Nominees were asked to confirm their nomination by providing a brief statement on why they want to serve if elected. These statements, with links (if available) to the PI’s home page, are posted below. See the full College/Unit CPI seat allocations for 2013-14.
2013-14 CPI election results are noted below.
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College of Liberal Arts
- Street, Richard (Communication)– “If elected, I’ll serve the Texas A&M University research community to the best of my ability. Of particular interest is being a voice addressing the challenges faced by investigators and students who conduct field research with human subjects (e.g., in clinics, organizations, public venues) outside of a laboratory or college classroom.”
Dwight Look College of Engineering
- Hsieh, Tony (Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution) – “I would like to serve on the CPI because I would like to help members of the University and the A&M System community to better understand the importance of research and what it takes to obtain external research funding. Having served as PI for over 25 externally funded research projects and as a proposal reviewer for NSF, I understand the challenges involved in securing sponsorship of research and in conducting research successfully. Several of my projects have involved collaborating with researchers from other departments within the College of Engineering and the University. If elected to CPI, I will seek input from other PIs. I will try to understand and represent their concerns to administrators, and to make suggestions that will benefit PIs and the university as a whole.”
- Rauchwerger, Lawrence (Computer Science and Engineering) – “Throughout my 17 years at TAMU I have been an active PI obtaining competitive research funds from federal funding agencies (NSF, DOE) as well as industry (IBM, Intel, HP, Samsung). During the last few years I have been a very active member of the CPI, its executive committee and, during the 2011-12 academic year, its Chair. In this capacity I have tried to help the PIs reach out to various people and organizations that are relevant to the TAMU research enterprise. We have (re)established meetings with the Chancellor, the Board of Regents, the Distinguished professors, and local Congressman. We have been involved in all issues and initiatives that affect the PIs: from OSRS to Intellectual Property policies to Physical Plant and Concur. I would like to serve a second term on the CPI because I want to continue helping the PIs perform in a research friendly climate. I would like to help keep the burden of compliance to a minimum and expand the possibilities of collaboration with industry. I would like to encourage the increase of graduate students and improve their condition on campus. Last but not least I intend to work constructively with the various levels of the administration to improve the transparency of its decision making process as well as our inclusion in this same process. I believe that will greatly enhance our and TAMU’s success.”
College of Geosciences
- DiMarco, Steve (Oceanography) – “I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Oceanography and have been a member of the College of Geosciences since 1993. As a member of the faculty since 2004 and as a soft money Research Scientist from 1994-2004, I have gained considerable experience working on and leading large multi-investigator and interdisciplinary research projects. I am currently deeply involved in project management of three large and multiyear research projects. I am an inaugural member of the National Science Foundation – University National Oceanographic Laboratory System – Ocean Observing Science Committee (UNOLS-OOSC). I am a strong advocate for research at Texas A&M University and I am very familiar with the multitude of issues that face researchers on a daily basis. I have just completed one term as a College of Geosciences Representative on the CPI, if re-elected, I will continue to work for you and with the CPI to improve the research environment for research faculty and students and to bring relevant issues to the University Administration and Research Services. For more information concerning my research group please visit icop.tamu.edu.”
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- Bullard, Lance – no statement provided
Texas A&M Health Science Center – College of Medicine & College of Nursing
- Bankaitis, Vytas (Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine) – “As a well-funded investigator with an active research laboratory, I am interested in contributing to the critical efforts of the CPI in enhancing the TAMU research environment. Having served as sitting member and Chair of numerous NIH study sections, and having served for 12 years as Chairman of the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology at the Univ. of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill (and the various SOM-wide leadership committees that position entails), I believe I have unusual familiarity with issues surrounding research administration and infrastructure.”
Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry
- Groppe, Jay (Biomedical Sciences) – “To paraphrase the mission summary on the CPI homepage, I would like to serve as a liaison between the PIs of our college and TAMU administrative offices to allow TAMU-BCD research to be conducted effectively and efficiently. With research experience spanning several decades in public and private institutions in Texas, California and Switzerland, I feel that I can soundly serve the needs of the PIs, both basic scientists and clinicians, as well as students and research staff.”
*The CPI defines a “PI” as a PI or Co-PI on at least one externally reviewed and funded project or grant within the previous three years. –see bylaws, Section 2. Representation, A. Definition of PI
**see bylaws Section 2. Representation, F. Allocation of Seats