Robert B. Grossman, professor of chemistry at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been re-elected to serve as faculty trustee on the university’s Board of Trustees. His new three-year term will end June 30, 2020.

Grossman edged out his closest competitors in the final round of voting, which concluded with strong voter turnout at noon Wednesday, as 37.6 percent of the eligible voters cast a ballot. Of the 837 votes cast, Grossman won 437, including 310 first-place votes. His closest competitor, Patrick McGrath, received 333 total votes. Margaret Mohr-Schroeder had 244 first place votes.

“First, I want to express my appreciation for the willingness of all the candidates to serve the university,” Grossman said.

Grossman said he intended to continue “to help keep the board focused on the academic issues facing the university.

“I will continue to represent the interests of faculty and to guide the development of policies affecting the UK faculty,” he said.

Grossman was first sworn in as the faculty representative to the UK Board of Trustees in September 2014. Grossman came to UK in 1994 after earning his doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests include organic synthesis, biochemistry of natural products and pedagogical software development, and he is the author of an organic chemistry textbook. Grossman has been active in the University Senate and in various college, departmental and university-level committees.

Wednesday’s vote was a tie-breaker, following the initial voting cycle earlier this month.

Under the University Senate Rules, if no candidate received 50 percent of the votes for faculty trustee, the candidates with the three highest vote totals (Grossman, McGrath and Mohr-Schroeder) advanced to the final voting round.

The initial voting results were 187 votes, Robert B. Grossman (Arts and Sciences); 140 votes, Patrick C. McGrath (Medicine); 124 votes, Margaret Mohr-Schroeder (Education); 76 votes, Sidney W. Whiteheart (Medicine); and 56 votes, Christopher W. Frost (Law).  

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