News

Former biology buff Lloyd Chestnut VP of R&D makes leap into administration

VP of research and development feels at home in Montana

Bryan O’Connor
Montana Kaimin

— This is the fifth story in a
weekly series of interviews with
university administrators that will
run in the Kaimin.

One UM administrator had a
bright future as a research
scientist, but through what he
calls "serendipity," made the
jump into academics.

Lloyd Chesnut, vice president of
research and development at UM,
studied entomology at
Mississippi State University and
planned on working for the USDA.
But a professor he worked with
while he obtained his doctorate,
took a job at the University of Central Florida and his life took an unexpected turn.

"I was walking into the biology building," Chesnut said, "and he asked me if I wanted
to teach biology in Orlando."

Chesnut took the offer and started a career spanning more than 30 years in several
types of administrative jobs. His segue from teaching into administration developed
slowly, starting with a position overseeing research grants. That paved the way for
becoming a full time administrator.

At UCF, Chesnut wrote a grant for a freshwater ecology study. The administration
there wanted a project that was different than the University of Florida’s so they
turned to him with a proposition.

"They came to me and said, `You’re going to be the director of a freshwater ecology
institute,’" Chesnut said. "It’s serendipity, but I’ve really enjoyed it."

Chesnut’s teaching was slowly phased out as he continued to pick up more
administrative duties. He has worked at Georgia State, LSU, the Environmental
Protection Agency and Ohio University before coming to UM.

"As a scientist," Chesnut said, "you wonder how you ever got away from science
and into administration."

Chesnut said he has lost touch with the biology field over the years because it
changes so quickly. But, he said, he enjoys what he is doing now.

"There’s a lot of satisfaction in being able to facilitate the work of others," Chesnut
said, "and then watching things such as intellectual property coming out."

All the research grants that UM professors write come through Chesnut’s office. Last
year $48.2 million in external grant money was garnered by UM. He said that figure
will be more than $50 million this year and is an integral part of the Montana
economy.

"These funds really do provide economic development," Chesnut said. "About 70
percent of a grant is spent on salaries."

Even with conservative estimates, Chesnut said UM will pump at least $25 million
into the economy from the external grant money. He said the research program has
doubled in the last four and a half years that he has been here and he attributes it to
the attitude of the university.

"This is an entrepreneurial university," Chesnut said. "It’s a place where you can
invest in an area and watch it grow."

Chesnut said he spoke to a colleague at Kent State University recently and asked
him about their grant writing. He said KSU’s 1000 faculty members wrote about 360
proposals last year, compared to UM’s 680 proposals written by roughly 500 faculty
members.

"We have enthusiastic hard working faculty here," Chesnut said, "You just don’t find
that everywhere."

The research and development staff is also working on a number of economic
development programs and Chesnut said the partnership with the Missoula Area
Economic Development group to form Montech is one of the standouts. Montech is
a small business incubator that is in the process of being formed in Missoula.

Montech will give students with bright business ideas but with little capital a way of
starting up a company. Chesnut said to convince the state of the university’s role in
the economy, it may take a company spawned by the university to take off and
become a big success.

"Look around the country," Chesnut said, "any economy that has really taken off
has been in partnership with a university system."

Silicon Valley and the biotechnology industry in Massachusetts are examples of
private and university partnerships that bloomed into strong economies, Chesnut
said.

Chesnut described his job as fun and satisfying, but is somewhat concerned about
space on UM’s ever growing campus. He said he is working with his colleagues to
find solutions to overcrowded research facilities.

Even though he grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and worked mainly in the South
during his career, Chesnut said he feels at home here. He said he enjoys weekend
trips in his motorhome with his wife Rollene and daughter Leslie. He said they like to
explore the state that they really feel is home.

"I’m the type of person that where I live is my home," Chesnut said. "I’m a
Montanan."

http://www.kaimin.org/April02/4-11-02/news3_4-11-02.html

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.