FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2007
FY07-26
Keel Joins ORAU Board of Directors
Oak Ridge, Tenn.—The Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ (ORAU) Board of Directors welcomed Brooks A. Keel as a new director at the 62nd annual meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions held recently in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The board provides policy and fiduciary oversight of ORAU operations for its membership.
Keel currently serves as Louisiana State University’s (LSU) vice chancellor for research and economic development—a position that was created in 2005 to help enhance LSU's role in the economic development of the state of Louisiana. He also serves as the school's representative on the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions.
"LSU is very proud of its long standing relationship with ORAU, and I am exceptionally pleased to have been elected to serve on this board," said Keel. "Much of successful scientific experimentation today requires collaboration, and ORAU provides LSU the opportunity to establish strong partnerships that will significantly enhance our competitiveness. I look forward to working with ORAU toward implementing its mission of advancing scientific research and education through these collaborative partnerships."
Keel earned a doctorate in reproductive endocrinology from the Medical College of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in biology/chemistry from Augusta (Ga.) College. He has held positions at the University of Texas Medical School, the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita (UKSM-W), where he rose through the ranks to become a tenured professor and then associate dean for research. At UKSM-W, Keel established the Women’s Research Institute and the Reproductive Medicine Laboratories and was awarded the Daniel K. Roberts Distinguished Professorship. Prior to coming to LSU, Keel was the Associate Vice President for Research and Vice President of the FSU Research Foundation at Florida State University.
Keel’s research focus is in the area of reproductive medicine; specifically, on the control of cellular growth and development of reproductive tissues, and improving the reliability of male infertility testing. He has authored more than 75 scientific publications and book chapters and has edited four books on reproductive medicine and biology.
Keel serves on the board of directors of the American Board of Bioanalysis and the board of registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts. He is board certified as a high-complexity clinical laboratory director and played a key role in establishing national certification requirements for high-complexity clinical laboratory directors in the specialties of embryology and andrology.
He is also a member of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Society for the Study of Reproduction and the Endocrine Society.
Other directors elected to the ORAU Board were:
- Sandra J. Degen, vice president for research, University of Cincinnati
- Gerald D. Holder, U.S. Steel dean and professor, School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
- Suzanne Laurich-McIntyre, assistant vice provost for graduate education, Carnegie Mellon University
- Felix A. Okojie, vice president for research development, support and federal relations, Jackson State University
- Winfred M. Phillips, vice president for research, University of Florida
- J. Paul Reason, admiral, United States Navy (retired)
- David D. Reed, vice president for research, Michigan Technological University
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 98 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.