1. Vision for Coordinating the OU Environmental Research, Education, and Engagement Portfolio June 2015

2. Background: Global
Understanding and effectively stewarding the environment are among the world’s leading priorities
UN Millennium Development Goals
Ensure Environmental Sustainability (fresh water/sanitation, reduce biodiversity loss)
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger (sustainable development, crop disease, food security, climate change)
Global Health
Environmental linkages to the spread of disease
Air quality
Renewable and Clean Energy Technologies
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
Many US and foreign universities are expanding their programs in the environment (e.g., Harvard, Berkeley, Michigan, China, Japan, UK, India)

3. Background: National
Federal funding agencies are strongly emphasizing holistic and systemic approaches to addressing environmental challenges
National Science Foundation
Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS)
Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHNS)
Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC)
NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
NOAA, EPA, NASA
Department of Energy Water-Energy Nexus & Energy Hubs
Agency for International Development
World Bank
Many others

4. Background: Local
OU has significant research strengths and physical assets in environmental topics, including but not limited to
Biological Survey, Climatological Survey, Archeological Survey, Water Survey, Geological Survey
Biological Station, Kessler Atmospheric and Ecological Field Station, Bartell Field Camp
National Weather Center and its affiliated organizations
Sarkeys Energy Center and its programs
Several faculty laboratories and faculty-led centers (e.g., WaTER, IEG, ECOLAB, BIOCORROSION, HyDROS, ACGT, CREW, EOMF)
South Central Climate Science Center
National Institute for Risk and Resilience
EPSCoR Track-1 Award on Climate Variability, RISA Award
Water, Energy, and Weather are among OU’s top Federal research priorities in the Red Book

5. Background: Local
OU’s five surveys are particularly important and can, by virtue of their unique constructs, play roles in addressing environmental problems unlike any other organizations
Geological Survey is chartered in the Oklahoma Constitution
Climatological Survey is chartered by statue (organic act)
Water Survey is not formally a State survey but was created by OU
Biological Survey is chartered by statute (organic act)
Archeological Survey is chartered by statute (organic act)
All are formally under the purview of the OU Regents, in contrast to some other universities (e.g., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), and have dual service and research missions
The surveys have varying degrees of oversight by and interaction with their home colleges

6. Background: Local
OU has significant educational strengths and faculty expertise in environmental topics
Several graduate and undergraduate degree programs are offered across multiple colleges/campuses
Environmental Science
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Sustainability
Meteorology
Environmental Health
Environmental Law, Energy and Natural Resources
Energy Management
Executive MBA in Energy

7. Challenges
OU has long attempted to coordinate its activities in water research and education and play a greater role in outreach
Created the Oklahoma Water Survey
Planned the Water Innovations Research Laboratory (WIRL)
Convened an ad hoc planning committee of faculty and administrators
Framed a new innovative curriculum in water management
Initiated discussions with GE and Corix regarding opportunities at the nexus of water and energy
Yet significant challenges remain...
A more relevant emphasis would be the ENVIRONMENT, which is highly interdisciplinary and encompasses
water, energy, environmental science and engineering, hydrology, atmospheric science, biology and microbiology, energy, policy/law, education, and social/behavioral science

8. Opportunity
OU has an opportunity to leverage its considerable strengths across many disciplines and fashion a framework that brings greater coordination to research, education and outreach activities in environmental topics
The framework would be one of facilitation, not control – similar to the National Weather Center and its independent programs – in contrast to the original Sarkeys Energy Center
This framework also would
Bring new research opportunities to OU by virtue of creating critical masses in key areas using existing people, and facilitating greater interaction among existing organizations (e.g., the five surveys)
Facilitate strategic hiring, including in clusters across disciplines, helping alleviate OU’s “shallow bench” in strategic areas

9. Proposal: Establish the Plains Institute at the University of Oklahoma
Mission: Utilize innovative approaches to facilitate interdisciplinary research, education, and community outreach on notably challenging topics that are relevant to society locally, nationally and globally
Initially, the Institute would focus on the environment but not be constrained in its portfolio
Administrative Structure of the Institute
Led by the Corix Chair
Reporting to the VPR owing to its multidisciplinary nature
Overseen by a Board of Advisors (VPRs, Provosts, Deans, external stakeholders)
Formally affiliate the five Surveys (which remain in colleges), KAEFS, the Biological Station, plus the planned Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Sciences (iCARES, jointly with Tsinghua University) and the Unmanned Systems Research Center (USRC)
Faculty affiliation possible as Institute Fellows
Affiliation possible for other organizations and facilities, internal and external

10. Inspiration
The proposed Institute, and inclusion of the five surveys, was inspired by the Prairie Institute at the University of Illinois

11. Proposal: Establish the Plains Institute at the University of Oklahoma
Physical Location
Housed on the first floor of the successor building to 5PP on the Norman Research Campus, formerly conceptualized as the WIRL but now expanded to focus on the environment
The facility would provide
An environment (not simply space) for interdisciplinary team research and education that cannot readily be accommodated in other ways, and that helps drive positive change in OU’s culture toward greater boldness, interaction, and creativity
Offices and facilities for visiting researchers and their students (see subsequent slides)
Space for iCARES and the USRC
Ready access to the iHub, NWC and other Research Campus facilities

12. Proposal: Establish the Plains Institute at the University of Oklahoma
Initial Programmatic Elements
A Team-OU Framework that serves as a focal point for discussion about, and assistance in coordinating, OU’s research and education portfolio in topics related to the environment, especially degree programs, certificates, and exchange programs
An Aspen Institute-Like Seminar Series that brings forth especially challenging topics for deep intellectual discussion and the building of collaborative teams across disciplines that positions OU to pursue especially large research opportunities
An Institutional Affiliates Program that leverages the mutual interests of external collaborators, especially Central and Southern Plains institutions and makes the Plains Institute truly multi-institutional
A Visiting Scholars Program that attracts the best minds to OU, creating an intellectually stimulating environment for unleashing creativity (similar to the Janelia Research Campus)

13. Benefits of the Institute
A way to coordinate planning and the pursuit of large funding opportunities in certain research and education activities (i.e., topics related to the environment) with which we have long struggled
A much more effective way of portraying our collective activities and strengths both internally and externally
An umbrella framework that yields economy of scale in administering new centers as well as existing facilities (e.g., iCARES, USRC, KAEFS)
A way to more effectively utilize our five surveys, help them to work together, and be much more successful in garnering external dollars
A way to more effectively build linkages with external partners

14. Starting & Sustaining the Institute
Share the concept with key leaders and modify as appropriate
Establish a formal charter for the Institute and set up the administrative framework
Pivot the planning for WIRL-on-a-floor to accommodate the Institute
Modify the Corix Chair search to emphasize directorship of the Institute
Begin holding discussions NOW among survey directors about how to more effectively coordinate their activities
Establish iCARES as part of the initiative with Tsinghua University
Begin developing a research program plan and funding model (might consider having each survey contribute $25K to the Institute, with College and central commitments as well)

15. Report on the Visit to Tsinghua University, Beijing, CHINA, by the University of Oklahoma June 2015

16. About Tsinghua University
Tsinghua is an urban university founded in in 1911 with significant funding from the United States to train students to study in the US
In 1952, Tsinghua became a polytechnic institution focused principally on engineering and related disciplines
Tsinghua is viewed by most as one of China’s best two comprehensive research universities, and by many as the top institution
Since 1978, Tsinghua has experienced significant growth, adding departments of science, economics, humanities, social sciences, and law.
The former Central Academy of Arts and Design is now part of Tsinghua, as is the Peking Union Medical College
The School of Life Sciences was added in 2009

17. Tsinghua Main Building

18. About Tsinghua University
Tsinghua is located in NW Beijing in a high-tech area of the city, part of which is the Tsinghua Science Park
Tsinghua by the numbers
3,000 academic staff
4,000 administrative staff
15,000 undergraduates
16,500 post graduates
As of 2003, Tsinghua had 12 colleges and 48 departments, 41 research institutes, 35 research centers, and 167 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories.
Tsinghua operates joint programs with a number of US universities, including Yale (dual MS degree), Duke, Columbia, and the University of Michigan
Many courses are taught in English

19. Environmental Science
Tsinghua is especially strong in Environmental Science
School of the Environment
Environmental Science
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Ecology
Environmental Management
Municipal Engineering
Environmental Protection
Center of Earth System Science (CESS)
Meteorology (atmospheric sciences)
Ecology
Ocean Sciences
Geology & Geography
College of Civil Engineering and Hydraulic Engineering/Water Resources
Global Environment Program
Sustainability, Urbanization, Renewable Energy
Sino-Italian Tsinghua Environment and Energy Building

20. The OU Visit
Goal – to explore joint research and education opportunities in the environmental and related sciences (broadly defined) and to sign an Memorandum of Understanding
Stimulated by existing strong relationships of OU faculty (e.g., Joe Zhou, Yiqi Luo, Yang Hong, Xiangming Xiao, Naiyu Wang)
OU participants (June 9-10, 2015)
Bob Nairn, CEES
Dave Sabatini, CEES
Joe Suflita, Microbiology and Plant Biology
Jizhong (Joe) Zhou, Microbiology and Plant Biology
Yiqi Luo, Microbiology and Plant Biology
Naiyu Wang, CEES
Steven Cavallo, Meteorology
Yang Hong, CEES
Xiangming Xiao, Microbiology and Plant Biology
Kelvin Droegemeier, Meteorology
Mike McInerney, Microbiology and Plant Biology

21. The OU Visit
“OU Day” was the first such “Day” at Tsinghua and it inspired the next one to be with Duke University or Columbia

22. “OU Day” Presenters

23. Agenda

24. Agenda

25. MOU Signing Ceremony

26. Key Discussion Points
Which research areas (e.g., microbial ecology, genomics, environmental science, soil, water and climate science) represent opportunities for initial collaboration?
What types of resources and facilities in environmental sciences are available at TU and OU? Can and how both TU and OU share them?
How do TU and OU collaborate in graduate education?
How do we promote faculty exchanges between TU and OU? What mechanisms are available to support such exchanges?
What types of modes are available for collaboration in undergraduate education?
What types of potential funding resources are available to support institutional collaboration? How can such collaboration be sustained?
Do we need to establish Joint Center (e.g. International Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Sciences, iCARES) between two institutions, and at what levels?
What are other areas which TU and OU can collaborate?
Are there any sensitive issues or barriers (e.g. IP, copyright, export controls, other regulations) to collaboration and how can we address them?

27. Major Takeaway Points Areas of potential research collaboration
Pollution, boundary-layer meteorology, and use of small unmanned systems for in situ atmospheric sensing, and potentially coupling with air-borne microbiology
Biowaste/bioenergy/clean energy technologies including social/behavioral sciences dimensions
Water availability and quality, especially during the warm season, along with risk, urban hydrology, sanitation engineering, and soil/ground water quality/remediation
Microbiology, ecology, anaerobic science, microbiomes
Possible establishment of an OU office in Beijing, ideally near Tsinghua and Peking Universities

28. Major Takeaway Points
Establish the International Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Science (iCARES) as a joint research entity
Would be the first such joint institute between Tsinghua and an American university
Pivot at OU from a focus on water/energy to a focus on the environment (including water/soils, renewable energy, sustainability, environmental S&E, atmospheric chemistry)
Establish the Plains Institute at OU to align all five Surveys, iCARES, and other organizations (e.g., Unmanned Systems Research Center).
Use it to help coordinate interdisciplinary research and education programs/degrees in environmental science
The Plains Institute replaces the WIRL

29. Major Takeaway Points Research and Graduate Education
Graduate research fellowships within iCARES (1-2 years at OU, 1-2 years at TU)
OU faculty give courses in English at TU (option of 15 OU students attending via President’s fund)
TU/OU researchers use Bio Station, KAEFS, other resources
Adjunct appointments for TU faculty at OU
Undergraduate Research and Education
TU undergraduates spend ½ to one year at OU working on their senior theses (TU supports airfare, OU supports living expenses -- $600/month), with priority for students pursuing graduate degrees at OU and TU
Undergraduate internships at OU funded by China
Explore possible joint degree opportunities

30. Next Steps/Action Items
Brief OU leaders on the visit
Discuss creation of iCARES and the Plains Institute
Conduct course inventory to determine how OU and TU could collaborate to fill holes in each other’s curricula
Examine opportunities for funding in areas of mutual interest
Explore creation of an OU presence in Beijing
Evaluate issues associated with building stronger research linkages between OU and Chinese institutions
Explore value of jointly developing online courses
Consider holding a “Tsinghua Day” at OU
NOTE: The relationship with Tsinghua University is simply the beginning. OU faculty already have several collaborations with other universities in China (e.g., Central South University, Shandong University, Peking University, Nanjing University) and those need to be part of the overall plan for engagement in China