New Associate Vice Chancellor, Administration, Financial Operations and Research Programs in the
UCI Office of Research

Dear Office of Research Team,

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Lori Greene will be joining us as our new Associate Vice Chancellor, Administration, Financial Operations and Research Programs, effective March 1^st 2026. I wanted to share this news with you first, as you will be working most closely with Dr. Greene in her new role.

Many of you may already know Dr. Greene from her previous position with our office and throughout her 17 years at UCI. From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Greene served as Assistant Director of Research Development in the Office of Research, where she worked with faculty across campus on major research, training, and outreach grant proposals. Since then, she has held multiple senior leadership roles across UCI, including:

Director of Strategic Initiatives, School of Physical Sciences (2023-present)
Assistant Dean for Engineering Research Management, Samueli School of Engineering (2019-2023)
Director of Research Development, School of Physical Sciences (2016-2019)

Throughout her career at UCI, Dr. Greene has demonstrated exceptional skill in research administration, proposal development, large-scale center management, and strategic planning. She currently serves as Managing Director of two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Frontier Research Centers and has been instrumental in developing major initiatives including the School of Physical Sciences’ new Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence for Science program.

Dr. Greene brings both scientific expertise (Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley) and deep knowledge of UCI’s research landscape. Her collaborative approach and proven track record of building strong relationships with funding agencies and faculty will be tremendous assets to our team and the broader UCI research community.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the search committee for their dedicated work throughout this process. The committee completed both screening and full interviews for an excellent slate of candidates from across the country, and their thoughtful deliberation has resulted in this outstanding appointment.

Recognition of Sinqui Musto’s Service

I also want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to Sinqui Musto for her outstanding leadership and exceptional service as Associate Vice Chancellor, Administration, Financial Operations and Research Programs. As many of you know, Sinqui retired in June 2024 after more than 40 years at UCI but has continued to serve our unit while on recall. She spent more than 35 years working as a trusted advisor to a succession of Vice Chancellors for Research, and she helped shape the Office of Research into the highly successful organization it is today.

Sinqui’s calm determination, strategic skills, financial acumen, and commitment to teamwork have played an incalculable role in the Office of Research’s evolution. She started when our organization was supporting a UCI research enterprise of less than $100 million. Today our organization oversees and supports a world-class research enterprise of more than $600 million. Along the way, Sinqui became a master of transforming challenges into successes.

She has overseen the Office of Research’s space management, including coordinating numerous moves of unit offices and research programs.She has guided the organization through the best and worst financial times, always focused on how our organization could grow and improve our research support services, whether through systems acquisitions, technology adoption, operational improvements, or workforce expansion.

Because of her excellence and deep organizational knowledge, Sinqui has been routinely involved in campuswide initiatives, committees, and workgroups that have helped steer UCI toward its current position as a top-tier research institution.

Sinqui has been an invaluable mentor and leader to this team, and we are especially thankful that she has agreed to facilitate this transition through her recall appointment, ensuring that we maintain continuity and that Dr. Greene has the support needed to ensure a smooth start.

Over the coming weeks, we will be working with both Sinqui and Dr. Greene to plan the transition. I know I can count on all of you to extend your usual professionalism and warm welcome to Dr. Greene as she joins our team. Your expertise and commitment to excellence will be essential in helping her hit the ground running.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I look forward to this exciting new chapter for the Office of Research.

Sincerely,

Aileen Anderson, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research

324 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697

New Associate Vice Chancellor, Administration, Financial Operations and Research Programs in the UCI Office of Research

New Associate Vice Chancellor, Administration, Financial Operations and Research Programs in the
UCI Office of Research