Texas Tech University Department of Wind Science and Engineering
TTU Home Wind Science and Engineering Research Center

Strategic Plan

Mission

WISE distinguishes itself as an internationally recognized leader in research, education, and knowledge transfer on the effects of wind on people and the environment.

 

Vision

The WISE Research Center will continue to perform advanced and innovative multidisciplinary research to mitigate the deleterious effects of windstorms on the built environment, people, (their quality of life) and to utilize the beneficial effects of wind. Through research, we provide educational experiences that prepares students for technical and leadership roles in private practice, industry, government and academia. We will be the place of choice for interested students, professionals and industry on wind related research and education.

GOALS, CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR, and OBJECTIVES

(Including Strategies and Assessments)

Goal 1. Access and Diversity: Attract faculty, scholars, and students to our multidisciplinary program.

Objective 1.2: Recruit and train graduate students from this country and overseas

Strategies:

  • Actively recruit students for graduate studies from Big XII and other universities.
  • Develop marketing material for graduate studies.
  • Provide equipment, space and computer resources.
  • Generate high profile fellowship.

Assessment:

  • Number of graduate students.

Objective 1.3: Attract visiting scholars

Strategies:

  • Broadcast opportunities for research.
  • Develop brochure for equipment and research opportunities.
  • Provide financial resources for two visiting scholars.

Assessment:

  • Number of visiting scholars.

Objective 1.4: Provide opportunities for different disciplines

Strategies:

  • Seek opportunities for multidisciplinary research.
  • Present seminars on research to faculty.
  • Encourage multidisciplinary proposals and projects.

Assessment:

  • Number of disciplines involved in research.

Goal 2. Research and Academic Excellence: Be a world leader in integrated multidisciplinary research and education

Critical Success Factors:

  • Two internationally recognized new faculty.
  • Three new faculty and research professionals.
  • Multidisciplinary doctoral curriculum.
  • High Quality journal publications.
  • Research scholars from this country and overseas.
  • Graduate students and research professionals.

Objectives:

Objective 2.1: Increase research personnel to conduct comprehensive and multidisciplinary research.

Strategies:

  • Attract two internationally recognized faculty.
  • Add three new faculty in strategic fields.
  • Attract research scholars.
  • Increase number of graduate students conducting research.

Assessment:

  • Number of research personnel.
  • Number of research scholars.

Objective 2.2: Develop multidisciplinary doctoral curriculum to produce a new breed of professionals

Strategies:

  • Obtain approval for multidisciplinary curriculum.
  • Develop two new lecture courses.
  • Develop three new laboratory courses.
  • Provide release time to faculty for new courses.

Assessment:

  • Number of graduate students in new multidisciplinary curriculum.

Goal 3. Engagement: Build community connection to enhance the quality of life.

Critical Success Factors

  • Research relevant to societies needs
  • Input to national policies.
  • Professional practice improvement though research results.
  • Information to public.

Objectives:

Objective 3.1: Conduct research that is relevant to national and regional needs.

Strategies:

  • Establish external advisory council.
  • Relate to State and Federal agency and industry needs.
  • Serve on regional and national boards.
  • Promote national wind hazard mitigation legislation.

Assessment:

  • Number of membership on regional and national boards.

Objective 3.2: Transfer research results to professionals and public for use.

Strategies:

  • Offer professional short course.
  • Provide Mesonet data to industry.
  • Make presentations at professional and public seminars.
  • Submit to TV, radio, and newspaper interviews.
  • Publish newsletters and brochures.

Assessment:

  • Number of seminar and short course presentations.
  • Number of public media publications.

Goal 4. Technology: Use latest technology in research and delivery of information.

Critical Success Factors:

  • Available university resources.
  • Funding of $100,000 to develop and use information delivery system.
  • Two personal positions to operate technology.
  • High-tech infrastructure at the university level.

Objective:

Objective 4.1: Develop web site and internet connection to provide research data and information to people outside the university.

Strategies:

  • Connect experimental data acquisition to the internet.
  • Establish archive on internet for Mesonet, experimental and building damage data.
  • Develop n archival and retrieval system for data.
  • Seek resources to upgrade information delivery system.

Assessment:

  • Number of hits on website.

Goal 5. Partnership: Build and enhance strategic alliances with external entities

Critical Success Factors:

  • Alliances with ten governmental agencies.
  • Alliances with ten industrial partners.
  • Funding from agencies for research.
  • Collaboration with fifteen researchers in other universities and agencies.

Objectives:

Objective 5.1: Enhance alliances with governmental agencies and industrial partners to pursue research related to their needs.

Strategies:

  • Continue long-standing alliances with FEMA, GEMA, TxDOT, NIST, NWS, NSSL, and NSF.
  • Enhance alliances with TxDPS, DOD, DOE, FAA and others.
  • Promote alliances with companies and organizations.

Assessments:

  • Number of proposals submitted. Amount of research funding.

Objective 5.2: Promote Multidisciplinary collaborative research with investigators at other institution to take advantage of expertise.

Strategies:

  • Continue collaboration with researchers from Colorado State, Johns Hopkins, Clemson, Perdue, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others.
  • Develop collaborative research programs with Hurricane center at LSU, Computing Center at Arkansas and others.
  • Seek collaborative research projects with individual researchers at other universities and agencies.

Assessment:

  • Number of collaborative researchers.

Goal 6. Human Resources and Infrastructure: Maintain and enhance faculty and staff, and experimental facilities and work space

Critical Success Factors:

  • Eight full-time staff personnel.
  • Eight full-time research personnel.
  • Culture to work and exchange information across departments, colleges and disciplines.
  • The program in one building to make it a showcase center.
  • University research support services.
  • A next generation wind tunnel.

Objectives:

Objective 6.1: Add faculty and full-time research staff level personnel to conduct comprehensive research.

Strategies:

  • Attract two internationally recognized faculty for multidisciplinary research.
  • Add three new faculty in strategic fields to open new areas of research.
  • Seek eight full-time staff member positions.
  • Strive for eight full-time research personnel.

Assessment:

  • Number of faculty and research and staff personnel.

Objective 6.2: Enhance infrastructure and equipment to support research and development.

Strategies:

  • Allocate funding to maintain recently acquired equipment for Mesonet, field site, and portable meteorological towers.
  • Seek funding to enhance data acquisition systems for various equipment.
  • Develop advanced data acquisition system to use with innovative experiments, e.g.,
  • C-130 aircraft prop-wash experiment.
  • Design and construct next generation wind tunnel for advanced research.

Assessment:

  • Expenditure on equipment.

Goal 7. Tradition and Pride: Maintain and enhance national and international reputation

Critical Success Factors:

  • Five regional and national awards.
  • Ten national and international committees/boards membership.
  • Five researchers from overseas and visiting scholars.
  • Research information to alumni.

Objectives:

Goal 7.1: Provide visibility of the program in national and international arena.

Strategies:

  • Host the 11th International Conference on Wind Engineering.
  • Participate in national and overseas conferences.
  • Seek membership in national and international boards.
  • Publicize the unique multidisciplinary doctoral curriculum.

Assessment:

  • Number of visiting scholars.
  • Number of appointments on national/international boards.

Goal 7.2: Take pride in the program

Strategies:

  • Inform alumni about accomplishments through newsletter.
  • Publicize accomplishments of faculty, research personnel, staff and students.
  • Nominate faculty and research personnel for national honors.
  • Nominate one faulty member to National Academies.

Assessment:

  • Number of awards.
  • Number of publications.

Goal 8. Institutional Advancement and Accountability: Establish Fiscal Stability

Critical Success Factors:

  • Research funding increase by ten percent each year.
  • Funding for two graduate student fellowships.
  • An endowment of $1 million for scholarships.
  • Remunerative high-tech testing and intellectual property.

Objectives:

Objective 8.1: Increase research funding to pursue comprehensive research.

Strategies:

  • Compete for research projects and funding.
  • Seek higher return from the University for Research Incentive.
  • Promote alliances with research sponsoring agencies.

Assessment:

  • Annual research expenditure

Objective 8.2: Promote funding for graduate students to attract outstanding students

Strategies:

  • Compete for NSF IGERT program.
  • Develop a visible graduate student fellowship.
  • Seek industry/organization fellowships.

Assessment:

  • Increase in graduate students.
  • Amount of funding for graduate students.

Objective 8.3: Establish endowments and intellectual property

Strategies:

  • Establish endowment for visiting scholars.
  • Seek endowment for Chair/Professorship.
  • Develop remunerative testing with unique equipment.
  • Develop patents for procedures or equipment.

Assessment:

  • Amount of research expenditures.