Royce Engstrom became The University of Montana’s 17th President in October 2010 after serving as the University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs for three years. Prior to joining The University of Montana, he was at the University of South Dakota, where he served as professor and chair of chemistry, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School, and provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Dr. Engstrom has been an enthusiastic participant in undergraduate research throughout his career, first as a student, then as a mentor, and finally as an administrator working to develop undergraduate research programs. He has served as president of the Council on Undergraduate Research and has been active in the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a federal program designed to help states build their research infrastructure and competitiveness. He served as chair of the National EPSCoR Coalition and the National EPSCoR Foundation. Dr. Engstrom received his BS degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.