sentences:  He later served as vice president for finance from 1968 to 1973 and executive vice president from 1973 to 1975.During his tenure as president, Lavery emphasized research, and expenditures in support of research totaled more than $70.2 million by fiscal year 1987, moving the university into the top 50 research institutions in the nation.He enhanced research opportunities by initiating the Corporate Research Center (CRC) and Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties (VTIP).