1. Background, Philosophy, and Vision Improving Lives. Improving Texas. Michael P. Masser, Ph.D. Associate Department Head and Extension Program Leader Professor and Extension Fisheries Specialist Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

2. How did I get here?

3. Family fished for recreation!

4. High School Teacher Thomas Edison High School, San Antonio

5. Edison High School Biology I Environmental Science wrote curriculum and piloted class (first in SAISD) became district wide course UIL Science team sponsor

6. Tennis Coach

7. Sydney Lanier High School San Antonio

8. Lanier High School Biology I Biology II Environmental Science (revised curriculum to meet SAISD standards and course established district-wide) Student Council Sponsor (4 years) Teacher of the Year 1978 Conservation Teacher of the Year 1979 – Alamo Soil and Water Conservation District

9. Student Council

10. San Antonio College Biology I and II Human Anatomy and Physiology I Environmental Science I and II (developed curriculum and piloted class)

11. Business Experience Sunshine Resilvering and Bevelling – Resilvering mirrors from antiques – Bevelling glass The Alchemist Silver Recovery, Inc. – Recycling silver from photographic, x-ray, lithography, etc.

12. TAMU Graduate School Dr. Bill Grant (Chair) – Dr. Bill Neill – Dr. Ed Robinson Tom Slick Fellow President of TAMU Chapter of AFS Masser, M.P. and W.E. Grant. 1985. Fire Ant ‑ induced Trap Mortality of Small Mammals in East ‑ central Texas. Southwestern Naturalist. 31 pp. 540 ‑ 542. Masser, M.P. and W.H. Neill. 1986. Routes of Heat Transfer in Two Teleosts, Ictalurus punctatus and Lepomis macrochirus. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 16(4) pp. 321 ‑ 324. Masser, M.P., W.E. Grant, W.H. Neill, and E.H. Robinson. 1991. A Simulation Model Representing Effects on Dietary Energy/Protein Ratio and Water Temperature on Growth of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Ecological Modelling. 53 pp. 17-35.

13. Kentucky State University Kentucky State University ( 1890 Land-Grant University) Aquaculture Specialist 1986-89 (adjunct to Forestry Department - UK) Accomplishments Developed KY Aquaculture Newsletter Established the KY Aquaculture Association (KAA)

15. Auburn University Fisheries Specialist 1989-1998 Assistant Professor 1989 Associate Professor with tenure 1993 Professor 1998 (September) Research on Cage Culture and In-pond Raceways Established AL Crawfish Association Nelson, R.G., S.A. Duarte, and M.P. Masser. 2001. Financial Risk Analysis of Three Aeration Regimes in Catfish Cage Culture. Aquaculture Economics and Management. 5:3&4. pp. 171-178. Yoo, K.H., M.P. Masser, and B.A. Hawcroft. 1995. An In-pond Raceway System Incorporating Removal of Fish Wastes. Aquacultural Engineering. 14 pp. 175-181. Tai, C.F., L.U. Hatch, M.P. Masser, O.J. Cacho, and D.G. Hoffman. 1994. Validation of a Growth Model for Catfish. Aquaculture. 128 pp. 245-254.

17. Texas A&M University Associate Professor and Extension Fisheries Specialist – 1998 Professor and Extension Fisheries Specialist – 2001 Associate Department Head and Program Leader – 2006

18. Publications and Grants Book Chapters – 6 Peer reviewed Extension pubs – 20 Outreach pubs – 43, Videos – 3, Scientific presentations – 50 AQUAPLANT web site (225K unique visitors) SRAC Publications – 10-14 pubs TWRI Rio Grande Project (aquatic veg) TWRI Center for Invasive Species Eradication (CISE) IAER Project (Borlaug Institute)

19. SRAC

20. Achievements World Aquaculture Society (WAS) President - 2006-2007, President-elect - 2005-2006, Director - 2002-2005 - Chair of Student Activities. United States Aquaculture Society (Chapter of WAS) President - 2000-2001, President-elect - 1999-2000, Vice- President - 1998-99 Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society Board of Directors - 1999 - 2002 and 2008 - 2010, President - 2001 and 2009, President-elect - 2000 and 2008 Alabama Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) President 1992-94, President-elect 1991-92 TX Aquaculture Association: Board of Directors - 1999-present

21. Core Attributes of a Department Head

22. Attributes WFSC is complex, diverse, and diffuse - DH must adapt to and manage complex issues - DH must listen, evaluate, synthesize, and lead - DH must be an Advocate, Facilitator, Collaborator, Innovator, Mentor, and Visionary

23. Advocate I believe in the strengths and assets of the faculty, staff, and students and will be your strongest advocate. - Interactions with other administrators, clientele, and agencies - Advocating Department’s interest and actively promoting our faculty, staff, students, and academic programs

24. Facilitator I consider myself a facilitator. - Lead by consensus when possible - Facilitating the process to reach consensus through cooperation, collaboration, and innovation - Searching for opportunities and encouraging appropriate faculty or staff to pursue selected prospects - Open to new ideas and opportunities accessible to faculty, staff, students constituents, agencies, NGOs, etc.

25. Collaborator I have the ability to collaborate with the faculty, staff, administration, students, alumni and all other constituents. “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” - Greater role in the student engagement and in the conservation of natural resources in Texas, the USA, and the world. - My objective would be to foster existing collaborations and to develop new ones that enhance WFSC’s impacts and prestige.

26. Innovator I do not believe the status quo is sufficient. - Actively guide and mediate innovation - Look for opportunities that promote individuals and work in partnerships with faculty and staff to be innovators.

27. Mentor I believe all educators have to be mentors. - Opportunity to assist in the development of leadership capacities for students, staff, and faculty. - Encourage all faculty and staff to increase mentoring activities.

28. Visionary I have a vision for WFSC. - WFSC’s vision statement and as DH, I would share this vision with others and inspire them to engage and promote it. - WFSC has exceptional people and opportunities to expand teaching, research, and extension/service to contribute to state, national, and global natural resource conservation.

29. WFSC Vision Statement The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences aspires to preeminence among academic programs dealing with ecology, management, and conservation biology. Our faculty is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge in conservation of biodiversity, natural resource management, and the sustainable use of natural resources. An overarching goal of the department is to facilitate the sustainability of the earth's biota and the ecosystems on which they depend while accommodating for human health and welfare.

30. Management Style “Surround yourself with good people and keep your hands in your pockets” Reinstitute the Faculty Advisory Board Seek input from all faculty, staff, and students: “open door policy” Listen – Synthesize – Act Just do it!

31. Issues on the horizon

32. Faculty Positions Look at current status and needs – Strategic plan (revise?) – Faculty and student input Opportunity to enhance existing programs or emerging opportunities Negotiate with Dean to refill strategic needs

33. New Faculty Mentor – Guide junior faculty – Clearly articulate P&T requirements Facilitate new faculty program development and career objectives – Concise discussions and letters of progress

34. Staff Clearly define duties and conduct – Faculty and staff input – Open dialog – Accountability “Professional atmosphere”

35. Students Increase awareness of Department to prospective students – Discussions with existing students – Input from faculty and staff Increase use of “Social Media” Improve web sites Funding of AGWAFS and travel to Scientific conferences Continue to attract diversity

36. Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses By TAMAR LEWIN Published: May 2, 2012TAMAR LEWIN In what is shaping up as an academic Battle of the Titans — one that offers vast new learning opportunities for students around the world — Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday announced a new nonprofit partnership, known as edX, to offer free online courses from both universities. Harvard’s involvement follows M.I.T.’s announcement in December that it was starting an open online learning project to be known as MITx. Its first course, Circuits and Electronics, began in March, enrolling about 120,000 students, some 10,000 of whom made it through the recent midterm exam. Those who complete the course will get a certificate of mastery and a grade, but no official credit. Similarly, edX courses will offer a certificate but will carry no credit.Harvard UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

37. Tripartite Land Grant Mission

38. Teaching Continue to review and update curriculum Consider new opportunities and developing professional needs of faculty and students – DE / web classes – Graduate employment needs – Instructor evaluation and mentoring

39. Research Pursue your passion – Applied or Basic Pursue collaborative partnerships – Private funding sources

40. Extension Continue expansion into electronic media – Certificate trainings Continue extramural funding Rehire the Fisheries Specialist position Consider strategic needs as Specialists retire

41. Personal goals Endowed chair Increase assistantships Increase funding – Establish IDC rates with Institutes with PIs Consolidate into one building

42. Questions?