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From: James Evans <[log in to unmask]>
Date: November 11, 2011 12:30:17 PM CST
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: USU STEM Center Director announcement

Cathy - perhaps you know of a job board that this is appropriate to post on?


jim



From: Raymond Coward [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 10:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [stemfaculty] Update on USU STEM Center

Dear STEM and STEM Education Colleagues:

 

As many of you are aware, for several years there have been discussions on our campus regarding the creation of a STEM Center at Utah State University (USU). In the past several months, we have made significant progress toward this goal and I want to take this opportunity to bring you up-to-date on what has happened. Much of the momentum to establish a STEM Center at USU originates from ideas presented in a “white paper” that was authored last fall (2010) by a committee of USU faculty chaired by Dr. Patricia Moyer-Packenham. (NOTE: For those who have not had an opportunity to review that document, I have attached a copy).

 

Based on the “white paper” created by the faculty, a presentation was made to the USU Foundation Board (see the attached slide presentation). The USU Foundation Board is a group of loyal, volunteers dedicated to maximizing private sector support for USU. The board members became excited about the potential of creating a center built on the expertise and achievements of faculty members in science, technology, engineering and mathematics combined with an outstanding cohort of colleagues in education. With these intellectual assets as a foundation, USU seemed well-positioned to develop a university-wide center dedicated to achieving three objectives: (1) to increase the number of quality STEM professionals; (2) to increase the number of quality STEM educators; and (3) to conduct innovative research on best practices in STEM education.

 

Following this presentation, the USU Foundation Board made the creation of a STEM Center their number one philanthropic priority and within a very short period of time has raised nearly $500,000 in start-up funds to help operate the center for the academic years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. By July 1, 2014, the university will have in place a commitment of ongoing salary and operating funds ($250,000) to support the long-term success of the new center. In addition, through the generosity of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, space has been identified in which the STEM Center will be located.

 

As a result of this progress, a national search for the founding director of the STEM Center has been launched with the goal of recruiting a director to begin Summer 2012. The position announcement for the director is attached, and additional information can be found at the search website (http://www.usu.edu/provost/employment/stem_director/).  Dr. Richard Cutler (Professor and Head of the USU Department of Mathematics and Statistics) has generously agreed to chair the search and screening committee and Executive Senior Vice Provost Larry Smith will serve as the search manager for the recruitment process (the equivalent of an in-house “head hunter”).  The search and screening committee for this recruitment includes faculty from the Colleges of Agriculture, Education and Human Services, Engineering, Natural Resources and Science (see the website for the list of committee members).

 

If you have colleagues in your professional network that you believe could be candidates for this position, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Cutler, Dr. Smith or any of the members of the search and screening committee. All nominees will be contacted by Dr. Smith to encourage their consideration of this opportunity.

 

I recognize that many of you have been committed to the same goals that the Center will embrace for much, if not all, of your careers. We are excited to establish this additional resource at USU, to enable our institution to make further progress at addressing national, state, and regional needs in the STEM disciplines and in STEM education. I hope you share my enthusiasm for this important initiative; we very much look forward to your involvement.

 

If you have questions about any of the steps that have been taken to bring us to this point in time, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Ray

 

Raymond T. Coward
Executive Vice President and Provost
Utah State University
Old Main Room 140
1435 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-1435

 

Telephone:    435-797-1167
FAX:                  435-797-3880
E-Mail:             [log in to unmask]