Harvard University Vice Provost for Research Richard McCullough is interviewing with faculty, staff and students today. He is one of three finalists for the presidency at Florida State University.
McCullough worked his way through school, starting at a community college, then attending the University of Texas-Dallas before launching a career in private schools.
“That transformed my life," he told the FSU Presidential Search Committee. "If you ask why I’m interested in Florida State, that’s because I want to be part of helping students and helping them transform their lives. That’s a driving force for me. It’s really personal."
McCullough says he feels as if he were "called" to FSU.
The university is trying to break into the top 10 list for universities. It’s currently ranked among the top 20. To get to that Top 10 goal, McCullough believes FSU already has done the foundation work. Now, the school must build on that, and that part of the work starts with pulling in more federal research money.
“You have $250 million in research expenditures. Now, it should be closer to $500 million," McCullough said during his interview. "If you look at your research expenditures, you raise more money from the NSF [National Science Foundation] than the NIH [National Institutes of Health]. That’s imbalanced, compared to what other research universities do. So there’s a tremendous opportunity in the live sciences.”
The NIH and NSF are both independent federal agencies that provide grants for research projects.
McCullough says FSU has a strong science legacy and multiple Nobel Prize winners and should do a little more bragging.
“Be a little bit stronger, a little bit bolder about the success you’ve already realized," he said.
McCullough will participate in a day of interviews with faculty, staff and students. The interviews take place at the Turnbull center and are open to the public.
To hear more from Richard McCullough - visit presidentialsearch.fsu.edu.
