We’re only half way through academic year 2013-2014 and already there are several noteworthy accomplishments!
We welcomed Dr. Stephen Hooper as our new Associate Dean and Chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS). We look forward to working with him as we begin to implement our strategic plan – a retreat to launch this process is planned for June and will include all faculty and staff.
Our Office of Research (DAHS-OOR) team launched the online Grant Pre-Submission Notification System (www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/research/gps), which has streamlined the process of routing approvals for multiple investigators/units simultaneously, and facilitated access to grant support resources such as budget development, analysis plans, and grant editing. Our two new methodologists, Drs. Wanqing Zhang and Richard Faldowski, have plunged into their new roles, taking on various research projects, serving on committees, and offering lectures. They are feeling quite needed these days, as requests for methodology consultations soar.
This year the monthly Research Forum spotlights research of new faculty and interdisciplinary panels to identify cross-cutting themes, methods, and opportunities for collaboration. The newly formed “Methodology Happy Hour” creates a social space for PhD students and faculty to dialogue informally about cutting-edge methods and brainstorm solutions to methodological challenges – it’s a great opportunity to have your specific questions answered by our resident experts!
Last, but not least, the DAHS-OOR team in concert with the PhD program directors and research methods course instructors, are beginning the process of analyzing syllabi and teaching needs with the goal of creating research course offerings that better meet our students’ needs, capitalize on our collective faculty expertise, and utilize resources more efficiently across the three PhD programs: Occupational Science, Speech and Hearing Sciences, and Human Movement Science. Stay tuned!