UC Irvine Provost Enrique Lavernia, a noted scholar in chemical engineering and materials science, has been placed on administrative leave pending an external investigation into his academic and research activities, the campus chancellor announced Wednesday.
A campus spokesman said a federal agency was conducting the investigation but declined further comment.cites a long list of achievements and awards. He has published more than 600 journal and 200 conference publications and been awarded 11 patents on topics ranging from nano-materials to aluminum alloys. His research interests include the synthesis and behavior of nanostructured and multi-scale materials.
Lavernia began his career with the University of California in 1987 as an assistant professor at UC Irvine. He moved to UC Davis in 2002 to serve in several positions, including provost and dean of the College of Engineering.