About Region IV
Region IV is the mid-America section of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), and it includes research administrators in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NCURA is committed to advancing the field of research administration through education and professional development programs, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and by fostering a professional, collegal, and respected community.
For more information about the organization or how to get involved, please visit the Contact page or contact regional leaders for more information.
Chair's Corner
I was glad to see many of you at the NCURA 53rd Annual Meeting (November 6-9, 2011) in Washington, DC! Region IV had a great showing, with more than 1,000 members in attendance. We represented over 50% of the entire meeting attendance!
There were plenty of Region IV events at the annual meeting, too: DC After Dark bus tours, New Member Reception, Region IV dinner groups, Dessert Mix & Mingle, and a joint Region IV and V hospitality suite. These events were intended to be inclusive of all membership and to enhance the professional development experience.
Board Updates
In September, the Region IV Board met in Chicago for our Summer Board Meeting. We had a great, efficient meeting and covered many important topics. Key areas for 2011-12 include:
1) Mentoring: Recommendations have been given for the Region to provide three areas of mentoring: guiding and navigation, mentoring for leadership, and mentoring for the workplace.
2) Website: Recommendations have been given for the Region to re-design the website and to enter the social media world through Facebook and Twitter.
3) Volunteer Recruitment: Defining volunteer roles within the Region to better assist with volunteer recruitment.
2012 Spring Regional Meeting
Mark your calendars! The 2012 regional meeting will be held in St. Louis, April 14-18 at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton. This is a great venue and Jeff Ritchie (Program Committee Chair, Region Chair-Elect) is putting together an excellent program. He’s joined by two great Program Co-Chairs: Greg Luttrell (Notre Dame University) and
Kirsten Yehl (Northwestern University). If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jeff.
In Review: 2011 Spring Regional Meeting
The 2011 regional meeting, “Research Rocks” was held on April 16-20 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a great four days, and all the evaluations back up this claim. We heard many positive comments from our membership and, in my humble opinion, the meeting was a great success. We had more than 225 registrants and also tripled our original expected profit! This was especially good news, given the economic hardships that many of our institutions faced in 2011. Region IV is in sound fiscal health, thanks in part to this meeting.
The success of the meeting also is due to the exceptional work of the Program Co-Chairs, Robert Aull and Elena Cruse, and the entire Program Committee. We had great planning and great willingness to adjust onsite. I continue to be amazed at Region IV’s willingness and ability to throw your hand in the pile to contribute--that is what makes NCURA and research administrators what they are. That volunteer spirit and providing service are things that we’ll continue to keep in mind as we forge ahead.
For me, the Regional and Annual meetings are reminders that this research administration “gig” is not just a job--there are many people who are working on their craft. They are working on their profession! It’s often at the various NCURA meetings where professional relationships are established that help someone, like me, learn, grow, and become more successful within the profession.
Committee Update
Here are the new committee chairs for 2011-2012:
1) Awards Committee Chair: Elena Cruse, University of Kansas Medical Center
2) Communications Chair: Sue Kelch, University of Michigan
3) Membership Committee Chair: Sheila Lischwe, Saint Louis University
4) Nominations Committee Chair: Christa Johnson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
5) Regionally Elected Member to the National Nominating and Leadership Development Committee:
Dave Lynch, Mayo Clinic
6) Site Selection Chair: Michelle Ginavan-Hayes, University of Kansas Center for Research
7) Site Selection Member: Natalie Goodwin-Frank, Washington University
8) Volunteer Coordinator: Debbie Meltzer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
To get involved in any of these committees, please visit the Committees section of this Web site, or contact any of the folks listed above. Also, if you would like the Region to provide anything specific in terms of professional development, please contact me or any of the Region IV Board members.
Congratulations!
Last, but not least, a special congratulations goes to Beth Seaton (Western Illinois University) on her recent appointment to the NCURA Nominating and Leadership Development Committee beginning January 1, 2012.
Warm Regards,
David Ngo
Managing Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
dvngo@rsp.wisc.edu or 608-263-6913
NCURA Region IV Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ncura-Region-IV/134667746605561
There were plenty of Region IV events at the annual meeting, too: DC After Dark bus tours, New Member Reception, Region IV dinner groups, Dessert Mix & Mingle, and a joint Region IV and V hospitality suite. These events were intended to be inclusive of all membership and to enhance the professional development experience.
Board Updates
In September, the Region IV Board met in Chicago for our Summer Board Meeting. We had a great, efficient meeting and covered many important topics. Key areas for 2011-12 include:
1) Mentoring: Recommendations have been given for the Region to provide three areas of mentoring: guiding and navigation, mentoring for leadership, and mentoring for the workplace.
2) Website: Recommendations have been given for the Region to re-design the website and to enter the social media world through Facebook and Twitter.
3) Volunteer Recruitment: Defining volunteer roles within the Region to better assist with volunteer recruitment.
2012 Spring Regional Meeting
Mark your calendars! The 2012 regional meeting will be held in St. Louis, April 14-18 at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton. This is a great venue and Jeff Ritchie (Program Committee Chair, Region Chair-Elect) is putting together an excellent program. He’s joined by two great Program Co-Chairs: Greg Luttrell (Notre Dame University) and
Kirsten Yehl (Northwestern University). If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jeff.
In Review: 2011 Spring Regional Meeting
The 2011 regional meeting, “Research Rocks” was held on April 16-20 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a great four days, and all the evaluations back up this claim. We heard many positive comments from our membership and, in my humble opinion, the meeting was a great success. We had more than 225 registrants and also tripled our original expected profit! This was especially good news, given the economic hardships that many of our institutions faced in 2011. Region IV is in sound fiscal health, thanks in part to this meeting.
The success of the meeting also is due to the exceptional work of the Program Co-Chairs, Robert Aull and Elena Cruse, and the entire Program Committee. We had great planning and great willingness to adjust onsite. I continue to be amazed at Region IV’s willingness and ability to throw your hand in the pile to contribute--that is what makes NCURA and research administrators what they are. That volunteer spirit and providing service are things that we’ll continue to keep in mind as we forge ahead.
For me, the Regional and Annual meetings are reminders that this research administration “gig” is not just a job--there are many people who are working on their craft. They are working on their profession! It’s often at the various NCURA meetings where professional relationships are established that help someone, like me, learn, grow, and become more successful within the profession.
Committee Update
Here are the new committee chairs for 2011-2012:
1) Awards Committee Chair: Elena Cruse, University of Kansas Medical Center
2) Communications Chair: Sue Kelch, University of Michigan
3) Membership Committee Chair: Sheila Lischwe, Saint Louis University
4) Nominations Committee Chair: Christa Johnson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
5) Regionally Elected Member to the National Nominating and Leadership Development Committee:
Dave Lynch, Mayo Clinic
6) Site Selection Chair: Michelle Ginavan-Hayes, University of Kansas Center for Research
7) Site Selection Member: Natalie Goodwin-Frank, Washington University
8) Volunteer Coordinator: Debbie Meltzer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
To get involved in any of these committees, please visit the Committees section of this Web site, or contact any of the folks listed above. Also, if you would like the Region to provide anything specific in terms of professional development, please contact me or any of the Region IV Board members.
Congratulations!
Last, but not least, a special congratulations goes to Beth Seaton (Western Illinois University) on her recent appointment to the NCURA Nominating and Leadership Development Committee beginning January 1, 2012.
Warm Regards,
David Ngo
Managing Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
dvngo@rsp.wisc.edu or 608-263-6913
NCURA Region IV Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ncura-Region-IV/134667746605561