5 Questions with the Dean
The College of Sciences has launched. What did it take to get to that point?
NC State started getting ready for this huge event in spring 2012, when the Chancellor announced the creation of the new College. everything needed changing or updating — academic programs, funding, grants, websites, offices and labs, and lots of surprisingly complex little things like creating new letterhead. Thanks to the hard work of many people, we made these changes and launched this new organization July 1. Now comes the fun part: shaping the vision.
What is that vision?
We’re pursuing a dual strategy to be recognized as a world-class College of Sciences. One part centers on “convergence science” — people from different fields coming together to tackle big societal challenges in areas of health, energy, security and the environment where we’re well positioned for success. We’re calling the other strategy “discovery” because it makes investments in pioneering researchers confronting the greatest intellectual questions. Success in both areas will make this College known worldwide as a powerhouse in science research and education.
How does Biological Sciences fit in?
The convergence of the biological sciences with the physical and mathematical sciences was a primary motivator for creating this new College, as many of the opportunities for important break throughs are in human health. Among the university’s key research focus areas are bioinformatics, environmental health science, personalized medicine, and translational regenerative medicine, all of which draw from multiple fields but can’t be fully realized without contributions from the biological sciences.
What’s new for students?
Undergraduate and graduate students will be getting a more integrated experience that better blends education and research. We’re also creating a professional advising system that will allow first-year students to find their best academic and career fits as quickly as possible. And all students will notice more of an emphasis on communicating their work with the public. We need to instill in students a sense of professional responsibility to be effective communicators of science and informers of public policy. We’re preparing students for life, not just their first jobs out of school.
What changes can alumni expect to see?
We’ve designed our communications materials to emphasize our broad focus; this magazine is an example of that. And there will be more of an emphasis on leadership. We want “NC State Sciences” to be synonymous with scientific excellence not just in the research and education communities, but more broadly as well. Perhaps most importantly to alumni, we think this College will increase the value of their degrees. The involvement of our alumni and friends is incredibly important to this College’s development. To succeed, we need their input and guidance.
