MU vice chancellor leaves for job at Rice

Jim Coleman, MU’s vice chancellor of research, announced Friday that he will leave his position to become the vice provost for research at Rice University in Houston.

“Rice is one of the great private institutions in the country, and this is a great opportunity for me,” Coleman said in a written statement.

“They have an incredibly stable endowment in place to move forward with their vision,” he said in an interview. He will begin his position at Rice in mid-September.

Coleman also praised MU and its research achievements. During his tenure, the university received record-breaking funding, including $174 million in external research funding last year.

Funding cuts at MU made by the Missouri General Assembly, however, disappointed him.

“The results of the last legislative session were frustrating,” Coleman said.

“I really love Mizzou, and Mizzou was a great place to do this job. I have mixed feelings about leaving,” he said. “This institution has accomplished amazing things with the resources and support they have.”

Coleman first came to MU in 2003 as the vice provost for research; he was promoted to the vice chancellor position in 2007. In his time at MU, he said he is particularly proud of the success of the Bond Life Sciences Center and the establishment of the National Swine Resource and Research Center.