The University of California Board of Regents Committee on Academic and Student Affairs discussed the faculty’s academic efforts in the University of California innovation ecosystem.
The committee invited UC Grad Slam winners to present their research at its bimonthly meeting at UCLA last Wednesday. Directors also discussed the feasibility of online degree programs, software updates and investments in future entrepreneurs.
According to the board’s agenda, the UC Grad Slam is a research-based professional development opportunity for graduate students in which 10 recipients from each campus will have three minutes to present their research and receive a system-wide award. obtain.
“Grad Slam provides a unique opportunity for students from across campuses and disciplines to present their skills and showcase their research in an enlightening, fun, and fast-paced competition,” said Board of Directors Commissioner Janet Riley. The chief said.
Iris Garcia Pack, a medical and neuroscience doctoral student at the University of California, San Diego, won with a presentation titled “The Brain: An Exclusive VIP Club,” according to Newman and her documents. Garcia-Pack’s research revolves around how the brain’s blood barrier protects against neuropsychiatric diseases, she said in her presentation.
Casey Ring, a doctoral student in ecology, evolution, and marine biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, won second place and the Viewer’s Choice Award for “Healthy Forests, Healthy People.” did. The presentation detailed that deforestation is linked to zoonotic disease spillovers, which could lead to impacts like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shannon Brady, a psychology doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside, took third place for “Thinking aloud: Is self-talk the secret to success?” In her presentation, she talked about the benefits of speaking for yourself through difficult situations and frustrations.
The winners of each contest gave a three-minute presentation during the meeting, talking about their journey through the contest.
“This was one of the few times I was able to meet graduate students from other areas and other parts of campus,” Brady said.
Newman then rescheduled the conference to discuss recommendations for enhancing current UC online programs without compromising quality or equitable access, and the possibility of fully digital degree programs. We discussed.
Systemwide Academic Senate Co-Chair Steven Cheung summarized five guiding principles for the UC System’s online degree programs before outlining the four task force recommendations.
Cheung said the task force will invest in data infrastructure, implement and centralize a common set of core assessments across campuses, pilot fully online degree programs, and develop successor programs to oversee the implementation and performance of such programs. He recommended the creation of a task force.
“The 10-campus UC system has the potential to become a preeminent higher education research center, innovating not only in instructional pedagogy and methods, including online education, but also in emerging areas such as virtual and augmented reality technologies and artificial intelligence applications. ,” Zhang, a professor of otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, said during the conference.
Audrey Jacobs, a third-year student at UC Davis, said in a speech at the conference that while the program is beneficial for students with disabilities and immunocompromised students, other equity considerations also need to be addressed. said.
“When implementing this program, it is imperative that we pay special attention to potential disparities for low-income and minority students,” Jacobs said.
Mr. Newman then concluded the meeting by updating the Regents on progress towards implementing the 14 recommendations made by the Regents Working Group on Innovation Transfer and Entrepreneurship in May 2021. The recommendations, per item, addressed challenges in UC’s innovation transfer policies, practices, and technology infrastructure, particularly intellectual property management software.
Mr. Newman emphasized the need to replace the current patent tracking system, which has been in use for 35 years, with the Wellspring Sophia platform. The new platform will automate integration and data processing, minimize manual workarounds, centralize reporting to meet federal and regent policy requirements, and enhance the commercialization of intellectual property, Newman said.
“To date, memorandums of understanding have been signed on all UC campuses except UCLA, but UCLA is still awaiting a decision,” Professor Newman said. “This broad support across the UC system underscores the importance of this effort and our shared recognition of the need for a modern IP management system.”
Mr Newman outlined a three-year implementation period and a new charging advisory committee. The committee, made up of representatives from all UC campuses, said they would set the dimensions for the technology’s cost allocation.
This item contains the latest information about the President’s Entrepreneurship Network Council’s “Proof of Concept” Fund, and includes the latest information about the President’s Entrepreneurship Network Council’s “Proof of Concept” funding, which includes the following: Mr. Robben announced.
“[The POC Fund]has been recognized by nearly every campus that system-wide implementation is a top priority, allowing us to take our technology from research to commercial settings. ” Robben said.
According to this article, existing POC programs report that the risk of failure in the early stages of development deters traditional investors. According to the same article, it is reported that 70-80% of applicants under existing POC programs are rejected due to lack of funds.
“With the approval of the regents and President Drake, we secured $2 million to establish a campus-wide pilot fund,” Roven said.
Each campus received $200,000 in initial funding, Roben said.
Roven said UCLA, UCSD, UCSF and UC Berkeley currently have a 50/50 investment ratio due to previously established POC programs, while the remaining UC campuses are set at lower sizes. Each campus has a five-year plan to ultimately reach the 50/50 goal, he said.
Mr. Robben also outlined recommended activity and outcome indicators to measure the success of each campus’ POC program, the application and approval process for each funding recommendation, and a final report set for October 2025. Also explained the deadline.
The item concluded with Deborah Motton, Executive Director of Research Policy Analysis and Coordination, presenting a revised proposal for internal bias assessment within universities.
To reduce the risk of conflicts of interest in the UC system’s internal structures, Motton said the Form 700 disclosure process, previously used to identify potential bias within programs and internal strategies, will now be used by a broader group of people. It is planned to be expanded to cover the following areas.
He said: “While this strategy addresses the issue of disclosure, disclosure is only one step in addressing conflicts of interest and commitments, and other steps are needed, including a review of conflict management. ”.
