The University of Arkansas has named an interim director to lead its Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), following founding director Ranu Jung stepping down last month.
The interim director is Hugh Churchill, a professor of physics who is internationally recognized for his work in quantum physics. Churchill also serves as director of the Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering and is an associate director and co-founder of the MonArk Quantum Foundry. The university will begin a national search for a long-term director.
I³R has a dual mandate to advance research excellence and economic development, with the goal of deploying innovations at scale through partnerships with industry, community and philanthropic organizations while educating and empowering a qualified future workforce. A new building for I³R opened on the UA campus last year.
Churchill’s “leadership in research makes him the ideal person to lead I³R in this interim moment,” Provost Indrajeet Chaubey said in a news release from the university Thursday. “He has led research centers on our campus and has a strong record of collaboration within the U of A and with universities across the state and nation.”
Chaubey also thanked Jung for her service as the inaugural director of I³R. “Her contributions have been incredibly valuable in the establishment and building of the institute,” he said. Jung will continue as a distinguished professor of biomedical engineering.
Before joining UA, Churchill held a fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, according to UA. His research focuses on condensed matter physics and devices enabled by the effects of quantum mechanics.
“I’m grateful to Provost Chaubey for placing his trust in me to lead the institute forward,” Churchill said in the news release. “I’m committed to I³R, its faculty and staff, and the campus community as we collaborate more broadly, elevate the institute on a national scale, and showcase the impactful work we are doing to solve real-world challenges for the betterment of society.”
Jung took leadership of I³R four years ago. In a recent social media post, she said the institute was driven by “a powerful idea: that convergence research — deep collaboration across disciplines and sectors — can unlock solutions to society’s most complex grand challenges, (considered) ‘wicked problems’ … We created a state-of-the-art research environment with distinctive capabilities-advanced imaging, medical robotics, neurotechnology, whole-body calorimetry, extended reality, and infrastructure to enable meaningful collaboration with industry, conduct of medical device clinical trials, advanced manufacturing and prototyping, and forthcoming biotechnology” processes.
I³R is a key piece of the university’s enhanced research efforts. UA set a record of $252.9 million in research spending in 2025, and the goal is to reach $500 million annually, with particular emphasis on areas like semiconductors, advanced materials, and metabolic health.
“The university has devoted more than $136 million of its own resources into applied research facilities since 2021,” Margaret Sova McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation, said in a news release. “This remarkable investment, combined with a concerted effort to modernize and professionalize our research support services, is paying dividends, (and) Arkansans will reap the benefits.”
UA is the only Research 1 institution in Arkansas, as defined by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. R1 status is defined by a clear threshold of $50 million in total research spending and 70 research doctorates awarded annually.
The university is in the midst of a research plan to put “faculty first,” according to Bob Davis, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation.
“We need to provide the help so you (faculty-researchers) can get ahead of the curve, not try to figure it out from behind,” he said. Churchill’s research, which has attracted more than $14 million in external funding for his lab, includes the development of energy-efficient AI chips and electromagnetic sensors, according to UA.
Ryan Anderson covers higher education across the state. He joined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in August 2022 after covering education — and other topics — for a decade at four newspapers in three states. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ryan attended DePaul University in Chicago and now resides in Fayetteville.
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