COS Strategic Plan title update 061820r

MAVERICK SCIENCE

Innovate, D iscover,

Learn

Strategic Plan 2017-25:

REIMAGINING EXCELLENCE

Message from the Dean

Dear colleagues and friends,

When I began my tenure as Dean of the

College of Science at UTA in 2015, we

initiated a dialogue among the faculty

about the future direction of the College.

We contemplated the central role that

the College should play in supporting

and achieving UTA’s exciting vision to

become a model 21st century urban research-intensive

university.

We acknowledged that our core mission

of educating the next generation of scientists,

professional workforce, science educators,

and leaders remains unchanged.

Yet, we asked ourselves what higher education

in science should look like in the

21st century. How could we best prepare

our students for a highly competitive,

well connected, and globalized world

with many grand challenges and opportunities?

A world where auspicious developments

in science and technology

occur at a fast pace; where access to a

broad range of knowledge and information

is readily available in a variety of

formats, where new innovations and discoveries

make certain sectors of the

economy obsolete; while creating new

opportunities for growth — all within the

span of a few years.

We pondered that integrating research

and teaching at all levels of undergraduate

and graduate curricula should be a

characteristic feature of the education at

a research-intensive university. In such

environment, students learn and discover

existing and new knowledge

through rational and critical inquiry,

hands-on experience, evidence-based

scholarship, and through teamwork and

collaboration. Our students will succeed

and thrive in a complex and rapidly

changing world by learning to be effective

self-learners, independent critical

thinkers, and problem solvers.

We thus developed a plan for building a

strong foundation for academic programs

based on unique and progressive

curricula, innovative teaching and mentorship,

and a nurturing environment

that would instill curiosity, inspire, and

empower students to learn and discover

knowledge.

We recognized that establishing a strong

and vibrant College of Science as part of

a model 21st century urban research-intensive

university and achieving preeminence

in our academic programs would

require significant investment in the

growth, development, and retention of

talented and creative faculty; a culture

that values foundational science but is

free of disciplinary barriers; an environment

that fosters and promotes collaboration;

and a governance system that

harnesses the creative power of faculty

and staff.

We determined the need to leverage our

key assets — outstanding faculty, talented

students, a culture of innovation,

state of the art facilities, and our location

in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth

Metroplex — to build strategic partnerships

with private and public institutions.

The Strategic Plan before you is the culmination

of efforts of several committees

as well as discussions at faculty meetings,

department and college leadership

retreats, and our Advisory Council. This

document is a roadmap for fostering creativity

and innovation, building partnerships

and cross-disciplinary programs,

and creating an environment that would

enhance the support for our world-class

faculty and students in their relentless

pursuit of excellence in scholarship.

I am confident that with your help and

broad participation we will bring these

ideas into reality, and together we will elevate

the stature of this college to new

heights.

Morteza G. Khaledi,

Dean of Science

STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-25: REIMAGINING EXCELLENCE

Our Vision and Values

The College of Science at UTA is a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive

community of scholars,

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here scientific discovery, integration, and sharing of knowledge

is a passion;

here freedom for individual intellectual thought is nurtured

and a culture of collaboration is cultivated;

here foundational knowledge is created and imaginative solutions

to grand challenges that impact the world are found;

here innovative teaching and inquiry-based, active learning are

the norm;

here curious minds are inspired to seek and explore knowledge

for a lifetime;

here convention is challenged and transformative change is

embraced;

here excellence in scholarship is a core value.

Artist’s rendition of the Science and

Engineering Innovation and Research

Building, which opened in 2018.


Our MISSION

As part of a Research I urban public university, the mission of the

College of Science at UTA encompasses:

n Discovery and advancement of new scientific knowledge for enhancing

our fundamental understanding of the physical and natural world

and exploring creative, impactful solutions to complex problems facing

humanity.

n Providing a transformative and enduring educational experience for

our students.

n Serving as a STEM knowledge hub for Texas and for society at large to

foster outreach programs for STEM education in K-12 schools; supporting

life-long education and professional development for the STEM

workforce; and providing expertise for industry and institutions.


I. Enhancing student access to an

exceptional and transformative

educational experience, and ensuring

student academic and professional

success through fostering

excellence in teaching and mentoring.

Our STRATEGIC GOALS

IV. Growing the size and quality of

Ph.D. programs in science disciplines

and creating new interdisciplinary

Ph.D. degree programs in

partnership with other colleges at

UTA and other research institutions

in the region.

II. Cultivating an inclusive and

supportive environment conducive

to academic excellence through recruitment,

development, and advancement

of outstanding and

diverse faculty.

III. Fostering basic and translational

research that would lead to

breakthrough discoveries of foundational

knowledge, imaginative

solutions to the world’s complex

problems, and to innovations and

economic development.

V. Establishing the Interdisciplinary

Professional Sciences Institute (IPSI)

with a mission of fostering and facilitating

interdisciplinary research,

creating new science-based post-baccalaureate

degree and certificate programs

for advanced education, and

professional development and training

of the STEM-related workforce.

VI. Engaging and building partnerships

on a local, national, and global

scale through development, outreach,

and service.


STRATEGIC GOALS

I

STUDENT ACCESS AND SUCCESS

Enhancing student access to an exceptional and transformative educational

experience and ensuring student academic and professional success

by fostering excellence in teaching and mentoring.

A. Access, Recruitment and Enrollment Management

We are committed to increasing student

access to an exceptional educational experience

in the College of Science at

UTA. We will develop and expand initiatives

that will help recruit, educate,

and graduate students with strong academic

backgrounds, global perspectives,

and leadership experiences.

We will continue our efforts to increase

the number of scholarships and fellowships

through an aggressive scholarship

campaign to enhance access to worldclass

education, coupled with an awareness

campaign to better inform

prospective STEM students about the

value of a Maverick Science education.

STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN PLAN 2017-2025: 2017-25: REIMAGINING REDEFINING EXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE

A. Access, Recruitment and Enrollment Management

We will attract the most talented and

diverse group of students by significantly

increasing several key recruitment

activities by the COS and its

departments such as direct contacts

with prospective students, especially

those at the junior and senior levels in

D-FW area high schools; enhancing the

Science Ambassadors program; direct

involvement of faculty members in recruiting

activities; holding on-campus

events for prospective students to visit

the departments and facilities in the

COS; capitalizing on the partnership

with our UTeach Arlington alumni to

help in recruiting STEM students to

UTA; and cultivating student interest in

STEM and the COS at UTA through activities

and initiatives such as Freshman

Interest Groups (FIGs), Arlington ISD

STEM Academy, the ExxonMobil

Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp

and other STEM camps; and reaching

out to community colleges to recruit talented

transfer students into COS majors.

Another aspect of increasing access is

through enhancing and expanding webbased,

distance education in the COS.

Offering more online courses and degree

programs would allow for the continuous

evaluation and careful

development of digital content for e-

Learning that would also be beneficial

in enhancing student success for oncampus

education.


A. Summary of Strategies

1. Significant increase in scholarships through the Office of Development

2. Increase recruiting efforts through:

n Support of the Science Ambassadors

program;

n Direct involvement of departments,

and faculty interaction with prospective

students during on-campus recruiting

visits;

n Enhancing and expanding marketing

initiatives;

n Increasing awareness of career opportunities

for science graduates;

n Continuing to support and enhance

the STEM Academy, a collaborative effort

between UTA and Arlington ISD;

n Maintaining relationships with

UTeach Arlington graduates to recruit

excellent high school students and partner

with them to improve high school

STEM preparation in order to increase

student success when their students arrive

at UTA;

n Expanding distance education programs

through e-Learning.


B. Student Success Initiatives

To empower our students to succeed

and thrive in a complex and rapidly

changing world, we will prepare them to

be more flexible and adaptable in acquiring

knowledge by teaching them to

be self-learners, independent thinkers,

and problem solvers through rational

and critical inquiry.

We believe that standards for success of

our students should be determined on a

qualitative scale that transcends statistical

measures such as success rates in

course work or degree completion.

As we aspire to create a model urban research

university, it is imperative that

we build a strong foundation for academic

programs based on unique and

progressive curricula, innovative teaching

and mentorship, and a nurturing

environment that would instill curiosity,

inspire, and empower students to

learn and discover knowledge.


We will ensure success for all of our students through providing exceptional

educational opportunities that would:

• Foster and develop critical and

creative thinking;

• Enhance problem-solving skills;

• Engage students in active learning

and hands-on, minds-on experiences;

• Integrate research and teaching

starting at the freshman level and

extending throughout the curricula;

• Enable in-depth understanding

of the discipline;

• Empower students with capabilities

to assemble, manage, analyze,

and present data;

• Provide a broad perspective of

the multidimensional nature of

complex real-world problems;

and

• Cultivate skills for effective communication,

project management,

collaboration, and leadership.


B. Summary of Strategies

I. Enhance Student Advising and Mentoring

n Reduce student/advisor ratios by hiring

additional professional advisors;

n Provide professional development

opportunities for advisors as well as

curriculum and career-relevant training;

n Continue collaboration with advisors

in the UTA University College to guide

advising for science-intended freshman

students;

n Promote nurturing environments for

undergraduate students in their home

departments;

n Develop well-aligned curricula and

course offerings, including summer

school, to enable completion of 30

credits per year and allow for steady

progress toward degree completion and

graduation;

n Create transition support programs

for transfer students to facilitate their

acclimation to the UTA environment;

n Incorporate timely intervention

mechanisms for identifying and assisting

students in need of additional academic

support.



II. Promote Excellence in Teaching

n Implement evidence-based, innovative

pedagogy that fosters active and

cooperative learning, critical and creative

thinking, and problem solving in

all science courses;

n Develop more effective and reliable

mechanisms for assessment and providing

feedback to faculty on the effectiveness

of their teaching, mentoring,

and advising;

n Support faculty recognition and reward

for excellence in teaching, implementation

of innovations in

pedagogy, and contributions to student

success;

n Minimize the number of class sections

taught by temporary adjunct instructors

and graduate students as instructors

of record by hiring full-time,

non-tenure track faculty to cover

those sections, except when the

courses are better served by non-academic

professionals;

n Promote greater involvement of

COS faculty in the Center for Instructional

Excellence and Innovation;

n Offer workshops, seminars, gatherings

on innovative ideas and approaches

in teaching and student

learning; create a Colloquium Series

on Teaching and Learning Excellence;

n Create physical and virtual STEM

teaching/learning communities for instructors

to foster interactions and

promote a teamwork approach for

teaching introductory classes;

n Enhance graduate student training

and teaching effectiveness through

the Center for the Integration of Research,

Teaching and Learning

(CIRTL) and similar initiatives to provide

professional development;

n Improve student success in the

most challenging introductory courses

by assigning strong instructors and

controlling class sizes;

n Prepare the next generation of secondary

science and mathematics

teachers to use evidence-based, innovative

pedagogy in their classrooms.


III. Enhance Student Learning

n Promote and support increased use

of technology in and out of classrooms

such as video capture technology of

lectures and problem solving sessions,

use of clickers, etc.;

n Enhance out-of-classroom support

for cooperative learning opportunities

through offering regular problem-solving

help sessions taught by graduate

students; increasing “active” office

hours with groups of students;


n Enhance support for and quality of

tutoring clinics in the college; create

organized study groups led by graduate

students;

n Create physical and virtual STEM

learning communities for students that

foster interactions and promote a

teamwork approach for problem solving;

n Develop strategies to help students

needing remediation.

“Tell me and I

forget, teach

me and I may

remember,

involve me and

I learn.”

— Benjamin Franklin



IV. e-Learning

Develop strategies to expand

opportunities for e-Learning

such as:

n Increasing the number and

quality of online courses;

n Development of digital instructional

materials for

learning and teaching;

n Hybrid courses;

n Online degrees in targeted

areas;

n Development of online

courses for continuing education

and professional development

of the STEM

workforce.



V. Transformative and Progressive Curricula

n Provide flexible, in-depth, and coherent

curricula focused on foundational

knowledge of the disciplines

within the context of modern-day

problems in the world;

n Enhance inquiry-based, “handson,

minds-on” experience through

innovative laboratory courses, independent

capstone studies, and others

starting in students’ freshman year;

n Design introductory level courses

on grand challenges of society as

electives for STEM and non-STEM

students as well as interdisciplinary

perspectives for addressing complex

scientific challenges of importance to

society;

n Develop innovative interdisciplinary

courses/programs/curricula,

dual degrees, and 5-year B.S./M.S.

degrees that build from integrative

introductory courses to provide the

skills and knowledge needed for rewarding

careers.



VI. Experiential Learning

n Promote and support mentored

research for undergraduate students;

n Facilitate internships with local

industry as part of degree plans;

n Incorporate special programs for

career preparation, including the

development of “soft skills” for all

students;

n Create STEM-related study

abroad program in partnership

with international universities and

research centers;

n Provide opportunities for students

to participate in science outreach

programs.


“Students should be exploring,

hypothesizing,

gathering evidence,

and drawing conclusions,

while teachers

should be acting as

coaches rather than

the sole authoritative

source of knowledge.”

— Bruce Alberts,

former president of the

National Academy of Sciences

STRATEGIC GOALS

II


FACULTY EXCELLENCE

Cultivating an inclusive and supportive environment conducive

to excellence through recruitment, development, and advancement

of outstanding and diverse faculty.

The aspiration of building a strong and

vibrant College of Science as part of a

model 21st century urban research university

and achieving pre-eminence in

our academic programs will require significant

investment in the growth, development,

and retention of talented

and creative faculty. The faculty in the

College of Science are making significant

and valuable contributions to the

teaching, research, and service mission

of the University and have the capacity

to play a significantly greater role in establishing

UTA as a model urban research

university through

implementation of a faculty-focused

growth plan as outlined on the following

pages.

Department of Biology


Summary of Strategies

1. Increasing the number of tenured/tenure-track faculty

Develop and implement plans for hiring new tenured and tenuretrack

faculty in COS departments to:

n Strengthen the core disciplines;

n Enhance synergy among existing

programs;

n Create opportunities for

cross-disciplinary collaborations,

especially in focused areas

in the UTA Strategic Plan 2020.

The plan should designate a target faculty size for each department,

taking into consideration:

n Potential growth in research

capacity, including support for

departmental graduate programs;

n Growth in the amount of external

funding;

n Research initiatives in areas

of national need;

n Curricular needs of the core

disciplines, and interdisciplinary

and other innovative programs.

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry



2. Faculty diversity

Develop and implement an aggressive recruitment plan to increase the number of

underrepresented minorities and women among the faculty that would:

n Institute mandates for all faculty

search committees to identify qualified

women and/or minority candidates for

on-campus interview visits;

n Establish processes for identifying

and recruiting candidates in each department;

n Foster relationships with minority

and women’s professional organizations

in STEM fields and with science and

mathematics departments at universities

for underrepresented minorities;

n Identify and recruit women and minority

candidates at the associate and

full professor levels through special programs

such as hosting minority and

women visiting scholars for teaching

and research collaborations, inviting

recognized women and minority scholars

for colloquia presentations, and creating

a Women in Science speaker

series.

Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences



3. Support and mentorship for junior faculty

Provide strong support and mentorship to junior faculty at the beginning

of their careers to facilitate their development and success, such

as:

n Offering adequate and competitive

start-up packages;

n Providing release from organized

classroom teaching for one

semester during the first year;

n Supporting graduate student recruitment

into junior faculty

groups;

n Instituting a formal peer-mentorship

program to provide support

for teaching, feedback on

grant proposal applications and

scholarly work, sharing best practices

for mentoring graduate students

and managing a research

group, etc.;

n Supporting new-faculty workshops

on teaching and research.

Department of Mathematics



4. Faculty development and advancement

To ensure that faculty have a productive and satisfying career in the College of

Science, remain in the COS from appointment to retirement, and contribute to

the creation of a world-class research university that cultivates academic excellence,

we will:

n Develop clear and transparent policies

for assigning teaching and service

workloads; incorporate flexibility in

teaching assignments to the extent permitted

to maximize time for scholarly

activities; consider teaching release for

developing instructional materials and

research initiatives;

n Establish clear and transparent policies

for returning portions of the indirect

cost recovery on grants to principal

investigators (PIs);

n Create internal funding programs for

support of creative scholarly work;

Department of Physics


n Expand infrastructure and staff support

for course preparation and teaching

such as use of technology in the

classroom, adoption of new software

such as Blackboard or electronic

homework packages, development of

animation/graphics for lectures or

supplementary learning materials, utilize

undergraduate/graduate assistants

for grading and support of

recitation sessions, etc.;

n Actively pursue nominations for external

recognition of excellence of our

faculty for awards such as those

awards counted for the National Research

Universities Fund, and effectively

utilize COS and University

communication resources to publicize

all faculty awards and achievements;

n Provide support for travel to high

impact workshops and conferences;

n Enhance seminar programs and

bring more high-quality external

speakers to campus through the Frontiers

in Science program;

n Conduct regular surveys of faculty

satisfaction with their opportunities

for development.

Department of Psychology



5. Career paths for full-time non-tenure track faculty

Non-tenure track faculty (NTT) play an

important role in fulfilling the teaching

mission of the University. Recruiting

and maintaining a group of talented,

dedicated and effective teachers requires

mechanisms that promote advancement

and leads to recognition and

promotion for outstanding accomplishments.

We have developed a career path

for COS non-tenure track faculty that

will support excellence in teaching,

mentoring, and related activities. The

plan proposes the following career ladder

for the promotion and advancement

of non-tenure track faculty:

n Non-tenure track faculty with a master’s

degree: Lecturer to Senior Lecturer

to Distinguished Senior Lecturer.

n Non-tenure track faculty with a doctoral

degree: Assistant Professor to Associate

Professor to Professor of

Instruction (or Practice where relevant).

Criteria and requirements for each

rank have been established.

UTeach Arlington



5. Career paths for full-time non-tenure track faculty

Professional development activities that will advance non-tenure track faculty include:

n Monthly college-wide seminar on

teaching and learning in science;

n Bi-annual meetings of all college nontenure

track faculty for planning of

seminar and discussion of general issues;

n Mentoring program with experienced

non-tenure track and other faculty serving

as mentors for junior non-tenure

track faculty;

n Support to attend professional conferences

focused on education, including

financial support to cover travel expenses;

n Course-release time to develop new

teaching materials;

n Invitation to participate in departmental

faculty meetings and committees

in matters pertaining to

undergraduate education;

n Invitation to provide input on departmental

chair searches, as appropriate,

as well as on non-tenure track teaching

faculty searches.


STRATEGIC GOALS

III

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Fostering basic and translational research that would lead to

breakthrough discoveries of foundational knowledge, imaginative

solutions to the world’s complex problems, and to innovations

and economic development.

The UTA College of Science plays a

critical role in achieving several key

missions of a research-intensive (R-1)

university. These key missions include

the discovery and dissemination of

new knowledge, the integration of research

and teaching in undergraduate

and graduate curricula, and being

supportive of innovation and entrepreneurship.


We will create an environment that would enhance the support of

our world-class faculty and students in their relentless pursuit of

excellence in scholarship.

We will inspire our students to actively participate in research and

empower them with opportunities to achieve first-hand experience

in the challenging and exciting journey of discovery to resolve complex

problems; to enhance their analytical and critical thinking

abilities, and to work and learn in a collaborative environment.

We will promote a culture that would nurture creativity, innovation,

and entrepreneurship.


1. Research productivity

n Promote and support increased faculty

efforts in seeking and securing external

funding from federal agencies,

private and nonprofit foundations, and

industry;

n Determine targets for external research

funding for each department

taking into account the differences in

research culture between fields;

n Recruit faculty in targeted research

areas to enhance synergy with existing

programs and create new, cutting-edge

programs;

n Recruit faculty in targeted research


areas to enhance synergy with the existing

programs, create new cutting-edge

programs especially in the theme areas

specified in the UTA Strategic Plan

2020;

n Recruit prominent senior faculty (e.g.

National Academy members) and provide

the opportunity to nucleate new

programs and to attract highly promising

junior faculty;

n Promote industrial sponsored research

programs by conducting workshops

on how to seek and conduct

industrial sponsored research.


2. Faculty support


n Establish a strong support system for

junior faculty seeking major external

funding, especially applications to new

investigator programs such as the NSF

CAREER Award, DOE Early Career Research

Program, and similar programs

sponsored by private foundations;

n Institute programs for investment in

faculty development in research

through bridge and seed funding, faculty

development leaves, travel support,

and grant writing and proposal

preparation programs;

n Provide advice, training, and development

for faculty seeking research

support gifts;

n Encourage commercialization of intellectual

property by conducting workshops

on how to find licensees for

intellectual property, and on entrepreneurship,

start-up company formation,

and venture capital.



3. Collaborative and interdisciplinary research

n Foster and facilitate research collaborations

through the Interdisciplinary

and Professional Sciences Institute

(IPSI); establish seed funding programs;

organized colloquia; support

postdoctoral and graduate fellowhips;

n Identify and invest in targeted, cutting-edge,

interdisciplinary areas of national

interest, with particular

emphasis on the interdisciplinary

themes in the UTA Strategic Plan

2020, and in partnership with other

colleges at UTA through initiatives

such as faculty cluster-hiring, seed

funding, etc.;

n Facilitate development of large-scale,

multi-investigator proposals;

n Develop research partnerships with

public and private institutions on local

and global scales.

Artist’s renderings of the Science and

Engineering Innovation and Research

Building, which opened in 2018.



4. Graduate and undergraduate research

n Increase direct support of research

by graduate and undergraduate students

through initiatives such as research

assistantship and fellowship

programs;

n Create a travel support program for

graduate and undergraduate students

to attend and present their research at

major regional and national scientific

conferences.

5. Research infrastructure

n Strengthen infrastructure support for

research through enhanced investment

in state of the art research facilities and

shared-user research laboratories;

n Increase infrastructure and administrative

support to facilitate grant proposal

preparation, especially for

large-scale, multi-investigator grant

programs;

n Enhance support for post-award

grant management and facilitate regulatory

compliance to reduce administrative

and regulatory burdens for preand

post-award processes.


STRATEGIC GOALS

IV

EXCELLENCE IN GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Growing the size and quality of Ph.D. programs in science

disciplines, and creating new interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree

programs in partnership with other colleges at UTA and other

research institutions in the region.

Graduate (Ph.D.) education is a cornerstone of a research-intensive university.

Providing exceptional programs for the education of the next generation of scientists,

educators, and researchers is a high priority for the COS.

1. Increase the number of graduate students

supported on graduate research

assistantships (GRAs) and research fellowships.

2. Growth of Ph.D. programs: increase

the number, quality, and diversity of


graduate students through competitive

stipends and targeted recruitment

strategies; set targets for the ratio of

doctoral students to faculty for each department,

taking into account differences

in research culture between fields.



3. Develop interdisciplinary graduate

programs; for example a Computational

Sciences Ph.D. degree as proposed

by the Mathematics and

Computer Science departments.

4. Continually increase the implementation

of best practices for mentoring

graduate students.

5. Incorporate career development

plans as part of M.S. and Ph.D. degree

programs and postdoctoral

training.

6. Diversify the graduate student population

by expanding recruitment efforts

and seeking federal funding

from appropriate mechanisms such

as the Graduate Assistance for Areas

of National Need (GAANN) program

and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority

Participation Bridge to the

Doctorate (LSAMP-BD) program, and

development of scholarship funds

that target diversity.

7. Develop partnerships with industry

to create a Graduate Industrial Fellowship

program where graduate students

work and collaborate on

industry-related projects.


STRATEGIC GOALS

V

INTERDISCIPLINARY AND PROFESSIONAL

SCIENCES INSTITUTE

Establishing the Interdisciplinary and Professional Sciences Institute

with a mission of creating new science and mathematics-based

post-baccalaureate degree and certificate programs for advanced

education, and professional development and training of the

STEM-related workforce.

The Interdisciplinary and Professional

Sciences Institute (IPSI) will serve as a

catalyst for fostering a culture of collaborative,

creative scholarly activities and

curricular innovation. It will provide a

platform that will significantly enhance

communications among faculty and

students in natural, physical, and

mathematical sciences.

The Institute will also facilitate collaborative

initiatives and enhance interactions

with other colleges at UTA,

external research and academic entities,

industry, and government organizations.


The Institute will contribute to the University’s

mission of promoting lifelong

learning. It will provide targeted programs

that enhance the development of

a highly skilled workforce. It will serve

the needs of regional and national employers

for individuals with technical

training and professional acumen. The

IPSI will provide a suite of interdisciplinary

undergraduate and professional

science master’s degree programs, as

well as certificate programs for the

STEM workforce.

The IPSI instructional programs will

draw on experienced professionals and

the world-class UTA faculty as advisors

and instructors for students who desire

to advance their career prospects.

Those with a prior science or mathematics

degree will be able to leverage

this training with additional education

in technical skills that are in high demand

and will obtain professional and

workforce preparation that sets them

apart in the job market.

The industrial partners could sponsor

research and support academic programs

of interest to them. Industrial

partners will also benefit from the short

courses and seminars sponsored by the

Institute that would assist employees in

their education, training, and maintaining

knowledge of current developments

in multidisciplinary areas.


The primary mission of the Institute includes:

n Serving as an umbrella and a

platform for various multi-disciplinary

programs and functioning to

identify and implement mechanisms

in promoting and strengthening

cross-disciplinary research

and instructional programs;

n Offering new interdisciplinary

undergraduate degrees and advanced

professional science master’s

degrees and post-baccalaureate

certificates in STEM-related

disciplines for B.S./B.A. graduates

and professionals in the D-FW

area;

n Creating specialized tracks in undergraduate

programs focused on

development of professional skills,

enhancing experiential learning,

and interdisciplinary areas;

n Providing professional development

for Ph.D. students;

n Offering continuing education

through intensive short courses

and training workshops for D-FW

area professionals;

n Developing a portfolio of professional

education programs that

create a positive revenue stream

for the COS.


The IPSI will house programs to serve

important employer communities in the

D-FW Metroplex. We envision that

these programs will be self-supporting

and independent of state support. Each

component program will have its own

budget and enrollment targets to assure

that net revenue is positive, generating

opportunities for the COS and its departments

to invest in improved academic

programs that support the

strategic goals of the University.

Bundling the professional graduate programs

into the IPSI will establish a

strong identity in excess of what a single

program could achieve, permit coordinated

marketing to promote high visibility

and coordinated management to

minimize administrative costs. It is anticipated,

however, that each program

will maintain autonomy over its curriculum

and targeted recruiting to its

market sector.

Programs are expected to develop

strong ties to employer organizations,

maintain active advisory councils, and

respond nimbly to the needs of the job

market and prospective students.


We will pilot the IPSI with a B.S. degree

in Data Science for STEM and four professional

master’s degree programs: Petroleum

Geoscience and Technology,

Environmental Science, Industrial and

Organizational Psychology, and Analytical

Chemistry. The M.S. degree programs

will be accompanied by one or

more certificate programs designed to

provide additional qualifications of

value in the job market.

As high-need areas are identified

through interactions with regional industries

and stakeholders, additional

programs will be developed.


“The workforce skills that employers say they need include:

• A high capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking;

• The ability to apply that capacity for abstract thought to

complex, real-world problems — including problems that

involve the use of scientific and technical knowledge — that

are nonstandard, full of ambiguities, and have more than

one right answer; and

• The capacity to function effectively in work groups and

environments in which communication skills are vital.”

— Bruce Alberts,

former president of the National Academy of Sciences


STRATEGIC GOALS

VI

DEVELOPMENT, OUTREACH AND SERVICE

Engaging and building partnerships on a local, national, and global

scale through development, outreach, and service.

We will leverage our key assets — outstanding

faculty, talented students, a

culture of innovation, state of the art

facilities, and our location in the heart

of the D-FW Metroplex — to build

strategic partnerships with private and

public institutions.

Such partnerships enable us to fulfill

our mission of serving the community

as an intellectual and knowledge resource

in STEM fields, for providing

lifelong education, and for solving

complex problems of importance to society.

COS alumni, clockwise from photo at left: Dr.

Dale Martin, Dr. Mike Sakowski, Dr. Maxwell

Scarlett, and Dr. Ignacio Nuñez; Dr. Alvin Anene;

Joel Montgomery; Lekha Gopalakrishnan; René

McCormick; Thaddeus Arroyo; and Sally Welborn.



n Explore and facilitate collaborative opportunities

for our faculty and students

to engage with corporate and nonprofit

institutions on translational research;

n Establish external Industry Advisory

Boards for College of Science departments

to advise on curriculum innovations

and new certificate and degree

programs that would better prepare students

for future careers;

n Seek agreements with industry to establish

co-operative programs for students

to enhance experiential learning;

n Establish certificate and degree programs,

both on-campus and through e-

Learning, for supporting lifelong

education and professional development

for the STEM workforce;

n Build partnerships with school districts

to support STEM education in K-12

through outreach programs;

n Develop and implement plans to engage

alumni, donors, friends, corporations,

and foundations to fund

scholarships, graduate research fellowships,

gifts, donations, and endowments;

n Establish relationships and build partnerships

with international academic

and research institutions for facilitating

research collaborations, visiting faculty

programs, student exchange, and joint

degree programs.

n Explore opportunities with corporations

and individual donors and foundations

for “legacy naming” of the College,

departments, laboratories, research centers,

and the Interdisciplinary and Professional

Sciences Institute.

Dean’s Office Administration and Staff


College of Science faculty members of Strategic Plan committees

Student Success

Minerva Cordero

Shanna Banda

Andrew Brandt

James Alvarez

Nicolette Hass

David Jorgensen

Theresa Jorgensen

Carl Lovely

Alice Lubbe

Laura Mydlarz

Jennifer Rhinehart

Corey Roelke

Nilakshi Veerabathina

Cornelia Winguth

Non-Tenure Track

Andrew Brandt

Thomas Chrzanowski

Minerva Cordero

David Jorgensen

Jared Kenworthy

Carl Lovely

John Wickham

Professional Masters

Wei Chen

Thomas Chrzanowski

Frank Foss

Jeff Gagne

James Grover

Greg Hale

Nicolette Hass

Mike Roner

Shan Sun-Mitchell

John Wickham

Faculty Development

Gaik Ambartsoumian

Esther Betrán

Rasika Dias

Ashley Griffith

James Grover

Jared Kenworthy

Angela Liegey-Dougall

Ramon Lopez

Laura Mydlarz

Yuan Bo Peng

Brad Pierce

Kevin Schug

Michaela Vancliff

College of Science faculty and staff attendees of COS Fall 2017 retreat

Dean’s Office

Morteza Khaledi

Minerva Cordero

James Grover

Greg Hale

Christie Eckler

Valerie Martinez

Ruth Handley

Biology

Clay Clark

Shawn Christensen

Laura Mydlarz

Melissa Walsh

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Fred MacDonnell

Carl Lovely

Robin Macaluso

Seiichiro Tanizaki

Earth &

Enironmental

Sciences

Arne Winguth

Majie Fan

Andrew Hunt

Mathematics

Jianzhong Su

James Álvarez

David Jorgensen

Theresa Jorgensen

Hristo Kojouharov

Physics

Alex Weiss

Andrew Brandt

Kaushik De

Qiming Zhang

Psychology

Perry Fuchs

Nicolette Hass

Yuan Bo Peng

MAVERICK SCIENCE

Innovate, D iscover,

Learn

http://uta.edu/science

COS Strategic Plan title update 061820r

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