Pathway 1

Ignite Interdisciplinarity

The problems facing our globe and society are multi-faceted and complex, demanding solutions that require learning and expertise falling outside the boundaries of higher education’s traditional structures. These solutions fall across disciplines, methodologies, ways of knowing, institutions, communities and opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Our campus has continued to embrace the concept of interdisciplinary research and education, but we’ve yet to fully organize and operationalize ourselves, while also strengthening our disciplinary bases. Supporting interdisciplinary research and education entails developing more enabling structures in how we conduct research, how we educate our students and how we tend to our finances.

Our Goal:

Goal: Become known across the world as a leader in interdisciplinary research and education.*

* Includes interprofessionalism

Pathway Leaders

Pathway Leaders serve two roles: they advise the provost to advance the work of the pathway, and they serve as liaisons to the university community to discuss, gather ideas, and better understand how everyone can engage with the Think Big strategic plan.

Pathway Leaders for Pathway 1 are: Suzanne Rivera, vice president for research and technology management, and Blanton S. Tolbert, professor of chemistry.