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October 2019 Announcements

autumn leaves
  • It’s time for the second Ombuds Day, a day to celebrate and learn about ombuds services at NC State. Ombuds Day is being celebrated on Wednesday, October 16 in the Talley Student Union main lobby from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Stop by Talley to meet your ombuds Mike Giancola (student) and Roy Baroff (faculty and staff). You can learn about ombuds services at NC State and pick up some food and drink coupons as well as some NC State swag. For more information, visit https://facultyombuds.ncsu.edu/ombuds-day-2019/. auty
  • Sheri Schwab, interim vice provost for institutional equity and diversity, has been named vice provost for institutional equity and diversity, effective immediately. As NC State’s chief diversity officer, Schwab will promote the university’s core values of equity, diversity and inclusion, leading efforts to build a stronger working, learning and living environment for all members of the community.
  • An open search for the dean of the College of Natural Resources is underway. The nomination committee is chaired by Dean Paul Lunn of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The nomination committee held its first meeting October 7 and will continue to work throughout the fall. Finalist candidates will be brought to campus in early spring 2020 for interviews and open forums. Stay up to date on the search by visiting the search page on the Provost’s Office website or go.ncsu.edu/natural-resources-search.
  • Provost Arden invites applications for the Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program for Fall 2020. The program is designed for current NC State faculty who are interested in learning more about academic affairs administration at the university, in developing their skills as faculty leaders, and in working closely with Provost’s Office staff on projects that are meaningful to them and to the university. Up to six (6) faculty fellows will be selected and their departments will be provided with 25% salary release funds to cover the time commitment required for participation. Fellowships may be for one or two semesters beginning in Fall 2020. Learn more about the program and the application process at go.ncsu.edu/faculty-fellows. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 15. 

From NC State DELTA:

From the Office of Assessment:

  • Each year, every academic program offering a degree or certificate is evaluated by its faculty to improve the effectiveness of the program. Periodically, we present an example of what a selected program has done for improvement. In 2019, the Science, Technology and Society program assessed students’ ability to “analyze complex STS topics from multiple perspectives and in relation to other topics, integrating STS knowledge and concepts from a variety of sources.” To measure this outcome, the faculty analyzed student capstone papers from STS 403. The analysis showed students were highly skilled in demonstrating command of the topic, connecting their topic to larger societal context, and relating their research to larger human concerns, but lacked the same level of skill in connecting evidence and analysis and lack of a critical lens. As a result of their analysis, the faculty revised the requirements for the capstone paper to require objections and limitations sections to their final product.

From the Office of Faculty Development:

  • The Office of Faculty Development invites NC State faculty and professional staff to submit session, roundtable, and poster proposals for the 2020 Teaching and Learning Symposium. The symposium will take place Friday, February 28, 2020, at the McKimmon Center. Proposals can deal with a wide variety of topics, including teaching with technology, innovative pedagogical techniques, creativity in teaching and learning, SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning), Scholarship of Community Engagement projects, inclusive teaching, sustainability in teaching and more. Proposals for symposium sessions and roundtables should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18. Poster proposals should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2020. For more information, visit https://ofd.ncsu.edu/events-and-programs/teaching-learning-symposium/.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

  • Faculty and staff who have made significant contributions to global engagement at NC State are eligible to be nominated for two different global award categories; the Jackson Rigney International Service Award and the Outstanding Global Engagement Award. The awards aim to laud individuals at NC State who are making a difference in internationalization. NC State Global coordinates the efforts with our advisory committees to select deserving awardees every spring semester. Nominees for the Outstanding Global Engagement Award and Jackson Rigney International Service Award will be recognized at the annual Global Engagement Exposition, featuring an awards ceremony, poster session, networking and lunch. 2020 nominations are due Friday, January 31, 2020. 

From the Office of Information Technology:

  • In celebration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, the Office of Information Technology, along with the Department of Computer Science, the ePartners Program, and the NC State Engineering Foundation, will sponsor “Protect the Pack: Be a Cyber Hero” to provide you with the necessary skills to protect yourself and the university against dark cyber forces that try to trick you into providing sensitive data. Be a Cyber Hero events will include:
    • Android Mobile Device Security – Wednesday, Oct. 23, Noon-1 p.m., Talley Student Union, Room 3285
    • Origin Stories: Rise of the Cyber Pack – Wednesday, Oct. 30, 4-6 p.m., Talley Student Union, Coastal Ballroom. Hear how ordinary individuals have joined the forces of good against cybercriminals to become cyber heroes in their own right. Gina Yacone of Agio, Priya Gandhi of Fidelity Investments, Eric Olson of Microsoft, Susan Paskey of DC919, and Shelley Westman of EY will speak. followed by a networking opportunity. These professional hackers, cybersecurity enthusiasts and artificial intelligence pros will tell you what cause ignited their career path, how they are fighting the good fight against the latest cybersecurity threats and how you can do the same. To register, visit https://go.ncsu.edu/csam2019:provost

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

  • NC State is updating the forms employees use to report conflicts of interest and outside employment in response to increased government scrutiny of undue foreign influence in research. This year’s conflict of interest form, known by the shorthand COI, asks employees if they are participating in any foreign activities, such as those related to a foreign talent recruitment program. If they answer yes, then they must provide additional information, including the name of the program, the country involved and the amount of compensation they received. EHRA employees, including faculty members, are required to submit a COI form to the university each year.
  • Zach DeVries, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of entomologist Coby Schal, has received a National Institutes of Health Director’s Early Independence Award, part of the federal agency’s High-Risk, High Reward Research program. The award will provide $250,000 per year for five years. DeVries will use the award to expand upon his previous findings that bed bug produced histamine is substantial and persistent in bed bug infested homes.
  • To ensure the nation’s leadership in 5G, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and an industry consortium have invested $100 million over the next seven years to build specialized wireless networks for U.S. researchers to test new ways of increasing wireless speed and capacity. North Carolina’s Research Triangle region has been selected to host the third wireless platform. NC State will lead research for the newest regional research platform. 
  • NC State established the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund in 2010 to help researchers bridge the gap between publicly funded research and the point at which discoveries are developed enough to secure private funding. To date, the CIF has granted nearly $3 million to 45 projects — which have attracted over $53 million in follow-on funding. These projects have generated 24 startup companies, 45 license agreements and more than $1.1 million in licensing revenue. Learn more about this year’s CIF recipients.

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