ANN ARBOR—S. Jack Hu has been appointed vice president for research at the University of Michigan. His three-year appointment was approved Thursday by the Board of Regents.

Hu is the J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing, a professor of mechanical engineering and a professor of industrial and operations engineering in the College of Engineering. He has served as interim vice president for research since Jan. 1, 2014.

“Professor Hu’s proven leadership skills, breadth and depth of experience, vision and demonstrated commitment to the University of Michigan make him ideally suited for the responsibilities of vice president for research,” said President Mark Schlissel. “It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend his appointment to this key executive position.”

As vice president, Hu will have overall responsibility for nurturing the excellence and integrity of research across all three campuses: Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint. Annual research expenditures at the University of Michigan total $1.3 billion.

He will oversee the U-M Office of Research, which encourages and fosters interdisciplinary research, oversees research policy, provides central administrative services in support of faculty research and economic outreach, and manages activities related to compliance and the responsible conduct of research.

“U-M has a long history of excellence in a wide range of fields and a strong culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that together have laid the groundwork for its many achievements in research and education,” Hu said. “I am deeply honored for the opportunity to help continue carrying on those traditions and to strengthen our position as one of the world’s leading research universities.”

During Hu’s tenure as interim vice president, the Office of Research launched several new interdisciplinary initiatives including the opening of the M-City test facility for connected and automated vehicles at its Mobility Transformation Center, and a major new campuswide initiative in data science.

In making his recommendation, Schlissel said Hu has provided steady and able leadership in promoting safety in research and in navigating an increasingly complex regulatory framework for research.

From 2009 to 2013, Hu served associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering. Previously he was associate dean for research and graduate education.

From 2002 to 2006, Hu was the director of the Program in Manufacturing and the executive director of Michigan Interdisciplinary and Professional Engineering. He also worked with the President’s Office on President Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a working group advising the federal government on how to bolster American manufacturing.

A member of the U-M community since 1985, Hu’s teaching and research interests include manufacturing systems design and operations, and statistical quality methods. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering.

Hu has received a number of awards for his work, including the SME Outstanding Youth Manufacturing Engineer Award, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, ASME William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award, SME S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award, College of Engineering Research Excellence Award and several best paper awards.

Hu received a Bachelor of Science degree from Tianjin University in China and a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. from U-M.