Research and Discovery

Joshua Weiner

Associate Dean for Research

Goal 1: Infuse the research mission with renewed energy and vitality

Goal 2: Enhance the research visibility of the college

Strategy 1: Invest in existing and emerging areas of strength
Strategy 2: Increase the number of research grants and fellowships awarded to faculty, staff, and students
Strategy 3: Harness the collective strength of units that can make a cross-disciplinary research impact

Hired Grant Support Office director and several new staff; restructuring to provide better service and advancement opportunities for staff
All-time record grant year for CLAS: $118M in total external funding awarded; $151M in total external dollars proposed
Identified metrics and developed a plan to track CLAS undergraduate research experiences (with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education)
Started a new BTAA Associate Deans for Research group and facilitated two meetings per semester to share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences
Completed major renovations and improvements to Space Place Theatre in North Hall
Health Sciences Academic Building design and construction underway; building will house the Departments of Health and Human Physiology and Communication Sciences and Disorders
Non-Fiction Writing Building completed and opening Fall 2023
Planning completed for a major renovation of the 7th floor of Van Allen Hall to create a space science facility
P3 Funding allocated to begin renovations to the Performing Arts Annex building, which will house the Department of Dance
Represented CLAS on the Institutional Priorities SPARC team
Continued meetings with DEOs and departmental faculty to identify and support emerging areas of research strength

Continue improvements to the Grant Support Office to promote efficiency and improve services so faculty can maintain success in external funding
Utilize CLAS renovation funds to upgrade to our infrastructure in selected science, arts, and humanities departments
Participate in ongoing design and construction projects (HSAB, PAX, VAN) to ensure new/improved homes for many CLAS departments
Work with interdisciplinary groups of faculty to develop emerging research strengths that cut across CLAS areas
Work with campus partners to deploy a new tool to replace the APR for faculty assessment and collection of college-level metrics
Conduct a detailed survey of CLAS space usage to identify capacity for strategic priorities and align with University guidelines and policies
Continue participation in SPARC committees advancing institutional areas of priority