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21st Edition Faculty Affairs Spotlight

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Happening in Faculty Affairs

Welcome back from what we hope was an energizing Spring Break! As we enter the home stretch of the spring semester, we encourage you to remain engaged in the events and activities that support your teaching and research. The madness of March will transition into finals and graduation season before we know it!

Applications are open for the Faculty Aspiring Leadership Program’s 2024-25 cohort through April 24. Faculty interested in gaining administrative experience, engaging in professional development opportunities and building a leadership network are encouraged to apply. Learn more on the program’s webpage.

University Rule Under Review and Open for Comments: Rule 12.06.99.M0.01 is being modified to reflect updates on post-tenure review, and is open for comment on the Faculty Affairs intranet.

Interfolio F180 Office Hours: In preparation for the next evaluation period, Faculty Affairs’ office hours for Interfolio F180 and post-tenure review sessions are held via Zoom every other Wednesday. The next session date is March 27. Registration is required. Registrants will receive an email confirmation and Zoom link.

Congratulations to Dr. Robert H. Bishop '79, who was named vice chancellor and dean for engineering effective April 1. He was also named sole finalist for director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.

Ongoing Executive Searches

  • Dean, School of Architecture: Candidates under review, and campus interview dates are set for April 22-23 and April 30-May 2. Search Advisory Chair: Dr. Jeffrey Savell, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • Dean, Bush School of Government and Public Service: Candidates under review, and campus interview dates are set for April 24-30. Search Advisory Chair: Dr. Nate Sharp, dean of Mays Business School.
  • Associate Provost and Dean, Graduate and Professional School: The Search Advisory Committee has been finalized and will soon receive its charge. Search Advisory Committee Chair: Dr. Mark Zoran, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Dean, School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts: Candidates are under review, and campus interview dates are set for April 15-19. Search Advisory Chair: Robert Ahdieh, dean of the School of Law.
  • Associate Provost for Academic Enhancement (leads LAUNCH, the Center for Teaching Excellence, Interdisciplinary Programs and the Public Policy Internship Programs, among other areas): The Search Advisory Committee has had its first meeting and is reviewing the position description. Search Advisory Committee Chair: Dr. Timothy Scott, vice provost for Academic Affairs and interim vice president for Enrollment Management.
  • Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management: The Search Advisory Committee received its charge and the search is ongoing. Search Advisory Committee Chair: Dr. Alicia Dorsey, executive vice president of Academic Effectiveness and Planning.
  • Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy: The Search Advisory Committee has met and a draft position description is under review. A call for nominations is going out this week. Search Advisory Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. Heather Lench, senior associate provost for Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Angie Hill Price, associate dean for undergraduate programs and Engineering Academic and Student Affairs.
  • Assistant Provost, McAllen Higher Education Center: The Search Advisory Committee will conduct semi-finalist interviews this month with campus interviews set for April 8-12. Search Advisory Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. Michael Johnson, interim associate provost, and Manny Vela, associate vice president and chief operating officer, Higher Education Center at McAllen.
  • Associate/Assistant Provost, Strategic Educational Partnerships (partnerships including American Talent Initiative, EMERGE, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Research Universities and Texas Leadership Scholars): Applications are being received. Search Advisory Committee Chair: Dr. C.J. Woods, associate vice president and chief of staff, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

 

Faculty Development and Funding Opportunities

Add professional development opportunities to your calendar and pre-register for events to minimize the number of automated invitation emails you receive by visiting the Faculty Affairs Events Calendar.

The University Libraries have updated their research impact metrics guide and invite the Texas A&M community to attend the virtual "Demonstrating Research Impact: Metrics and Responsible Use" workshop series on March 25 and April 17. Registration is required.

Texas A&M will host a National Academy of Engineering Regional Meeting and Symposium on April 2. Themed "Space and Time," the symposium will feature discussions and presentations detailing the evolution of technologies for space exploration. The registration deadline was extended to 11:59 p.m. on March 22.

Applications for 2024-25 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Travel Grants to enhance faculty collaboration among SEC universities are now being accepted. Please submit your application materials to the Faculty Affairs Awards Program no later than 5 p.m. on May 14.

The National Academy of Medicine is accepting nominations for the 2024 Gustav O. Lienhard Award for Advancement of Health Care, Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health, and the David and Beatrix Hamburg Award for Advances in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine. Nominations close May 15.

The University Libraries negotiated publishing opportunities that saved Aggie researchers more than $1.5 million. Your research can be published in hundreds of journals produced by Sage Publishing, Cambridge University Press, Wiley Publishing and others at a reduced cost or in some cases, for free. Learn the two-step process.

Texas A&M encourages faculty to elevate the impact of their work by joining colleagues in publishing articles in The Conversation.

 

Faculty Focus

Dr. Leonard Berry (Department of Marketing, Mays Business School) is a 2024 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Faculty Achievement Award winner for his outstanding record of academic research and scholarship. One faculty member is selected per SEC campus and is advanced for consideration as SEC Professor of the Year.

Dr. Orencio Duran Vinent (Department of Ocean Engineering, College of Engineering) and Dr. Xin Yan (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences) were named Sloan Research Fellows by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Dr. Jennifer Griffith (Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health) received the 2024 Riegelman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.

Drs. Roel Lopez and Stephen Webb (Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) were part of research teams that received Outstanding Technical and Scientific Publication Awards presented by the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society.

Dr. John Tomeček (Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) was recognized as a state and national leader in wildlife management and conflict mitigation with the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s Outstanding Achievement: Mid-Career Professional Award.

Dr. Astrid Layton (J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering) received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova (Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences) has been awarded the 2024 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching by the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Dr. Barbara Miller (Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, School of Dentistry) was named associate professor emerita for significant contributions throughout her distinguished career at Texas A&M.

 

Campus News

In case you missed it, the School of Education and Human Development’s 2024 Voices of Impact presentations are available online.

The School of Education and Human Development will host their 10th Annual Women's Research on Women Symposium featuring presentations on research by faculty from across the university on Thursday, March 28 from 3-5 p.m. in Rudder Tower 601.

Texas A&M will host the 2024 Physics and Engineering Festival on Saturday, April 13 at the George P. Mitchell ’40 Physics Building. This free event is open to the public and will feature hands-on demonstrations, keynote speakers and special events for attendees of all ages.

The Office for Youth Engagement has been working closely with University Youth Programs to develop a dashboard for all summer camps. Please share this resource with anyone who might be interested in enrolling their child in a camp. Camps are organized by age, topic area or location. Camps are added after their Campus Programs for Minors application is completed. If you’re interested in hosting a camp on a specific topic in the future, we encourage you to reach out to University Youth Programs and the Office for Youth Engagement for help in developing a program. Learn more about LevelUp Texas.

Environmental Health and Safety’s Spring 2024 Safety Dispatch is now available. Check out this semester’s newsletter with timely health and safety topics for home, work and campus life. This issue highlights how to prepare for upcoming State Fire Marshal inspections, where you can dispose of household hazardous waste, how to help prevent mosquito bites and more.

 

Mark Your Calendars

 

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Originally Released Wednesday, March 20th, 2024