Research Advisory Committee (RAC)
MISSION: The mission of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is to increase the quantity and quality of research at The University of Alabama by enhancing the research enterprise on campus.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Researchers at The University of Alabama are dedicated to producing meaningful, ethical, cutting-edge research in an intellectually free environment supportive of research.
PURPOSE: The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) advises the administration on matters of policy pertaining to research, both internal and external, and provides the Office for Research and the Office for Sponsored Programs faculty input concerning policies and procedures that govern administration of externally funded research. The committee also serves as a forum to discuss research-related issues at The University of Alabama. The committee is a direct two-way communication channel that faculty and administration can use to convey issues and receive information about research-related concerns. Facilitating communication, engaging members of the research community, and addressing policies that effect research on campus are key issues for this committee.
RAC LEADERSHIP: The RAC is led by an Executive Committee comprised of the current Chair, a Chair-Elect, and the Past Chair. To ensure continuity, members in leadership roles will serve three successive years as members of the Executive Committee. At the end of the academic year, a first-year member of the committee will be elected Chair-Elect and will serve in that role during their second year on the committee. They will assume the role of Chair in their third year on the committee and will continue as a non-voting, ex-officio member (Past Chair) the following year. Succession of leadership roles will occur in April of each year.
COMPOSITION: This committee shall consist of 17 voting members: Three representatives from Arts & Sciences (one each from science/mathematics, arts/humanities and social/behavioral sciences), three representatives from diverse departments in Engineering, one representative from each of the remaining colleges/schools (Commerce and Business Administration, Communication and Information Sciences, Community Health Sciences, Continuing Studies, Education, Human Environmental Sciences, Law, Libraries, Nursing, and Social Work); and a Faculty Senate Representative. These members shall serve staggered non-succeeding three-year terms. If elected to the RAC Leadership, an additional year on the committee on the RAC as Past Chair is required. The following shall serve as liaison members: Vice Provost for Information Technology, the Director of the Office for Sponsored Programs, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Graduate School, and a representative from the Office of University Counsel.
The divisional representatives of the research faculty will be recommended to the President by the Division Heads.
REPORTING CHANNEL: Dr. Joe Benson, Vice President for Research 205-348-4566 joe.benson@ua.edu
CHAIR OF RAC:
Andrew Graettinger (CCEE) 205-348-1707 andrewg@eng.ua.edu
CHAIR-ELECT:
Ajay Agrawal 205-348-4964 aagrawal@coe.eng.ua.edu
MEMBERSHIP
Arts and Sciences
Carmen Mayer-Robin 205-348-9303 cmayerro@bama.ua.edu
Paul Aharon 205-348-2528 paharon@geo.ua.edu
Keith Jacobi 205-348-0338 kjacobi@as.ua.edu
C&BA
Marcus Perry 205-348-9864 mperry@cba.ua.edu
Continuing Studies
Darrell Dechant 205-348-8975 ddchant@ccs.ua.edu
Communication
Wilson Lowrey 205-348-8608 wlowrey@bama.ua.edu
Community Health Sciences
John Higginbotham 205-348-7259 jhiggin@cchs.ua.edu
Education
Dee Goldston 205-348-0923 dgoldsto@bamaed.ua.edu
Engineering
Heath Turner 205-348-1733 hturner@eng.ua.edu
Ajay Agrawal 205-348-4964 aagrawal@coe.eng.ua.edu
Greg Thompson – 205-348-1589 gthompson@eng.ua.edu
HES
Jason Scofield – 205-348-4057 scofield@ches.ua.edu
Law
Tony Freyer 205-348-1116 tfreyer@bama.ua.edu
Nursing
Anthony Roberson 205-348-2094 ajroberson@bama.ua.edu
Social Work
Amy Traylor 205-348-2189 atraylor@sw.ua.edu
University Libraries
Lou Pitschmann 205-348-7561 louis.pitschmann@ua.edu
Faculty Senate Representative
Phillip Harris (Biological Sciences) 205-348-1831 pharris@bama.ua.edu
Liaison Members
John McGowan, Vice Provost for IT 205-348-5610 john.mcgowan@ua.edu
Cindy Hope, Assistant VP for Research 205-348-8119 cindy.hope@ua.edu
David Francko, Assoc. Provost & Dean of GS 205-348-8280 dfrancko@ua.edu
Mike Spearing, Office of Counsel 205-348-5490 mspearing@uasystem.ua.edu