Dr. Mary Jo Daniel was officially appointed recently to the position of UNM Associate Vice President for Research (VPR) by Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs James Holloway. Daniel was appointed last fall as Interim Associate VPR by former VPR Gabriel López through a competitive process last fall and will now serve with current VPR Dr. Ellen Fisher in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).
“I look forward to working closely with Dr. Fisher and continued service to the UNM research mission,” said Daniel. “Creating a supportive environment for research faculty, students, and staff involved will have a positive impact on research initiatives and collaborations.”
Daniel has been with UNM for 10 years, beginning with New Mexico EPSCoR where she served as associate director and co-project investigator (PI) before joining OVPR in 2015 as the director of the Faculty Research Development Office. Through collaborations with her staff and research administration personnel in colleges and departments, Daniel helped enable faculty to obtain external funding. She was instrumental in the facilitation and implementation of strategic research activities, including the UNM Grand Challenges initiative, and also currently serves as co-PI for the UNM Advance grant, focusing on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women, including underrepresented women, STEM faculty.
Throughout her career, Daniel has focused on supporting the STEM achievement of diverse learners and their teachers at all educational levels. Daniel has been an invited presenter at National Science Foundation workshops and conferences that focus on interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches to STEM research and education. She has also served on the internal steering committee for UNM’s CREST project and is a member of the UNM STEM-H Center for Outreach, Research and Education advisory board.
Prior to her work at UNM, Dr. Daniel served as the State Science Specialist and the Math and Science Bureau Chief in New Mexico’s Public Education Department. She has taught and supervised future elementary education teachers at UNM and the College of Santa Fe and provided professional development to classroom teachers in grades K-12. She began her career in STEM education as a middle school mathematics and science teacher in Albuquerque Public Schools.
As Associate VPR, Daniel continues to further UNM’s research mission through strategic communication, fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations, and supporting the university’s research administration.
“I am very pleased to have Dr. Daniel fill this important role on the OVPR team,” says Fisher. “Her experience and breadth of knowledge about all things UNM has already proven invaluable to me as I work to address the challenges and opportunities that await as we engage the UNM research community. Dr. Daniel is a strong supporter of faculty and students and her dedication to advancing the research mission of the university is extraordinary. I know she will continue to be a tremendous asset for the OVPR and for UNM.”