will welcome a new executive director next week: Keith Osterhage.,”

• The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has a new executive director.
• Keith Osterhage will succeed Erik Thelen, who resigned at the end of the last academic year.
• Osterhage previously served in the same position at Rutgers University.

The office responsible for approving faculty proposals for research grants will welcome a new executive director next week.

Keith Osterhage, previously the director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Rutgers University, will take over the same role at Marquette on Monday, according to the Oct. 20 edition of the University News Briefs.

Osterhage succeeds Erik Thelen, who resigned at the end of the last academic year.

William Wiener, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School, chaired the search for executive director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Wiener said Osterhage was chosen because of his experience and his commitment to the school's ideals.

"He is very aligned with Marquette's mission," Wiener said. "We want our research to grow. We think under his leadership we will see that progress in the future."

Wiener said Thelen resigned because he felt he needed a change after working at Marquette for 15 years.

"He did a great job here, and it was his own personal choice to move on to something else," Wiener said.

The university has had success securing research grants, Wiener said.

The ORSP distributed 154 research awards totaling $16.1 million in fiscal year 2008, according to the University News Briefs.

In September, Marquette was awarded the largest three-year award in the school's history. The $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will go to the Speech Pathology & Audiology Department. The research involves the Reading Acquisition Program, which helps young children with reading deficiencies, Wiener said.

Katherine Durben, director of project planning and development in the ORSP, said the staff is excited to have Osterhage on board.

"He has a great deal of experience and is very knowledgeable," Durben said. "We hope he can bring his past experiences to make our office stronger."

Osterhage will review faculty grant applications, helping to prepare proposals for submission to funding institutions, Durben said. He is responsible for giving final approval to grant proposals.

In addition to negotiating between faculty and funding agencies, the executive director helps to develop the ORSP staff, Wiener said. The director also helps faculty members to report the findings of their research.

Robert Fox, a professor in the College of Education, has taught at Marquette since 1982. Additionally, he said he has worked with the ORSP in pursuit of grants for research in the social sciences and psychology.

Fox said the office is essential in applying for research grants.

The ORSP helps faculty to align their proposal guidelines with those of the grant, Fox said. This task is crucial because if the proposal does not meet the guidelines, the funding institution will reject it.

"(The ORSP) is very approachable," Fox said. "They are very nice people to work with, and they are there for the faculty."

Nevertheless, Fox said there is room for improvement of research at Marquette. He suggested that the ORSP expand in order to improve its ability to compete for and secure research grants.

"Marquette still has a ways to go to compete with other larger universities in research," Fox said. "(However), it's a tough job. We're doing well with what we have."

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