photo by: University of Kansas

Douglas Girod

University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod has been elected to a leadership position in North America’s leading organization for research universities.

Girod was recently elected to serve as vice chair of the board of the Association of American Universities. KU has been a longtime member of the AAU — which includes only 38 public universities in North America — and leaders said it was critical to recruiting and research efforts that KU remain part of the prestigious organization.

As vice president, Girod is expected to represent AAU on a national stage regarding federal policy issues affecting research universities. Girod will also represent the AAU in discussions with lawmakers, help develop national policy positions and play a significant role in determining the association’s agenda in the coming year, KU said in a news release.

Girod will serve alongside Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber, who was elected chairman of the AAU board of trustees.

“I am honored to serve in this capacity and to have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the country on issues that impact research at our universities,” Girod said in a news release. “America’s leading research universities are vital to our nation’s prosperity, health and security, and AAU plays a critical role in advocating on their behalf and helping them work together.”

Girod has served on the AAU board of directors since October 2021.

KU has been a member of the association since 1909, but has watched several other public universities in the region — Nebraska and Iowa State in recent years — leave or be voted out of the association because they no longer met research or other membership requirements.

AAU currently has 71 universities in its membership, including many of the nation’s most elite private research universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, John Hopkins and others.

KU is the only Kansas university in the association, and the university makes heavy use of its AAU membership for both student and faculty recruitment.

“The benefit of membership, beyond being recognized as one of the top research programs nationally, is that we have greater opportunities to increase federal funding for research that improves public health, addresses national challenges, and strengthens the nation,” Girod said in a release. “Additionally, KU benefits greatly from AAU’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC, on research and higher education funding and on policy and regulatory issues affecting research universities.”