On December 1, Laura Fingerson joined the University of Minnesota Research and Innovation Office leadership team as assistant vice president for research and chief of staff. In this role, Fingerson will oversee RIO operations and assist Vice President for Research and Innovation Shashank Priya with a broad spectrum of executive responsibilities and commitments, including determining the strategic direction for the office and planning, coordinating, and implementing the research agenda. Fingerson will serve as an important liaison with University leadership staff and offices, and more broadly, oversee RIO stakeholder management of a variety of internal and external constituencies, often serving as a representative of the VP. Fingerson collaborates with key stakeholders to ensure RIO operations serve the needs of the University research community in an effective and efficient manner. She also directly oversees operations in: human resources, communications, and VP administrative support.
Fingerson has held leadership roles in higher education administration for over 10 years and has a strong background in institutional evaluation and effectiveness. Most recently, Fingerson served as vice president for enterprise analytics and insights at Strategic Education, based in downtown Minneapolis, where she led academic and business analytics teams providing quantitative and qualitative research and solutions-oriented strategic planning for Capella University and Strayer University. She received the Strayer Partner Award (February 2022) for excellence in consulting, partnership, and analysis, and she developed and led Capella’s Institutional Effectiveness team, using change management techniques to design and implement new methods of evaluation, continuous quality improvement, data-informed decision-making, external benchmarking, and measurement. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota, her master’s and PhD at Indiana University, and was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“We are excited to welcome Laura to the University and to the RIO leadership team,“ said Vice President for Research and Innovation Shashank Priya. “As I will be reporting to the Board of Regents this week, this is a highly promising time for creative activities, research, and technology commercialization at the University of Minnesota, and I am extremely glad to have Laura on our team. Her extensive experience in nurturing and growing partnerships and managing complex operations, and her deep knowledge in analytics provides us access to strategies and ideas for continued sustainable growth of our enterprise.”
Lisa Warren, who worked in RIO for 23 years and served as chief of staff for 18 years, will work alongside Fingerson as assistant vice president and special adviser until she retires from the University in January.