UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 36, Page 1
June 30, 1994
Costel D. Denson named vice provost for research

     Several initiatives in research management have marked the two-
year tenure of Costel D. Denson as interim vice provost for research,
and he has been named vice provost, effective July 1, University
President David P. Roselle announced today.
     "I am pleased to affirm Cos Denson's position as vice provost,
based on his excellent and energetic efforts to refine research
administrative systems, improve and increase services to University
researchers and plan for additional initiatives in research management
at Delaware," Roselle said.
     "The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is focusing its
attention on making the most of opportunities now and in the future,
including extensive use of technology to streamline the grant-seeking
process," Roselle said.
     "Additionally, Cos has positioned himself with agencies and other
granting organizations in ways that will improve the University's
opportunities for obtaining external support for research. I am
pleased with Cos' considerable efforts thus far, and I look forward to
working with him and Provost Schiavelli in the years ahead to make
improvement in grant processing and administration and to ehnance
research and sponsored program breadth, productivity and quality
throughout the University."
     Denson, a chemical engineer who served as interim dean of the
College of Engineering before his appointment as interim vice provost,
joined the Delaware faculty in 1977.
     Previously, he was manager of polymer research and development in
major appliance business at the General Electric Co., and he served on
the faculty at the University of Louisville. He also has been a
visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley, the
University of Naples and Lehigh University.
     Active in the Society of Rheology, the Americal Chemical Society,
the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, Denson was just recently
reappointed to the 12-member executive committee of the Society of
Plastics Engineers, an organization of some 38,000 members.
     Denson is a member of a National Science Foundation panel judging
major proposals from across the country submitted under a teacher
enhancement program in the area of mathematics, science and technology
education.
     He also served in the spring as a panelist on a Ford Foundation
pre-doctoral fellowship program in engineering, screening applicants
for awards, and he has just been appointed to the board of directors
of the American Heart Association of Delaware.
     His many honors include the Thomas H. Chilton Award of the
Wilmington section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and
the International Award for Research of the Society of Plastics
Engineers.
     The author or coauthor of more than 30 articles in professional
journals, Denson holds two patents.
     He earned his bachelor's degree from Lehigh University, his
master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his
doctorate from the University of Utah, all in chemical engineering.
     When Denson was named vice provost for research, the area of
research administraion was restructured, combining the former Office
of Research and Patents and the pre-award section of the Office of
Sponsored Programs Administration.
     Under the reorganization, all preparatory and administrative
activities leading to a grant proposal to an outside organization are
under the office of the vice provost. Monitoring and accounting
functions of contract and grant management remain in the Office of
Sponsored Programs Administration in the Office of the Treasurer.
     According to Denson, he has worked to "foster a research
environment by streamlining the services necessary to facilitate the
grant and funding process from public and private sources, and to
highlight University of Delaware research on a national and
international level."
     The office also focuses on intellectual properties management, in
such areas as patents, joint ventures, secrecy agreements and
licensing.
     One of Denson's major initiatives this year has been the start-up
of the Paperless Proposal Processing (P3) project, which has created
an electronic system for the University's research proposal
processing.
     More that 1,100 proposals are processed by his office each year,
Denson said, and the new system is "revolutionary," increasing
efficiency and productivity while reducing time spent on processing as
well as the paper formerly used for all stages of the process.
     Denson's goal for proposal processing is a 24-hour turnaround;
that process took five days when he assumed the position of interim
vice provost.
     "This change is significant," Denson said, "and helps position
our office for interaction with the campus community and external
funding agencies now and into the 21st century."
     During the past year, the office has established affiliations
with several new units, providing administrative services while they
become established at the University. These include the campus-wide
Delaware Transportation Institute--a research organization formed to
address the needs of state and regional transportation systems, in
cooperation with the Delaware Department of Transportation.
     Also now receiving administrative support from the research
office are the Delaware Technology Park, the Institute for Applied
Composites Technology and the Delaware Manufacturer's Alliance--non-
profit corporations backed by the state, industry and the University.
     Denson also has worked closely with the University Affiliated
Program, a community-wide initiative that serves as a University
resource on developmental disabilities and addresses issues on the
delivery system for related services to families.