January 28, 2002

A nutritional science professor who has held a series of top administrative posts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the past 11 years has been named vice provost for research and graduate education and dean of the UConn Graduate School.

Janet L. Greger, the associate dean of the graduate school at Wisconsin from 1990-96, associate dean of its medical school from 1996-98, and special assistant to the provost for the past two years, was named to head UConn's graduate education and research efforts Jan. 16. She replaces Robert Smith, who left UConn in April 2000 for a post at the University of Arkansas. Since then, Ian Hart has served as interim vice provost and dean.

"Janet Greger will be an excellent fit for the University of Connecticut," says Chancellor John Petersen. "She brings with her a wealth of experience as an administrator and she is very comfortable working with federal agencies in Washington."

Greger currently is a committee member on a National Institutes of Health panel that advises the director on a range of ethical issues and regulatory burdens, including animal care, the use of human subjects for research, and research integrity. She chaired its animal care and use committee in 2001. She also has served on several committees with the National Academy of Science. Since 1992, she has been on the board of directors of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.

"UConn is a great school with a lot of opportunities for research and growth in the graduate school," Greger said Wednesday. "I'm eager to work with the University's faculty and staff, to attend seminars and faculty meetings and really see UConn's research and graduate experience."

Greger earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois, and her master's and doctoral degrees, both in human nutrition, from Cornell University. Before moving to the University of Wisconsin, she was a faculty member at Purdue University.

An expert in the metabolism of minerals (aluminum, manganese and calcium), she has received funding from the NIH, USDA, and a variety of industry and foundation sources. She has published more than 150 scientific papers, and her work has been the basis of several EPA toxicological standards and nutritional standards. More than 40 students have completed graduate degrees in her laboratory.

Greger was honored in 1999 with an appointment to the University of Wisconsin's Teaching Academy. She is teaching three courses during the current semester.

Greger will begin working at UConn in June.