University Research Committee
The University Research Committee is the faculty’s voice to the research administration.
Who We Are
North Carolina State University’s University Research Committee (URC) is the faculty’s voice to the research administration. The faculty body is comprised of individuals who have active research programs and who have been appointed by their College’s Associate Dean for Research.
The URC champions the progression of NC State research through evaluating and advising on research-related issues while simultaneously helping to identify emerging areas of interest or concern affecting faculty engaged in research. It is the intention of the URC to be a forum of discussion for research inquiries faculty have and to liaise with the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) for potential solutions.
Mission
To provide a faculty perspective on matters of research direction and administration, to identify and make recommendations on research infrastructure and administration topics that are integral to faculty research productivity, and to serve as a communication liaison between the university faculty and ORI.
Charge
The responsibilities of the URC are to advise the Vice Chancellor for the Office of Research and Innovation and to:
- Encourage and support the intellectual and research interests of the faculty;
- Evaluate and advise on research and administration policies and procedures and promote their continuous improvement;
- Evaluate and advise on consulting policies and practices and promote their continuous improvement;
- Inform the faculty on the availability of support for research and professional development, and to assist as it can in securing such support; and
- Recommend to the Vice Chancellor the allocations to be made from the Research and Innovation Seed Funding (RISF) Program.
If you have a topic for the URC to review, please email your College representative listed below.
Members
- Chair: Lucian Lucia, Professor, Forest Biomaterials and Chemistry, CNR
- Chair-Elect: Susana Milla-Lewis, Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences, CALS
- Communications Manager: Sofia Colón, Office of Research and Innovation
- CALS
- Matt Koci, Professor, Prestage Department of Poultry Science
- CED
- Cesar Delgado, Associate Professor, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
- Gail Jones, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
- CHASS
- Laura Widman, Professor, Department of Psychology
- CNR
- Lincoln Larson, Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
- COD
- Deb Littlejohn, Associate Professor, Department of Graphic & Experience Design
- Gavin Smith, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
- COE
- Roger Narayan, Distinguished Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Yong Zhu, Distinguished Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- COS
- Marie Davidian, Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics
- Mary Elting, Associate Professor, Department of Physics
- CVM
- Caroline Laplante, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences
- Mike Nolan, Distinguished Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences
- PCOM
- Mehmet Caner, Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics
- Tim Kraft, Associate Professor, Department of Business Management
- WCOT
- Kavita Mathur, Associate Professor, Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management
- Warren Jasper, Professor, Department of Textile Engineering
Role, Time Commitment and Appointments
For Faculty Members
- Role Expectation
- Coordinate with the faculty representative from your College to ensure a minimum of one of you is able to attend at least 80% of the URC meetings,
- Share resources and updates from ORI and research partners to your College,
- Evaluate and advise on research-related topics,
- Provide regular updates from your College to the URC, and
- Vote in polls and participate in surveys both during the meeting and when asked via email after meetings.
- Time Commitment
- 1.5 hours per month for 10 months of the year to attend URC meetings (hybrid).
- Additional time spent within your College sharing research updates and gathering questions/concerns to be brought back to a future URC meeting.
- Additional representation at events as requested.
- Appointment
- Appointments to the University Research Committee are managed at the college level. The Associate Dean for Research for each College has the authority to select two representatives to serve on this committee.
For Ex-Officio Members
- Role Expectation
- Attend a minimum of 80% of the URC meetings,
- Share resources and updates from your unit,
- Answer questions URC members have that concern your area of expertise, and
- Bring questions or areas of concern raised during a URC meeting back to your group/unit.
- Time Commitment
- 1.5 hours per month for 10 months of the year to attend URC meetings.
- Additional time spent within your group/unit bringing concerns to the attention of the appropriate team.
- Appointment
- Ex-officio members are provided appointments by virtue of another position.
- Appointments are regularly reviewed by ORI staff with adjustments made to the number of appointees and the departments/units represented.