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Q & A with Tim Mulcahy
Bio: Since February 2005, Mulcahy has served as vice president for research at the University of Minnesota, where he is responsible for oversight and administration of an externally funded research program of more than $600 million on the university system's five campuses. Prior to leaving for Minnesota, Mulcahy was associate vice chancellor for research policy at UW-Madison for three years. From 1996 to 2002, he served as associate dean for the biological sciences at UW-Madison. He joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1985.
Cap Times: How did it feel to learn you made the cut as one of four finalists?
Mulcahy: "I was greatly relieved, very excited and very humbled by that honor."
Cap Times: Can you talk about the positives associated with spending so much time at UW-Madison?
Mulcahy: "Every university and every campus has a unique personality and a unique culture, and no matter what you do that culture comes into play. So being familiar with the culture at UW would be helpful.
"I don't want to say it's an advantage, but from my perspective I think it gives me a chance to understand the context within which decisions need to be made. It would help with the understanding of the tolerance of the campus community to certain types of approaches or certain attitudes.
"But I would also say that having had an external experience actually contributes significantly as well because it brings a different mind-set, a different set of perspectives and a different set of approaches. So the combination of the two would help me in the role of chancellor."
Cap Times: To spend 20 years in Madison is a major chunk of time. What was the thought process to take your current position in Minnesota two years ago?
Mulcahy: "It was a perfect opportunity for me. They were looking for a vice president for research. That had been the trajectory, the track that I had set for myself all the time I was at Madison. I was a finalist for the position of dean of the graduate school at UW a couple years earlier, which would have given me that opportunity there. So I pursued that opportunity at Minnesota.
"One of the other things about that was that both Wisconsin and Minnesota are very similar in terms of the comprehensiveness and the scope of academic fields that they cover. And so it was also very appealing to me in that it was very familiar to me in the sense that it was very similar to my experience in Madison.
"The other thing is I'm a public university kind of guy. I believe very strongly in the land grant mission, and that was another thing that Minnesota shared with Wisconsin.
"And then the last thing, Minnesota at the time that I was looking at coming here was embarking on a very bold strategic plan to launch themselves into the ranks of the elite, and that was just a very appealing opportunity for me to get involved in."
Cap Times: What makes you such a good candidate? What do you bring to the table?
Mulcahy: I think first of all familiarity is one. I think 13 years of progressively more responsible higher ed administration responsibilities helps. Certainly an outside perspective will contribute. But I think it's a combination of those things. I think it's my interest in the university. Contributing to the well-being of the state and the citizens of the state is a very high priority for me. And in those 13 years I've had experience across the spectrum of domain that the chancellor would have to deal with. So I think I'm quite well prepared in the sense of comprehensiveness, but also familiarity with the campus and also the challenges that face public higher ed."
Cap Times: Could the fact that you left UW-Madison for Minnesota ever be viewed as a negative?
Mulcahy: "No, I don't think that comes into play. I think once you get involved in administration, movement is expected. And, in fact, some people think it's a good idea to move, so I don't think my colleagues will hold it against me."
Cap Times: Anything else you want to stress?
Mulcahy: "The bottom line is I'm very excited and honored and humbled by the chance to come back and hopefully contribute to a community that contributed so much to me."
Tim Mulcahy
