WESTWOOD  (Daily Bruin) — Ann Karagozian, an engineering professor, will serve as UCLA’s interim vice chancellor for research, effective immediately, the UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost announced January 11.

Karagozian, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, will assume the position immediately, said Scott Waugh, the executive vice chancellor and provost, in a letter to the university.

Karagozian has been a faculty member of UCLA since 1982. She serves as head of UCLA’s Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory, which focuses on energy research and education. Karagozian also acts as director of the Collaborative Center for Aerospace Sciences, a collaboration between the Air Force Research Laboratory and UCLA that focuses on aerospace systems research.

Karagozian previously served as the chair of the Academic Senate and the Faculty Executive Committee.

Waugh said he plans to form a search committee to identify candidates for a permanent vice chancellor.