Strategic Academic Focusing Initiative

Our faculty-focused development of a strategic academic vision

Strategic Academic Focusing must consider where future investments in academic programs and support infrastructure are best made.

As a first step in the process, we want to hear from faculty and campus units.

We need articulation of growth trajectory and evaluation metrics for faculty-identified academic programs. Your ideas or responses are not restricted to the 2009 Strategic Plan.

We ask that you address the five broad questions found in the September 26 memo. Briefly:

  1. Refinements to the 2009 Strategic Academic Vision
  2. Important research problems or questions in your field(s)
  3. Resources that are needed
  4. National programs that are most closely aligned
  5. Important campus metrics that are met
  • Oct 28 - Nov 15: First Round Open Submission Phase
    • We will invite broad comments and encourage collaboration and potential connection to other initiatives.
    • These initial submissions will be the basis for providing input to the "2020 Project" RFQ Process in 2014.
    • You can return and login to update/edit your proposal and/or comment on other submissions at anytime before Nov 15.
  • Nov 18 - Dec 2013: First Round Review
    • Initiatives will be reviewed in preparation for 2020 Project RFQ Process.
  • Dec 2013 - Apr 30, 2014: Open Improvement Phase
    • Continue to build upon ideas, taking advantage of input and expertise acquired through this forum.
    • Update Initiatives, work on more detailed refinements and collaboration opportunities.
  • Deadline May 2, 5:00 pm: Second Round Open Submission Phase
  • May 3 - Summer 2014: Review Phase
    • All initiatives will be reviewed internally and externally, and used to develop a new Strategic Academic Plan for the campus.

Proposals (57 total)

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Sustainability, Energy, Climate and Communications

Submitted by Martha Conklin (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 2:43pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Martha Conklin, Roger Bales, Elliott Campbell, Henry Forman, Qinghua Guo, Tom Harmon, Stephen Hart, Dan Hirleman, Kathleen Hull, Paul Maglio, Teenie Matlock, Erik Rolland, Josh Viers, Anthony Westerling

UC Merced contributes to a sustainable future in California and related regions worldwide in part through research integrating the natural and social sciences and engineering. Faculty and other researchers affiliated with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI) carry out research that is relevant to understanding linkages between the Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley, a region that leads the nation in agricultural production and many natural resource and recreational sectors.

Center for the Study of Education

Submitted by Nella Van Dyke (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 2:01pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Nella Van Dyke (lead, Sociology), Irenee Beattie (Sociology), Jeffrey Gilger (Psychology), Laura Hamilton (Sociology), Mayya Tokman (Math)

Faculty from multiple disciplines across campus propose that the campus establish a Center for the Study of Education on campus within the next 6 years.  An education research center would foster interdisciplinary collaboration and grant writing on a topic of critical importance to California's Central Valley and nationally, with affiliated faculty from psychology, economics, sociology, public health, applied math, and the natural sciences.  UC Merced is unlikely to start an Education School any time soon, and therefore the proposed center would fill an important niche on campus and in the

Applied Philosophy

Submitted by Peter Vanderschraaf (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 1:55pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Peter Vanderschraaf

(This Initiative is being replaced by another initiative called "Applied Philosophy" that was first submitted on May 2, 2014). Abridged Executive Summary

 

Health Research At UC Merced

Submitted by Paul Brown (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 1:35pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Prepared by Paul Brown on behalf of the Health Sciences Research Institute

The 2009 Strategic Academic Vision included “Human Health” as a major theme. This Strategic Plan outlines how HSRI can help make UC Merced  a top health research institute by 2020. We will achieve this by helping to creating world renowned health researchers, providing a leadership role in helping introduce a Medical Education program, helping to identify and fund  strategic health research facilities, working with regional partners to create a Translational Research Center, and advocating for the development of a building dedicated to health research and teaching on campus.

General Education

Submitted by Anne Zanzucchi (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 1:20pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Anne Zanzucchi, Jay Sharping, and Elizabeth Whitt

Representing General Education reports written by Linda Cameron, Gregg Camfield, Henry Foreman, Gregg Herken, Tom Hothem, Kelvin Lwin, Laura Martin, Valerie Leppert, Robert Ochsner, Peggy O'Day, Rose Scott, Michael Spivey, Wil Van Breugel, Jack Vevea, and Christopher Viney

Our campus has much to gain with continuing to plan GE as among the intellectual drivers at our campus. GE could be the coordinating entity for lower-division elective course outcomes, typically overlooked in planning or reviewing major programs. Community engaged scholarship, including service learning initiatives and curricula, could have a home and means for ongoing sustainability. Multidisciplinary undergraduate programs and co-curriculum would have the ability to coordinate, collaborate, and plan – much like current graduate programming now at our campus.

Entrepreneurship Research Institute (ERI) (second round)

Submitted by Fanis Tsoulouhas (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 1:10pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 
  • Fanis Tsoulouhas, Ruiz Family Professor of Entrepreneurship, SSHA
Collaborators, Affiliates and Endorsers:
  • Paul Almeida, Associate Professor of Sociology, SSHA
  • Brian O'Bruba, Director of Career Services Center
  • Christopher Butler, Assistant Dir. of The Foster Family Center for Engineering Service Learning
  • Elliot Cambell, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, SOE
  • YangQuan Chen, Assistant Professor of Mechatronics, SOE
  • Yihsu Chen, Associate Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, SOE and SSHA
  • SA Davis, Lecturer of Management, SSHA
  • Robin Delugan, Associate Professor of Anthropology, SSHA
  • Sarah Depaoli, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Psychology, SSHA
  • John Kennedy Haner, Lecturer, Merritt Writing Program
  • Mark Harris, Lecturer of Management, SSHA
  • Evan Heit, Professor of Cognitive Science, SSHA
  • Dan Hirleman, Dean of Engineering, SOE
  • Diane Howerton, Regional Director, UC Merced SBDC Regional Network
  • Haifeng Huang, Assistant Professor of Political Science, SSHA
  • Roummel Marcia, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics, SNS
  • Steve Roussos, Interim Executive Director, The Blum Center
  • William Shadish, Professor of Quantitative Psychology, SSHA
  • Gorge Sirogiannis, Lecturer of Management, SSHA
  • Jian-Qiao Sun, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, SOE
  • Alex Theodoridis, Assistant Professor of Political Science, SSHA
  • Zulema Valdez, Associate Professor of Sociology, SSHA
  • Craig Vilhauer, Lecturer of Management, SSHA

The Entrepreneurship Research Institute (ERI) can be the University’s vehicle for: (a) the promotion of research in Entrepreneurship, broadly defined; (b) fostering interactions and developing partnerships with the business community; and (c) engaging the local community. The institute will undertake cutting edge research in Entrepreneurship, raise the profile of UC Merced in the business community and facilitate student placement and fund-raising, as well as engage the local community in entrepreneurship activities and related opportunities in the area.

Public Health At UC Merced

Submitted by Paul Brown (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 1:05pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Prepared by Paul Brown on behalf of the Public Health Advisory Group

Public Health is a multidisciplinary area of research and study focusing on measuring, understanding and improving the health of the population, including the health needs of vulnerable populations, the causes and determinants of poor health, and ways to improve the public health system and the health of the population.

Molecular and Cell Biology Strategic Academic Vision: 2013-2020

Submitted by Jennifer Manilay (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 12:49pm Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Jennifer O. Manilay, Ph.D. (Chair), in consultation with the faculty of the MCB Unit, School of Natural Sciences

The Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) Unit is currently comprised of 16 faculty members whose research is focused in 1) Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Biology, 2) Cell and Developmental Biology, 3) Microbiology and Immunology and 4) Neurobiology.  We currently serve 1084 undergraduate students in the Biological Sciences (BIO) major and 45 masters and doctoral students in the Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Group.  Our research focus is a natural fit to the 2009 Strategic Vision theme of “Human Health”, and as we progress forward to 2020, we envision that basic biological re

California Institute of Drone Engineering Research (CIDER)

Submitted by YangQuan Chen (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 11:59am Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 
  • Stefano Carpin (EECS/ME),
  • YangQuan Chen (ME/EECS/SNRI/CHASE),
  • Qinghua Guo (ES/SNRI/SPARC),
  • Chris Kello (CIS/CHASE),
  • Joshua Viers (ES/CITRIS/SNRI)

90 percent of potential markets for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, or commonly known as drones) will be accounted for by public safety and precision agriculture including agriculture and environmental engineering. UAVs will inject $82 billion in economic activity and generate up to 100,000 new jobs between 2015 and 2025. (http://www.auvsi.org/econreport)

 

Hard Rock Reserves Institute

Submitted by Dan Hirleman (UC Merced) on November 15, 2013 - 11:52am Last revised by Brad Bulger on September 29, 2020 - 6:02pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open
Principal Authors: 

Elliott Campbell (ES), YangQuan Chen (EECS/ME), Yihsu Chen (ES/ECON),
Ricardo Cisneros (Public Health), Robin DeLugan (WC), Dan Hirleman (ME/BEST),
Paul Maglio (EECS/COG/MGT/MIST), Ashlie Martini (ME), Peggy O’Day (ES),
Fanis Tsoulouhas  (MGT/SSHA), Erik Rolland (EECS/MGT/MIST), Steve Roussos (HSRI/Blum),
Josh Viers (ES/CITRIS), Alex Whalley (ECON)

Advances in production of oil and gas from unconventional reserves (shale rock) in the last few years have had a dramatic world impact.  In the US that includes reduced CO2 emissions, progress towards energy independence, and resurgence in manufacturing.  Global geopolitical ramifications involving Europe, Russia and the Middle East are equally profound.

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