Fairbanks, AK, USA (6 May 2015)
The Board of Directors of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) announced today the selection of Robert H. Rich, PhD, CAE as its Executive Director. He will assume the duties of leading the Consortium's staff on 18 May 2015.
Rich succeeds Acting Executive Director Helen Wiggins, who will remain as Director of Programs. The hiring of Dr. Rich, who will be based in the Washington, DC area, allows ARCUS to increase its presence and strengthen its ability to establish new collaborations within the national and international science community.
"We are very pleased to be joined by Dr. Rich, who brings a long track record of success in support of scientific collaboration and discovery," said ARCUS President Dr. Michael Retelle. "With the United States becoming the Chair of the Arctic Council, and the recent roll out of President Obama’s National Arctic Strategy Implementation Plan, the need for leadership on Arctic research has never been more pressing," said ARCUS Treasurer Dr. Jay Gulledge. "ARCUS unanimously selected Dr. Rich with an eye on maximizing the impact of the Arctic research community and ARCUS' role in facilitating this," he added.
Most recently, Dr. Rich served as Director, Strategy Development for the American Chemical Society (ACS), where he served for 16 years in a variety of roles including career development, research grants, membership, and strategy. Prior to joining the ACS, he worked in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Research Competitiveness Program and at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in fundamental research and in the Office of Science Policy.
Rich earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master's degree from Harvard University, and a Bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in chemistry. He resides in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and daughter.
"Research into the changing Arctic is incredibly important and timely, affecting people's lives worldwide. ARCUS is a key facilitator of this interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and collaborative research with an inspiring mission and dedicated community," Dr. Rich said. "I am thrilled to serve such a talented group of staff and researchers and to lead and support ARCUS in continuing to enable this key research."
Jackie Eder-Van Hook, PhD, President, Transition Management Consulting, Inc. conducted the executive search on ARCUS's behalf.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ada Bower
Phone: 907-474-1600
Email: ada [at] arcus.org
ARCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consisting of institutions operated for educational, professional, or scientific purposes. ARCUS envisions strong and productive linkages among Arctic researchers, educators, communities, and other stakeholders that promote discovery and understanding of the Arctic and inform sound decisions. ARCUS serves its members by acting as a catalyst for interdisciplinary thinking, acting, and education leading to the development of highly collaborative partnerships.