Shelley Hooks named as next University of Kansas vice chancellor for research

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has selected Shelley Hooks as the next vice chancellor for research. Hooks is the associate vice president for research at the University of Georgia and a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences at UGA’s College of Pharmacy. She will begin her new role Aug. 4.

“Throughout her career, Shelley has been a champion of multidisciplinary research, serving as an advocate for the advancement of innovation and discovery, and supporting the development of faculty, scholars and students,” said Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, KU provost and executive vice chancellor. “Shelley’s leadership will be essential in fostering a bold and unifying vision for the future of research, creative activity and engaged scholarship at KU. We are excited to welcome Shelley to the Jayhawk community.”

As vice chancellor for research, Hooks will lead KU’s research enterprise on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses and oversee research administration. She will help align the Office of Research with the university’s mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities and make discoveries that change the world.

"I am delighted to join the vibrant University of Kansas community,” Hooks said. “I am eager to partner with KU faculty, staff and students to drive forward our shared goals of advancing research, fostering innovation and nurturing creativity in all fields."

She will succeed Belinda Sturm, who has served as KU’s interim vice chancellor for research since November. Sturm is the director of the Kansas National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Office and a professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering.

“I greatly appreciate Belinda’s leadership and dedication to advancing our research enterprise and supporting our scholarly community during this time. I also thank the search committee for their great work and commitment throughout the search process,” Bichelmeyer said.

As UGA’s associate vice president for research since 2018, Hooks has overseen internal grants, awards and research personnel. She manages a portfolio of internal research funding programs and leads initiatives to support faculty, postdoctoral scholars and other research personnel. She also leads the Office of Research’s strategic plan and serves as a liaison among the office, academic units, centers, institutes and faculty.

Hooks previously served as the interim department head for UGA’s Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences and the interim director of the UGA Center for Drug Discovery.

As an independent investigator, Hooks focuses on signaling mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies for cancer and neurological disease. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research. She also has supervised a number of graduate and undergraduate students with a focus on mentorship of underrepresented trainees.

Beyond her service at UGA, Hooks has served as an executive committee member for the Molecular Pharmacology division of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), grant reviewer for the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer and an editorial board member for ASPET’s peer-reviewed journal, Molecular Pharmacology. Hooks has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and abstracts.

Hooks earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Clemson University and her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Virginia. She completed her postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina’s Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine.