assistant Professor, Nutrition & Food Sciences
Mehek Jain, ASI Student Representative
I want to extend a special thank you to Dr. Gad for her role as committee chair. I value the feedback and involvement of the many campus stakeholders who showed their strong interest in Cal Poly Pomona’s ongoing polytechnic experience.
Dr. LaMunyon's skills and experience on this campus, as well as his interim leadership in the role, will help the Office of Research and Innovation continue to do great work in supporting our campus’s research efforts.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. LaMunyon.
Sincerely,
S. Terri Gomez, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs