Dr. K. Krishnamurthy has been named vice provost for research at the University of Missouri-Rolla, effective Jan. 1, 2007.

Krishnamurthy has served on the faculty of UMR since 1986, most recently as a professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean for research and graduate affairs in the UMR School of Engineering. As vice provost for research, he will lead UMR’s office of sponsored programs and will be in charge of assisting UMR researchers secure external funding for research. The office of sponsored programs helped gain more than $35 million in external research funding for the university in 2005. The 2011 goal is $60 million.

Krishnamurthy earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Bangalore University in India in 1980. He received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University in 1982 and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Washington State University in 1986.

Among Krishnamurthy’s personal research interests are intelligent control, robotics, advanced manufacturing systems and alternative energy sources. He has published his research in numerous scholarly journals and has received several teaching awards at UMR.

Krishnamurthy is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Robotics International Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He is also active in ASME’s dynamic systems and control division.

“Dr. Krishnamurthy is an impressive person with an impressive record of achievement. We are very fortunate to have him as the new leader of our collective research efforts at UMR,” says Dr. Warren Kent Wray, UMR provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Krishnamurthy takes over for Dr. Wayne Huebner, who is stepping down after four years of outstanding service to become chair of UMR’s materials science and engineering department. Under Huebner’s leadership, externally funded research at UMR has more than doubled.