What do I hope to gain from the experience as an ACE fellow?

My academic experience has played a huge role in structuring my interest in administration. I study competitive advantage of firms and nations; I examine the relationship between structure, strategy, and performance in a corporate setting. My recent work has focused on the interrelationship of the above three constructs in the biotechnology industry, which has its roots in university research. I have also researched the changing role of universities and institutions in fostering science/knowledge-based economies. To me, administration with a particular focus on research excellence/administration, is the best field experience I can get in understanding (i) why some universities do better than others in research and development when controlling for size, governance pattern (public versus private), location, and other organizational factors, and (ii) the broader impact of university research on society with particular focus on talent and technology development.

The ACE fellowship will allow me to observe and learn from an expert administrator the pros and cons of interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international collaborations in a university acclaimed for its research and development performance. I will understand how new frontiers of research call for new policies and organizational change, how human capital/talent development efforts at universities are impacting undergraduate/graduate training and communities, especially K-12, and how resource constraints in universities are influencing basic versus applied research, and research in non-science disciplines. Ultimately, the question that remains unanswered is whether or not American universities can continue to create legacies in the 21 st century that will be unparalleled in the world. From the ACE experience, I hope to understand what innovative structure and strategy are being put in place to remain research competitive in a globalized market for talent.

My own advancement from extramurally-funded research on biotechnology and cybersecurity has been significant and I would like to draw upon my experience in my administrative career. Not only did I get the opportunity to conduct large scale studies but the collaborations with law and business faculty have been enlightening to say the least. Both studies have helped develop careers of numerous graduate students and exposed all of us to the politics of extramural funding, university policies on human subjects, and difficulties in engaging the non-university community in our research. For example, the outreach component of cybersecurity research is bringing awareness to middle and high school students about careers in IT. Local constraints have encouraged us to explore collaborations with other schools to engage minorities and girls in IT. Next, my experience as the Director of Graduate Studies and advisor to over 40 graduates and many undergraduates has shown that large universities need “a small class setting” to nurture talent. The ACE Fellowship will give me the opportunity to understand the dynamic interaction of the 5Ps, people (faculty, staff, students, community, politicians), process (research process, governance, competition), products (research, technology, and other creative outputs), policy (federal, state, university-level), and place (geographic context), in moving a university toward superior performance in the 21 st century. As a fellow at UB's Faculty in Leadership Program, I am getting the taste of balancing internal and external issues in governance. The ACE Fellowship will allow me to continue learning and better prepare me for challenging positions in the years ahead.