Dear Colleagues,

I could not be more excited about new “developments” that can be best captured under the heading of development! To begin, twelve faculty members were recently awarded Faculty Senate Development Funds to support their innovations in teaching. Committee G, led by Dr. Kate Hawkins, reviewed the proposals and provided their rankings to Vice Provost Yvette Pearson. I very much appreciate the time they gave to the review process and their commitment to excellence. This year’s Faculty Senate Development Funds were awarded to: Isabel Arriagada Gajewski (Sociology and Criminal Justice), Megan Bosehart (English/Writing Center), Kristy Carlisle (Counseling and Human Services), Laura Chezan (Human Movement Studies and Special Education), Julaine Clunis (STEM Education and Professional Studies), Alicia DeFonzo (English), Emily Hawkins (School of Rehabilitation Sciences), Caroline King (English/Writing Center), Tian Luo (STEM Education and Professional Studies), Kole Matheson (English), Xianyue Ren (STEM Education and Professional Studies), and Angela Wilson (Medical Diagnostics and Translational Sciences).

Also related to faculty development, I am very pleased to introduce the Faculty Advancement and Innovation Hub. Located on the second floor of Dragas Hall, the Hub brings together in one space the Center for Faculty Development, the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention, and Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives. The three units are led impressively by Dr. Annette Finley-Croswhite, Dr. Shanda Jenkins, and Remica Bingham-Risher, respectively. If you missed their February 3rd open house, I invite you to visit the Hub soon to learn more about the great work they do and to participate in any of their many upcoming faculty success initiatives.

To be sure, the commitment to faculty excellence spans across all areas of 鶹AV. As a prime example, during last month’s inaugural Forward-Focused event, President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of finding ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to augment efforts to facilitate faculty advancement and success. Academic Affairs will continue to work closely with the Division for Digital Transformation and Technology (DTT), led by Nina Rodriguez Gonser, to more fully integrate AI and technology into a diverse array of academic pursuits. Last week’s kickoff of our joint series of Monday Meetup dialogues about is just one manifestation of this forward movement.

Another example of the institutional commitment to promoting faculty excellence is the relatively recent development and deployment of DTT’s MonarchMind, an 鶹AV-hosted AI tool that provides the same benefits as external AI tools while providing an additional measure of protection for intellectual property. Information entered in MonarchMind is encrypted and not available externally. If you haven’t used it yet, I encourage you to do so. As a matter of fact, I recently asked MonarchMind: “Should I pursue faculty development opportunities at 鶹AV?” MonarchMind answered:

Ultimately, pursuing faculty development opportunities at 鶹AV can significantly enhance your teaching, research, and service contributions, benefiting both your personal career and the broader university community. If you are committed to continuous improvement and making a meaningful impact, these opportunities can be invaluable.

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

I am truly grateful for all do you to bring excellence to 鶹AV.

Regards,

Brian K. Payne, PhD
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice
鶹AV