University of Missouri System administrator receives national recognition

December 17th, 2013

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Hank Foley, executive vice president for Academic Affairs for the University of Missouri System and professor of chemical engineering in the MU College of Engineering, was recently honored with a major award from a national organization that recognizes and promotes inventors. Foley was named as one of 143 innovators to receive fellow status by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), chosen from 94 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. NAI fellow status is bestowed upon academic inventors who have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.

“This recognition reiterates the university’s strategic priority of boosting research and economic development,” UM System President Tim Wolfe said. “This latest national acknowledgement of Hank’s hard work, innovation and dedication such as this speaks to the high quality of individuals we have serving in leadership roles at the system.”

Foley joined the UM System in August. As executive vice president of Academic Affairs, his primary responsibilities include working with a variety of campus leaders including chancellors, provosts and chief research and economic development officers in leading the system’s strategic planning efforts; providing systemwide leadership in academic programs; promoting economic development; advancing research collaborations and enhancing funding, and; leading the institutional research, student access and success, academic program review and eLearning functions of the system.

Prior to his appointment as system vice president, Foley served as vice-president for research and dean of the graduate school at Pennsylvania State University. He also was president of the Penn State Research Foundation and the Penn State Research Park Management Corporation. In his tenure at Penn State, Foley served in the roles of named chair, department head, associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives, and dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology. Prior to his tenure at Penn State, he served on the chemical engineering faculty at the University of Delaware for 14 years.