Dean, Wiess School of Natural Sciences - Rice University

Interdisciplinary Research at RiceEarly in its history, Rice recognized the importanceof multidisciplinary approaches toresearch progress, and the university has unusuallylow barriers to collaboration acrossdepartments and schools. As illustrated in thediagram below, the Wiess School has developeda number of vital, exciting, cross-disciplinaryresearch institutes and centers that engagefaculty from different disciplines to addresshigh-impact research areas. Indeed, the leading-edgecontributions that Rice has made inthe areas of nanoscience and technology, biosciencesand health, information, energy andenvironment reflect the strong engagement offaculty organized through the institutes/centers.Collaborations extend across the countryand internationally. These programs are an integralpart of our current landscape, reachingacross multiple departments and schools. A listof institutes/centers and links to Web pages thatprovide additional information can be found athttp://www.rice.edu/centers.Participation in institutes/centers generally isopen to all interested faculty. In contrast to departmentsthat appoint faculty, guide studentsand provide long-term stability for disciplinarytraining and curricular development, institutesand centers generate opportunities for broad interactionand can respond swiftly to the changingintellectual environment nationally and internationally.New ideas can be pursued with rapidityand flexibility to develop cutting-edge researchprograms and gather the requisite teams fromwithin the university and beyond. The close andsymbiotic relationship between the Schools ofNatural Sciences and Engineering is crucial tothe effectiveness of the institutes and centersand to Rice’s commitment to assemble strongteams for modern research success.Key to abbreviations:SINST = Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and TechnologyRQI = Rice Quantum InstituteIBB = Institute for Biosciences and BioengineeringCITI = Computer and Information Technology InstituteEESI = Environmental and Energy Systems InstituteRSI = Rice Space InstituteGCC = Gulf Coast ConsortiaBIPP = Baker Institute for Public Policy3

Entrepreneurship | Partnerships | ConclusionEntrepreneurship at RiceEntrepreneurial spirit at Rice has grown substantiallyover the past decade, witnessed byan increasing number of university–start-upcompany interactions. A key component ofthis process has been the Rice Alliance forTechnology & Entrepreneurship — a collaborativeendeavor of the Wiess Schoolof Natural Sciences, the Brown School ofEngineering and the Jones Graduate Schoolof Management. The Rice Alliance supportsthe creation of technology-based companies(more than 170 since 1999) and facilitatescommercialization of new technologies inHouston and in the Southwest, in part by providingthe collaborative network of humanand financial resources necessary for success.Regular events provide interaction opportunitiesfor Rice students, faculty and friends.Houston PartnershipsThe Wiess School leverages Houston’s roleas a center for the energy industry, medicalresearch and space exploration as well asthe city’s rapidly growing high-technologysector. Several departments have ongoingcollaborative programs, and many researchprojects are undertaken with local organizations,including NASA and the LunarPlanetary Institute, as well as industry. Ricehas a vital relationship with the institutionsof the Texas Medical Center (TMC) and thelarger Gulf Coast, represented by the GulfCoast Consortia/Keck Center. Reflecting thisimportant connection, Rice — with its TMCpartners as tenants — is currently constructinga major research facility on Rice property ina location central to all participating institutions.The development of this CollaborativeResearch Center is critical to our partnershipwith the TMC and to the interactive researchprograms in which we are engaged. The facilityis the first step in expanding our campustoward the west and south to create new opportunitiesfor interaction.ConclusionThe new Dean of the Wiess School of NaturalSciences will propel the next steps in the strategicdevelopment of the school, expand programsof academic excellence that attract high qualitypostdoctoral and graduate students, generatecompetitive approaches to the hiring and retentionof outstanding faculty, develop creativeeducational curricula and succeed in attractingresources to build these programs. Futureadvancement of the Wiess School of NaturalSciences will build on the strength and vitalityof the faculty, staff and students who comprisethe exciting and effective programs that are currentlyin place.Aspirations are high, and current strengths inthe faculty create a strong base for advancement.The key challenges that must be addressedinclude the integration of more traditional fociinto the rapidly changing face of 21st centuryscience and development of the resources necessaryfor building excellence for the future.Capturing the imagination of its broad constituencyin identifying the path for the WiessSchool of Natural Sciences and guiding the processof achieving this vision will be among themost exciting challenges for the next dean.4

The Qualifications of the Next Dean for the Wiess School of Natural SciencesRice’s next Dean of the Wiess School of NaturalSciences must have professional qualificationsand personal qualities compatible with the aspirationsand character of the Wiess School andRice University.Professional Qualifications• The dean must be a proven leader — withglobal perspective, appreciation of the characterof 21st century science and the abilityto articulate a vision, motivate others and developthe resources necessary to achieve thegoals of the school.• The dean must be a distinguished scholarwith academic credentials to qualify for atenured appointment as professor, be able toinspire confidence and foster the capacity tounderstand the complexities of the evolvingrole of science and be creative and innovativein approaching these challenges.• The dean must be able to build on the academicexcellence and strengths of the WiessSchool and identify bold, new initiatives forthe next decade.• The dean must have a collegial and consultativestyle, a belief in the importanceand power of teamwork and collaborationand a commitment to valuing diversity anddifferences.• The dean must enjoy and be adept atcommunicating and engaging the entirecommunity — faculty, staff, students, alumni,donors, friends, neighbors and partnersin education, industry, business and government— in enthusiastic support of Rice’svision for the future of the Wiess School ofNatural Sciences.• The dean must appreciate the strengths andopportunities provided by our undergraduateand graduate programs and be able toperceive and seize opportunities to raisefunds, recruit high-quality faculty and enhancegraduate student quality, support andexperience.Personal QualitiesThe dean must embody personal qualities ofintegrity and honesty and make those values apparentin daily interactions; must be energeticand dynamic, with the courage to undertakestrategic decisions and see them through tocompletion. The dean must possess outstandingskills of leadership, advocacy and interpersonalrelations. In addition, the dean must be flexibleand resilient, have a collaborative and collegialstyle and possess a good sense of humor.5

Deadline | Contact InformationDeadline DateRice University is soliciting nominations andexpressions of interest for Dean of the WiessSchool of Natural Sciences with an approximatestarting date of July 1, 2008. The searchcommittee will observe the strictest confidencein all of its processes.ContactContact Judith Auerbach or James L. Kinsey.Judith AuerbachAuerbach Associates385 Concord Avenue, Suite 103Boston, MA 02478-3037E-mail: sara@auerbach-assc.comJames L. Kinsey, ChairDean of Natural Sciences Search CommitteeProvost’s Office–MS 2P.O. Box 1892Houston, TX 77251-1892E-mail: morimoto@rice.eduElectronic communications preferred.Rice University is an equal opportunity employer.6