Leadership

The UConn Research leadership team is dedicated to advancing the University’s research capabilities and strengthening UConn's reputation as the leading public R1 university in New England. Our team is composed of passionate leaders with world-class track records in research, finance, and administration.

Pamir Alpay, Ph.D.Pamir

Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (VPRIE)
pamir.alpay@uconn.edu

Executive Assistant
Joanna Desjardin | joanna.desjardin@uconn.edu

Pamir Alpay oversees UConn’s expansive research enterprise at the main campus in Storrs, the UConn Health campus in Farmington, and the regional campuses across the state. His appointment as VPRIE followed a successful tenure as executive director of the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park, where he served as the University’s chief advocate for industry-informed research and prime liaison between the research community and government collaborators.

Alpay is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of materials science & engineering and physics and is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering (CASE). He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, ASM International, and the American Ceramic Society.

Alpay earned his B.S. and M.S. from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Pamir

Pamir Alpay, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (VPRIE)
pamir.alpay@uconn.edu

Executive Assistant
Joanna Desjardin | joanna.desjardin@uconn.edu

Pamir Alpay oversees UConn’s expansive research enterprise at the main campus in Storrs, the UConn Health campus in Farmington, and the regional campuses across the state. His appointment as VPRIE followed a successful tenure as executive director of the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park, where he served as the University’s chief advocate for industry-informed research and prime liaison between the research community and government collaborators.

Alpay is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of materials science & engineering and physics and is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering (CASE). He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, ASM International, and the American Ceramic Society.

Alpay earned his B.S. and M.S. from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Julie

Julie Schwager

Executive Director for Operations; Associate Vice President for Research Finance
schwager@uchc.edu

Assistant to the Associate Vice President
Hillary Stevens | hstevens@uchc.edu

About Julie

Julie Schwager is the associate vice president for research finance and administration. Julie has more than 30 years’ experience in operations and administration, including budgeting, financial reporting, cost accounting, risk management, and research administration systems design and implementation. Julie’s previous experience included working for a large multi-national Department of Defense contractor, an international financial services company, and a secondary education institution. She brings a wealth of experience working in diverse and challenging environments and enjoys facilitating change to help our most valuable resource, our employees, work optimally. Julie received her BS in Accounting from Babson College and her MS in Management and Insurance from Salve Regina University.

Mike

Michael Glasgow, Jr.

Associate Vice President for Research Sponsored Program Services
michael.glasgow@uconn.edu

Assistant to the Associate Vice President
Kim Benoit | kim.benoit@uconn.edu

About Michael

Michael Glasgow has served as UConn’s AVP for research sponsored program services for more than 10 years. Previously, he held the role of executive director for contract and grant administration at Yale University. Prior to that, he was the assistant vice president for research administration at the University of Virginia.

With a strong background in research administration and a commitment to advancing UConn's research capabilities, Glasgow plays a critical role in supporting the university's mission to drive innovation and discovery. He holds an MPA from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Abhijit

Abhijit (Jit) Banerjee, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship
abhijit.banerjee@uconn.edu

Assistant to the Associate Vice President
Jan Rockwood | jan.rockwood@uconn.edu

About Abhijit

Abhijit (Jit) Banerjee is the associate vice president of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at UConn. He has decades of experience in industry, management consulting and university leadership, and building research enterprise through catalyzing university-based research innovation with a goal of community impact. Banerjee has a wide range of experience in building new strategic initiatives, technology transfer, patent monetization, corporate strategic alliance, and management consulting in strategy and operations. He is passionate about empowering people and leading cultures of inclusivity to help grow and cultivate talent. Banerjee holds a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and an MBA from Suffolk University.

lindsay

Lindsay DiStefano, Ph.D., ATC

Associate Vice President for Research Development
lindsay.distefano@uconn.edu

Assistant to the Associate Vice President
Victoria Lowther | victoria.lowther@uconn.edu

About Lindsay

Lindsay DiStefano is UConn’s associate vice president for research development and a professor in the department of kinesiology. Prior to her appointment as AVP, she served as the head of the department of kinesiology. She has affiliate appointments in the department of public health sciences and the department of orthopedic surgery in the UConn School of Medicine.

DiStefano is extremely active in kinesiology research, where she works to determine the best strategies to promote physical literacy and reduce the risk of youth sports-related injuries. DiStefano has published numerous research papers and presented nationally and internationally. She is currently engaged with major research studies to identify best practices for implementation and dissemination of interventions to improve safe physical activity participation and ensure proper development of physical literacy in children. DiStefano completed her undergraduate degree at Boston University and her graduate and doctoral degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mike

Michael Centola MHS, CIP

Associate Vice President for Research Integrity
centola@uchc.edu

Assistant to the Associate Vice President
Victoria Campos | vcampos@uchc.edu

About Michael

Michael Centola, UConn’s associate vice president for research integrity, has more than 20 years of experience in the research integrity field with an early focus on human subjects’ research.

Previously, Centola served for five years as UMass Lowell’s director of the office of research integrity; prior to that, he spent six years at UMass Medical School in Worcester and a combined eight years at the Yale School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Centola graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and earned a master’s degree in medical laboratory sciences from Quinnipiac University. Centola is an active member of PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research) and the Association of Research Integrity Officers (ARIO) and is a certified IRB professional.