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UND's EERC appoints director [Kuwait News Agency]
[October 25, 2014]

UND's EERC appoints director [Kuwait News Agency]


(Kuwait News Agency Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Tom Erickson had been named director of the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota.

Erickson served as acting and then interim director after former Director Gerald Groenewold was placed on administrative leave in May and subsequently fired.

Erickson has worked at the EERC since 1988 but most recently served as the associate director for business, operations and intellectual property before his recent promotions.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work with the incredible team here at the EERC and to work with UND as well as we move forward and grow the EERC again," Erickson said.

Erickson will report to Provost Tom DiLorenzo, which is a change from Groenewold who answered directly to the university president.

The EERC employs about 230 people and is an applied research, development and commercialization facility that creates efficient energy and environmental technologies. The center currently has a regional impact of $83.7 million, according to the EERC website. That impact is down $7.5 million from 2013.



A State Board of Higher Education Committee recently approved a plan to reduce the EERC's deficit, which was posted at $2.7 million in July.

While a January memo penned by Erickson blamed the EERC's financial woes on an uneven distribution of EERC revenue to UND, the new plan will focus on reducing facilities and administrative spending and increasing its research portfolio.


Erickson worked on developing the deficit reduction plan and said he was happy to see the SBHE committee approve it.

"I think we have a plan now that we can begin to move forward with," he said.

As director, Groenewold made $308,464 annually. UND spokesman Peter Johnson said Erickson will make $266,778 as director.

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