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[John Noftsinger]
Growing Madison’s research connections
Students and local economy central to vice provost’s research programs By Chris Edwards
J
ohn B. noftsinger Jr.’s calendar has 20 meetings blocked in on
a typical week — not counting teaching or volunteer coaching.
He confesses that while en route to a meeting scheduled
for dec. 23, 2005, “a part of me thought, ‘Why?’”
Yet, in hindsight, noftsinger (’85) — now vice provost
for research and public service — could not be happier for
that holiday-season parley between representatives of JMU
and the silicon Valley-based research nonprofit sRi. That
day, “We made a presentation that convinced sRi to seriously
pursue a relationship with JMU and Harrisonburg.”
The resulting center, now under construction, will create
100 local pharmaceutical research jobs.
The deal marked a high point in expanding JMU research
for this 1985 Madison cum laude graduate. in november
2007, JMU provost douglas Brown — who calls noftsinger
“instrumental” in attracting sRi — named him to the newly
created vice provost position. The title adds five new offices to
noftsinger’s oversight in addition to those on his watch over
nine previous years as associate vice president for academic affairs
for research and public service — bringing his total to 12.
“Under his leadership, research activity throughout the campus has
grown exponentially,” says Brown. since the mid-1990s, JMU has
emerged as one of the top research schools in Virginia — increasing
sponsored funding from $3 million in 1995 to $24.9 million in 2007.
among Virginia universities, noftsinger — who has brought in
more than $15 million as a sponsor or co-sponsor himself — is the
senior chief research officer, though (at 45) he is also the youngest.
What has sparked the dramatic research growth? Citing JMU
as “one of the most exciting and innovative places in the country,”
noftsinger lists its “willingness to partner,” leadership stability
and teaching emphasis: “our research at Madison never
veers too far from asking, How does this affect the students?”
His own strength, as he sees it, lies in forming connections.
When he learns of “an obscure research project on a woolly
worm” on campus, he wants to show how that might affect the
shenandoah Valley. Brown cites noftsinger as “a key player” in
promoting local economic development.
noftsinger calls the Virginia Research and Technology advisory
Commission, which he co-chairs, “a great platform” for
Madison, connecting university research officers with government
and industry reps.
26 Madison Magazine
His office oversees all campus grant-sponsored research, which
received more than 150 awards in fiscal year 2007 — ranging
from speech therapy to hadron structure physics and from
battlefield archaeology to small-business development. His new
responsibilities include the Mine action information Center, and
the international Beliefs and Values institute, among others.
The “push-pull” of getting acquainted with new duties and
people has meant downsizing some community activities. He’s
resigned as Chamber of Commerce vice president, but continues
serving on the Boy scouts’ stonewall Jackson area Council,
coaching youth soccer and basketball, and playing on a mostly
faculty/staff intramural championship-winning floor hockey
team, the nooners.
noftsinger authored a 2007 textbook with JMU’s Kenneth
newbold and Jack K. Wheeler, Understanding Homeland Security:
Policy, Perspectives and Paradoxes, and gave a presentation
that year at the oxford Round Table held at the University of
oxford. He has supervised the JMU institute for infrastructure
and information assurance since its founding in 2002, and led in
creating iiia’s new information analysis B.a. degree program.
as an undergraduate political science and public administration
major and business administration minor, the Roanoke
native served as a hall director and became the first student
seated on the JMU Board of Visitors. He calls those experiences
“transformational” in sparking his higher-education career, naming
administrators Barbara Castello Henry and Jerry Benson,
then-President Ronald Carrier and Brown as mentors.
next, noftsinger spent just four years off-campus, earning
a master’s at ohio state and a doctorate at the University of
Virginia, and working at Maryland’s Frostburg University and
ohio state. He returned in 1989 for nearly two decades in JMU
administration as well as teaching in the College of integrated
science and Technology and the College of education.
The oldest of the noftsinger’s three sons, Joshua shaheen,
is a Madison freshman. “i’m in touch with many other alums
— especially as their children approach college age,” noftsinger
adds with a smile. His wife, Lucinda, is a 1996 JMU alumna.
He understands their interest. With the campus of his youth
now “a wonderful and distant memory,” he explains, “one
thing has been consistent: We all feel like we’re a part of something
special.” M
photograph by matthew worden