Dr. Anthony Tongen serves as the Vice President for the division of Research, Economic Development and Innovation (REDI) at James Madison University. From 2020 through early 2024, he grew the role from a vice provost position within Academic Affairs to a stand-alone university division reporting to the President. As JMU’s Chief Research Officer, Tongen provides overall leadership for a unit comprising a wide array of charges: Sponsored Programs; Research Integrity and the Institutional Review Board; Research Development; Economic and Community Development (to include intellectual property and commercialization); Student Awards, Initiatives and Research; Federal Relations and Communications; and centers and institutes focused on energy and sustainability and international stabilization.

During Tongen’s tenure as JMU’s Chief Research Officer, JMU’s external sponsored program funding has increased by 92%, culminating in a reclassification by Carnegie to R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity, announced in February 2022. Prioritizing innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and inclusive excellence, Tongen employs a collaborative approach to secure resources, establish partnerships (both internal and external), assist faculty access funding opportunities and proposal development services and improve JMU’s compliance infrastructure.

At JMU, Tongen serves on the President’s senior leadership team, working closely with university and academic leadership to ensure faculty and students have the support needed to thrive in a discovery-driven environment. Externally, Tongen is JMU’s primary point of contact to the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU), where he serves on the Council on Research. Tongen also serves as JMU’s representative to the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), on the Region 8 Board for Growth & Opportunity (GO) Virginia and on the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Technical Advisory Board. He frequently represents JMU research interests in Richmond, Washington, D.C. and at international meetings. As VP for a division that supports the enterprises of research, economic development and innovation, he connects diverse networks and facilitates the flow of information and ideas.

Tongen is an accomplished scholar having successfully competed for $2.9 million in external funding from a wide variety of sources, including the National Science Foundation, Jeffress Memorial Trust, Mathematical Association of America, Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and Triton Systems, Inc. Tongen’s research interests include mathematical biology, numerical analysis and dynamical systems, and game theory. His work has been published in the American Journal of Physics, Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, Integrative and Comparative Biology, Physiological Entomology and American Mathematical Monthly (non-exhaustive). Tongen remains an active scholar and recently published Applying Power Series to Differential Equations (Springer Nature) in March 2023, with co-author James Sochacki (JMU Professor Emeritus).

Tongen joined the JMU faculty in 2005, after earning his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University, all in Applied Mathematics. Tongen now holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He was a García Robles Fulbright Scholar in 2012-13, serving on the faculty at the Universidad de Colima in Mexico.

Tongen’s previous leadership positions include Associate Dean in the College of Science and Mathematics, Assistant Department Head of Mathematics and Statistics, and Co-Director of the Center for STEM Education and Outreach.