On the surface, John Ferraris, Ph.D., interim dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas, may not seem like an administrator. For starters, he is something of a technology enthusiast. He keeps up with the latest in computer technology and software, and the Apple G5 computer in his office features a 30-inch flat-screen monitor.
He is head of the Department of Chemistry and a professor whose lab still conducts research. One project looks at ways to power artificial muscles using fuel cells. Recently, his work in this area was cited by a UTD colleague who was awarded a $750,000 grant to study artificial muscles.
But his success in research and love of technology may be just the tip of the iceberg. Ferraris also is charged with helping move the school and UTD toward their tier-one goals.
“Probably the most difficult challenge is how does one become competitive with all the other places that are seeking an elevation in their status? These are universities that have longer histories than us and perhaps better resources.
“One of the answers is we have to target strategically. That’s why when we are trying to hire faculty, we’re looking for the best but we are also looking in targeted areas. Overarching this whole idea is to find out the right areas to focus on because we can’t do everything.
To reach tier one
“Getting to a higher tier is going to require multiple strategies, multiple approaches,” Ferraris said. “We are getting more and more joint appointments. In fact, in new faculty hires, we are looking for every opportunity to effect joint appointments where they make sense."
Joint appointments are given to professors whose educational backgrounds allow them to teach in two or more schools or disciplines.
"If we want to grow to a size that will allow us to get to tier one, then we need significant growth within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.”
But will joint appointments lead to increased synergy, that buzzword from the '90s that speaks to the compatibility of people, resources and efforts?
“The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is actually organized into six departments: biology, chemistry, geosciences, math sciences, physics and science and math education. But the boundaries between departments are dissolving," Ferraris said.
Not only are interdisciplinary studies available within a particular school, but the future will allow combining study areas between schools. So, biology majors could mix some engineering classes or business courses into their curriculum to specialize their degrees.
"It’s not just the interface areas within Natural Sciences and Mathematics but it’s also the interface areas between the various disciplines within the Schools of Engineering and Brain and Behavioral Science. Those represent real opportunities,” Ferraris said.
“Also, we are an educational institution, so our Science and Math Education Department becomes an important component in trying to get good teachers out there. That department is housed in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, so it has a strong science underpinning to drive it,” Ferraris said.
Going places
Ferraris’ goals may be well-defined but his approach features a philosophical bent.
“First, we want to build a school at the national level. Faculty and students need to be diverse. But to attract them you need state-of-the-art facilities, competitive stipends and funding.
“This is an area where strategic and tactical goals come together. Where you ask the questions, ‘Where do you want to be in the future and what’s necessary to achieve it?’
“This can’t be done overnight, and getting there is where creativity and variability come to play,” he said.
One feather in the university’s cap is the groundbreaking and construction of its $85 million Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Building, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2006. As Ferraris talks about it, a broad smile spreads across his face.
“It’s going to be a tremendous facility and hopefully a big draw in our efforts to attract new faculty. It’s state of the art. It will house a variety of disciplines from engineering and the departments of natural sciences and mathematics. Basically, the idea behind it is to place the top-notch researchers in it in areas that can act synergistically, both in science and engineering, and have lots of interaction among faculty and graduate students. Hopefully we will get the forefront research done.”
Among Ferraris' accomplishments since becoming interim dean in August, 2003:
- Overseeing renovations of Founders North and Kusch Auditorium
- Searching for staff for all Departments of the School of NS&M and hiring faculty members for the Science and Math Education, Chemistry, and Physics departments.
- Working to get NS&M staff moved over to new offices in the Waterview Science and Technology Center, across from the Center for Space Sciences
The problem at hand
Backtracking a bit but getting right to the point, Ferraris conveyed the urgency of the school’s current needs.
“The problem the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faces,” he said, “is that it’s too small. There are 80 faculty members in it now and in reality that’s larger than some typical departments, but not much. We’re really sub-critical mass in all of our respective departments. We really need to at least double our size over the next 10 years.
An expected attrition rate of up to 50 percent among current faculty is another obstacle.
"It just becomes daunting in this day and age where, on average, we have to hire 12-16 faculty members a year for the next 10 years. So the key issues are: ‘How do you get there?’ and ‘What are the areas you want to get into to get the best bang for the buck?’”
- Updated: December 19, 2007
