SOUTH DAKOTA: SD EPSCoR Names New Director
Ustad will remain the lead Principal Investigator (PI) on the current five-year NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 award that involves six South Dakota public universities, two private universities, three tribal colleges, and state agencies. The project’s objective is to develop South Dakota’s research infrastructure, support STEM education and technology-based economic development.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Doerner as our director of SD EPSCoR,” said Darren Haar, chair of the REACH Committee, which oversees South Dakota’s EPSCoR programs. “Dr. Doerner’s education, academic background, and experience will be invaluable as South Dakota seeks to advance research opportunities within our state.”
Doerner received a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He spent four years as a postdoctoral research scientist at the Medical College of Virginia-Virginia Commonwealth University and 16 years at Western Kentucky University (WKU), where he achieved the rank of full professor of biology. While at WKU, he also served as interim dean of Graduate Studies and Research.