Following a nationwide search, Patrick Fitzgerald has been appointed director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, effective Oct. 1, announced Executive Vice President John R. Curry and Professor Alice Gast, vice president for research and associate provost.
"We are confident that Patrick will build upon his considerable record of accomplishment and experience to provide excellent service to the faculty and ensure MIT's leadership in the world of sponsored research administration," Curry and Gast wrote in their e-mail announcement.
Fitzgerald will succeed Julie Norris, who retired Sept. 30 after leading the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for 10 years. "I am delighted with Pat's selection," Norris said. "Along with his knowledge and experience, Pat brings vitality and vision and will provide outstanding leadership to OSP and the Institute."
Fitzgerald has served as director of cost analysis in OSP since 1997. He has been the contract administrator for the Microsystems Technology Laboratories and the senior contract administrator for the Broad Institute. Fitzgerald has directed a wide range of cost analysis activities, including the preparation of the indirect cost proposal, negotiation of the employee benefit rate, compliance with federal cost principles (including cost accounting standards), and oversight of service centers. He prepares and conducts training programs for MIT personnel who work on research contracts.
In addition to his work at MIT, Fitzgerald is active in the profession of research administration. He serves as president of the National Council of University Research Administrators. He has been a member of several key committees of the Council on Governmental Relations, including co-chair of a task force of the Federal Demonstration Project on reducing administrative burdens on research.
Before coming to MIT, Fitzgerald held positions as assistant controller and director of cost analysis at Cornell University. Prior to that, he worked in industrial firms as an accounting supervisor, manager of accounting, assistant controller and controller. His undergraduate degree is in business administration from St. John Fisher College, and holds an M.B.A. in general management from Syracuse University.
The Search Advisory Committee was chaired by Associate Provost Claude Canizares. Members included Jack Crowley, vice president for federal relations; Jamie Lewis Keith, senior counsel; Colleen Leslie, chair, Administrative Advisory Council; Jim Morgan, controller; Bill Peters, executive director, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies; Charlene Placido, assistant dean for research; Professor Rafael Reif of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS); Professor Robert Sauer of biology; Anthony Sharon, executive officer, Lincoln Laboratory; and Professor Jacob White, EECS. Patricia Brady, senior project director for the executive vice president, staffed the search.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 6, 2004 (download PDF).
