transformative initiatives

1the college of arts & sciences

The University of North Texas is the nations 26th largest university with

about 36,000 students. UNT plays a critical role in supporting the vibrant

Dallas-Fort Worth region and the state of Texas, training the next generation

of innovators, entrepreneurs and global leaders. As the universitys largest

college with 19 departments and 97 undergraduate and graduate degree

programs, the College of Arts & Sciences leads UNT in its mission to provide

the very best college education while developing nationally prominent centers

of research excellence. The College of Arts & Sciences provides students with

the rich, wide-ranging experiences necessary to bring focus to a complex,

rapidly changing world.

2mission

Participating in our democratic society and excelling in a dynamic, globalized

workplace requires robust skills and broad knowledge. Spanning Biology

to English to Political Science, the College of Arts & Sciences provides

students with the rich, wide-ranging experiences necessary to bring focus to

a complex, rapidly changing world. CAS prepares its students to be the next

generation of innovators, scholars, entrepreneurs and global leaders.

Addressing complex global challenges and sustaining our countrys innovation

economy requires strong public universities engaged in basic and applied

research. CAS faculty and student teams produce high impact knowledge

and discoveries that drive our economy and improve our quality of life.

North Texas is the fastest growing metropolitan area of the country. UNT

must play a key role in the economic future of the region. Through its

students and faculty, the College of Arts & Sciences provides the empowered

workforce and novel ideas necessary to ensure the regions competitive edge.

The College of Arts & Sciences prepares UNT students to think critically,

communicate effectively and act purposefully.

3vision

The College of Arts & Sciences will provide UNT students a superior

education through comprehensive learning experiences, preparing them for

successful careers and enlightened lives.

CAS will develop and sustain nationally prominent centers of research

excellence in strategically targeted areas, producing transformative

discoveries and knowledge.

CAS will play an essential role in supporting the economic vitality of the

North Texas region through significant collaborations with corporate and

community organizations, promoting scientific innovation and public

engagement.

mission

4CAS transformative goals

The UNT College of Arts & Sciences will be a leader in preparing students for

the 21st century innovation economy. Spanning Biology to English to Political

Science, the College of Arts & Science provides students superior education

through comprehensive learning experiences, preparing them to be the next

generation of innovators, scholars, entrepreneurs and global leaders.

The College of Arts & Sciences is committed to advancing UNTs bold goals

in becoming a major public research university dedicated to educational

excellence, knowledge discovery and community engagement. Transformative

investment in the College of Arts & Sciences will support student success and

advance our region through high impact, strategically targeted initiatives.

A cross-cutting CAS Innovation Center will prepare our students for

the hyper-connected, rapid-paced workplace and catalyze moving

concepts from the research lab to the marketplace.

Vertical pillars of excellence in bio-materials, human security,

computational modeling, communication and STEM education

will produce leading-edge knowledge and discoveries to drive our

economy and improve our quality of life.

5bold UNT goals

Provide the best undergraduate educational experience in Texas

Provide superior graduate education, scholarship and artistic endeavors and achieve status among the nations tier one research institutions

Become a national leader among universities in student support, employee relations, operational effectiveness and service to constituencies

Establish UNT as a nationally recognized, engaged university and regional leader by building and expanding mutually beneficial partnerships and resources

CAS transformative goals

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4

6goals at a glance

UNT researchers apply state-of-the-art analytical and computational methods

to identify key factors influencing political violence and human security. We

intend to become a top five data-driven human security analysis program.

Research capacity and technical infrastructure investments will provide

international decision makers with novel tools and a trained cadre of analysts

on issues of governance systems, human rights, economic development, public

health and conflict resolution.

Strategic investments will capitalize on intellectual resources to position UNT as a top 5 human security analysis program, training an expert analyst workforce to inform and advise the international affairs community.

Endowed Center of Human Security Studies Endowed Chairs in Human Security and

Conflict Management Fellowships and scholarships to continue to

attract and place the best students PhD-level staff scientists to support

informatics-based analysis Distinguished Speakers and Visiting Scholars

State-of-the-art technical infrastructure to support advanced analytical techniques and digital repositories

Physical presence in Washington, D.C. to support research collaborations and internship programs

$1.3+ million in active research support from the NSF and DoD. Partnerships with the World Bank, United Nations and other multi-national and non-governmental organizations

18 interdisciplinary faculty members with expertise in geospatial analysis, modeling, language processing and data visualization

Home to the Castleberry Peace Institute, the only peace science research institute and undergraduate peace studies program in the southern United States

Supported by the DoD Minerva Initiative, UNT researchers collaborate with UT

Austin to develop and host the Social Conflict in Africa Database (www.scaddata.

org), which examines interactions between climate change and political stability.

Similar analysis techniques are being explored to uncover interactions between

environmental variables and civil unrest in China.

UNT is developing cutting edge analytical and computational approaches to

provide policymakers with systematic ways to model determinants of civil

conflict resolution and post-conflict peace duration.

Through the Issue Correlates of War project, researchers have developed a

platform to analyze two centuries of international disputes, with specialized

focus on territorial, mariate and waterway disputes.

Correlations Between Conditions & Conflict

Modeling Indicators of Civil Conflict

Informing Conflict Resolution

Targeted Transformations

Points of Pride

Center for Human Security Studies

bio-materials & plant signaling mechanisms

innovation center human security

UNTs research in bio-

materials and plant signaling

mechanisms is establishing

UNT as a national leader in

high impact plant science with

commercially transferable

results. This cutting edge work

translates into plants that

are more resistant to drought

and extreme temperature,

improving crop yields to

meet the needs of a growing

global populations, and

uniquely engineered plants

to supply new bio-materials

and sustainable biofuels.

Philanthropic investments in

this program will fund endowed

chairs, fellowships, scholarships

and staff research scientists,

as well as provide facilities and

infrastructure support.

UNT has a unique opportunity

to be a recognized leader

in preparing students for

the 21st century innovation

economy. The university enrolls

a diverse, creative class of

36,000 students, serving as

a primary workforce provider

for one of the nations fastest

growing metropolitan regions.

Educating the next-generation

workforce requires new ways of

fostering creativity, integrating

career building activities and

incorporating technology into

educational experiences. An

endowed College of Arts &

Sciences Innovation Center will

engage students in the global

innovation economy throughout

their UNT careers, catalyze

creativity and discovery, and

ensure UNT continues to power

regional economic success.

Our complex world requires

new ways of analyzing and

responding to rapidly evolving

security challenges. UNT

researchers apply state-

of-the-art analytical and

computational methods to

identify key factors influencing

political violence and human

security. We intend to become

a top 5 human security analysis

program, training an expert

analyst workforce to inform and

advise the international affairs

community. Investments will

endow a program for human

security studies, endow chairs

in Human Security and Conflict

Management and provide

state-of-the-art technical

infrastructure to support

advanced analytical techniques

and support international

research collaborations.

7computational modeling

communicationsSTEM education

The United States faces a

critical shortage of students

pursuing degrees and careers

in science, technology,

engineering and mathematics

(STEM). Through innovative

programs such as Teach

North Texas and the Elm Fork

Education Center, UNT is

reigniting a passion for teaching

and learning math and science,

placing the university at the

leading edge of national efforts

to address the need for highly

qualified STEM teachers and

graduates. The college seeks

a named building for Teach

North Texas, endowed chairs

and professorships, mentors-

in-residence, telepresence

facilities and scholarships.

UNTs acclaimed Creative

Writing program and its

new faculty with expertise in

social media are empowering

students to think critically

and communicate effectively.

Investments will lift the colleges

communication programs

to even higher prominence,

ensuring UNT students are

prepared for a rapidly changing,

communication intensive world.

The college seeks support for

endowed chairs in creative

writing, literature and emergent

media; a named creative writing

program; endowments to

support the Rilke Poetry Prize;

student literary prizes; student

scholarships and fellowships; a

distinguished lecture series; and,

a visiting scholar-in-residence.

UNT computational researchers

make experimental science more

targeted and cost-effective.

Computational models suggest

promising disease-curing drug

compounds or new alternative

fuels, reducing the number

of expensive and sometimes

dangerous experimental tests

needed. UNT intends to establish

the premier computational

chemistry program in the

world, producing high-impact

discoveries to improve human

health and develop clean energy

solutions. Investments will name

the Computational Modeling

Center, supporting research

and industry collaborations;

fund student scholarships and

fellowships; and, recruit top

scientists through endowed

chairs and professorships.

goals at a glance

8college of arts & sciencesinnovation center

The UNT College of Arts & Sciences will be a leader in preparing students for the 21st century innovation economy. The University of North Texas has bold objectives for providing superior educational experiences while helping power the economy of North Texas. These complementary goals require new ways of integrating career building activities, technology and classroom experiences. An endowed CAS Innovation Center will engage students in the emerging innovation economy of North Texas throughout their UNT careers, catalyze moving discoveries from the lab to the market and ensure UNT continues to power regional economic success. The College of Arts & Sciences is a driving force for new ideas and discoveries. Nearly every UNT student takes courses in the college and 40% of UNT graduates major in a CAS department. The Innovation Center will provide a unique model for preparing students from diverse disciplines for the demands of the new globalized economy. The Innovation Center will be a focal point for university innovation activities, leveraging existing capabilities and services while building new partnerships with regional businesses and industries.

The Innovation Center will support student/faculty research commercialization and business development, venture funds for student innovators, career mentoring, on-site internship facilities, and technology-driven education innovation.

Innovation Economy The business innovation cycle has dramatically accelerated. This requires business to move the drivers of innovation from the boardroom to the ground floor. As stated by Curtis Carlson, CEO of SRI, innovation that happens from the bottom up tends to be chaotic but smart. Innovation that happens from the top down tends to be orderly but dumb. UNT can prepare students for the hyper-connected, rapid-paced economy by providing opportunities for students to advance their innovative thinking and engage with businesses throughout their academic career.

The Innovation Center will provide opportunities for students to network with each other, faculty, successful industry and business experts, venture funders and career mentors to obtain a rich set of experiences necessary to have a successful career and to contribute to a vibrant economic region. Activities of the Innovation Center will be designed to attract students from across the university, providing a venue and services that will distinguish UNT from other universities.

Strategic investments will secure UNT as a leader in preparing students from diverse disciplines for the demands of a new globalized economy.

Endowed CAS Innovation Center, supporting Center director Mentors in-residence Distinguished speaker series Venture fund to support student entrepreneurs,

including targeted fund for technology-based education innovations

Innovation lab providing meeting spaces and telepresence systems

Workspace and infrastructure for internships and business start-ups

Funding for multiple startup training programs

Targeted Transformations A broad and robust selection of 96 undergraduate and

graduate degree programs, representing 43% of the programs offered at UNT

Intensive engagement by CAS with the regional innovation economy through the Dallas Regional Chamber Innovation and Technology Council, Tech Fort Worth, TechAmerica, TeXchange, North Texas Angel Network, and Tech Wildcatters

In partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, CAS hosted The Innovation Challenge, an innovation-driven mobile app concept competition

Partnership with the UNT Career Center to provide students with resources and support for career exploration

Collaboration with the Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship to provide students with leadership and business plan training

Points of Pride

college of arts & sciencesinnovation center

10

bio-materials & plant signaling mechanisms

UNTs research in bio-materials and plant signaling mechanisms are establishing UNT as a national center of excellence in plant science and achieving ground-breaking, high-impact, basic science and commercially transferable results. This research translates into improved food nutrition and supply, the development of novel bio-based products, and high-biomass crops to generate renewable biofuels.

Increasing Plant DefensesCutting edge analytical, genetic, and computational approaches uncover the biological mechanisms that govern growth, development and defense responses of vital crops. Discoveries enable scientists to improve crop yields and plant resistance to drought, extreme temperatures, disease and insects.

Improving Food SuppliesFrom increasing aphid defenses for wheat, corn, tomatoes, and peaches, to increasing the calories within certain foods, UNT researchers are pursuing techniques to enhance natural features of agricultural crops, resulting in better crop yields to meet the needs of a growing global population.

Generating Desirable Chemical Properties in Designer Bio-ProductsThrough modeling and engineering, unique chemical properties of plants, bacteria and various bioagents are enhanced and designed into ecologically safe products that outperform their non-renewable counterparts. Advanced materials characterization facilities promote the discovery and design of new materials and composites.

Strategic investments will establish UNT as a national center of excellence in plant science by achieving ground-breaking, high-impact, basic science and commercially transferable results.

Named Research and Commercialization Building

Endowed Center of Plant Science and Bio-materials, supporting

Endowed Chairs in Plant Signaling and Bio-materials

Fellowships and scholarships to continue to attract and place the best and brightest young scientists

Staff research scientists and infrastructure maintenance

Distinguished speaker series Visiting scholars in residence

Specialized tissue preparation facility to enhance chemical imaging approaches

Plant Signal Imaging Facility Custom growth chambers and

greenhouse complexes, equipped with climate control digital monitoring instrumentation

Targeted Transformations

Over $12 million in active research support from NSF, USDA, NIH, DOE, and select corporate and foundation partners

Nine patents issued, five patents pending among faculty

High impact, prestigious publications in journals such as Nature and Science

State-of-the-art facilities including an imaging mass spectrometry laboratory, confocal scanning microscopy

High-throughput work platforms for phenomics and metabolite screens

Internationally-recognized, interdisciplinary faculty, with renown expertise in genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and metabolomic analysis

Points of Pride

bio-materials & plant signaling mechanisms

12

human security

UNT researchers apply state-of-the-art analytical and computational methods to identify key factors influencing political violence and human security. We intend to become a top five evidence-based human security analysis program. Research capacity and technical infrastructure investments will provide international decision makers with novel tools and a trained cadre of analysts who examine issues of governance-systems, human rights, economic development, public health and conflict resolution.

Castleberry Peace InstituteThe Castleberry Peace Institute (CPI) sponsors cutting-edge research and educational programs on the causes of war and peace, both within and between nations. Cultivating democracy, human rights, and economic development is critical to building a sustainable peace. This notion is supported by decades of research and that is why the Castleberry Peace Institute takes a holistic approach to promoting scholarship on peace and conflict resolution.

Correlations between Environmental Conditions and Social ConflictSupported by the DoD Minerva-Initiative, researchers collaborate with UT-Austin to develop and host the Social Conflict in Africa Database (SCAD), which examines interactions between climate change and political stability. Similar analytical techniques will be used to uncover interactions between environmental variables and civil unrest globally.

Modeling Indicators of Civil Conflict ManagementUNT is developing cutting edge analytical forecasting techniques to provide policy makers with systematic ways to model determinants of civil conflict resolution and post- conflict peace duration. Through the Issue Correlates of War project, CPI researchers have developed a platform to analyze two centuries of international disputes, with specialized focus on territorial, maritime, and waterway disputes.

Strategic investments will capitalize on intellectual resources to position UNT as a top 5 human security analysis program, training an expert analyst workforce to inform and advise the international affairs community.

Endowed program for human security studies

Endowed Castleberry Peace Institute Endowed Chairs in Human

Security and Conflict Management

Fellowships and scholarships to continue to attract and place the best and brightest students

PhD-level staff scientists to support informatics-based analysis

Distinguished speaker series Visiting scholars in residence

State-of-the-art technical infrastructure to support advanced analytical techniques and digital repositories

Virtual telepresence capabilities to enhance classes, executive training, and facilitate international collaborations

Physical presence in Washington, D.C. to support research collaborations and internship programs

Targeted Transformations

Over $1.3 Million in active research support from the NSF and DoD. Active research partnerships with the World Bank, United Nations and other multi-national and non-governmental organizations

18 interdisciplinary faculty members, with expertise in: geospatial analysis, computational modeling, natural language processing, and data visualization

Home to The Castleberry Peace Institute, the only peace science research institute in the southern United States

Uniquely trains students in Civil Conflict Management and Peace Science through one of the two NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates programs on Peace Science Research

Points of Pride

human security

14

STEM education

Once leaders in discovery, the United States has fallen behind in the number of college students earning degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). In Texas, there is a critical shortage of qualified teachers teaching in the math and science fields.

Through innovative programs such as Teach North Texas and the Elm Fork Education Center, the College is reigniting a passion for teaching and learning math and science, placing the university at the leading edge of national efforts to address the critical need for highly qualified STEM teachers and graduates. We are attracting highly motivated students to enter the teaching profession and contribute to economic competitiveness of our state and country.

Responding to a Critical NeedTeach North Texas is a replication of the nationally renowned UTeach model, pioneered at the University of Texas. TNT students participate in early and frequent teaching experiences both to recruit students into the program and to ensure that graduates are highly qualified when they enter the classroom.

We Really Mean GreenThe Elm Fork Education Center develops and implements premier environmental education programs. These programs provide investigative encounters that engage students of all ages in field activities and discovery experiences. These opportunities are designed to encourage science-based decision making and responsible environmental stewardship.

Strategic investment in STEM education will enhance UNTs role in supporting the innovation economy of our region, state and nation, placing the university at the leading edge of national efforts to address the critical need for highly qualified STEM teachers and graduates.

Endowed National Center of STEM Education supporting

Named Building for Teach North Texas

Endowed Professorships Mentors in-residence TNT Tuition Scholarship

Endowment to recruit outstanding math and science majors and provide them with early experiences of the teaching profession

Mentor Teacher Stipend Endowments to recruit the most talented and accomplished area teachers to coach and encourage TNT students as they progress through the program

Distinguished speaker series Visiting scholars in residence

Virtual telepresence capabilities to enhance classes, training, and facilitate collaborations

Targeted Transformations

Over 200 math and science majors currently in the program

Students work closely with mentor teachers in neighboring districts, gaining valuable guidance from experienced teachers

TNT employs 6 full time masters teachers as clinical faculty to work with students

TNT partners with almost 300 mentor teachers and 79 schools across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex

Points of Pride

STEM education

16

communications

UNT students are the next generation of innovators, scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders. Our acclaimed communication programs, such as Creative Writing, Communication Studies and Linguistics and Technical Communications, are empowering the next generation of innovators, scholars and entrepreneurs with the ability to think critically and communicate effectively. Our already acclaimed Creative Writing program is quickly becoming one of the premier programs in the nation.

A Growing ReputationThe talented works of students and faculty members in the Department of English and Creative Writing program have received recognition in a variety of national publications. The Creative Writing program is the only program in North Texas to offer a doctorate in the field, and only one of two in the state of Texas. The American Literary Review, a biannual journal, has become a leading literary publication featuring poetry, fiction and nonfiction by writers at all stages in their careers.

21st Century CommunicationThe College is engaged in hiring faculty with expertise in social media and other forms of emergent communication. These programs empower our students, honing skills that are essential to successfully bringing focus to a complex, rapidly-changing world.

Strategic investments will lift our acclaimed communication programs to be nationally-recognized premier centers of excellence.

Endowed Chairs in Creative Writing, Literature and Emergent Media

Named Creative Writing program Endowments to support the Rilke

Prize, an award that recognizes a poet with exceptional artistry and vision

Endowments to support student literary prizes

Scholarships and fellowships to attract and recruit talented students

Distinguished speaker series Visiting scholars in residence

Targeted Transformations

Nationally recognized faculty members, such as poet B.H. Fairchild, author of Usher and five other award-winning books

Thirty-one tenure-track faculty members, including university-distinguished professors, in the Department of English

An established Creative Writing program, comprising forty-seven graduate students and nearly 300 undergraduate English majors with a focus in Creative Writing

Publisher of the leading literary journal American Literary Review

Points of Pride

communications

18

computational modeling

UNT computational researchers make experimental science more targeted and cost-effective. We intend to be the premier computational chemistry group in the world, producing high-impact discoveries and industrial solutions through interdisciplinary collaborations. Transformative investment in computational infrastructure and research capacity will allow UNT to expedite cutting-edge advances for renewable and clean energy and human health.

Renewable Sources for Fuels and Chemical Feedstocks UNT is providing the sole computational expertise to develop fuel and chemical feedstocks from non-petroleum-based, biomass sources to the Center for Enabling New Technologies through Catalysis (CENTC). Through this partnership, UNT researchers collaborate with the University of Washington, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MIT, and nine other leading research institutions.

Solutions to Global Energy ChallengesAs a partner of the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization, one of the Department of Energys founding Energy Frontier Research Centers, UNT scientists are investigating ways to harness natural gas for liquid-based transportation fuels.

New Approaches to Capture CO2UNT researchers are identifying more cost-effective, environmental friendly approaches to carbon capture through a variety of means such as enzymes, liquid-phase capture, metals, and custom-designed advanced materials.

Strategic investments will secure UNT as the leading international center in computational chemistry modeling, ensuring ground-breaking, high-impact, commercially transferable results.

Named Computational Modeling Center with a top 10, national academic computational infrastructure

Endowed Center of Computational Modeling, supporting

Endowed Chairs in Computational Chemistry, Computational Biochemistry and Computational Physics

Fellowships and scholarships to continue to attract and place the best and brightest young scientists nationwide

Staff research scientists and infrastructure maintenance

Distinguished speaker series Visiting scholars in residence

Targeted Transformations

Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling (CASCaM) researchers participate in grant projects totaling $30 million, from sponsors including DOE, NSF, NIH, AFRL, and the Semiconductor Research Corporation

4000 cores dedicated to modeling and simulation

15 prominent faculty spanning chemistry, engineering, physics, and biological sciences

National research collaborations include a DOE Energy Frontiers Research Center and an NSF Center for Chemical Innovation

Points of Pride

computational modeling

revision 5.16.2012

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