12:45 p.m., Dec. 10, 2008----The University of Delaware's Board of Trustees gave the green light to its executive committee to pursue a purchase agreement with Chrysler to acquire the automaker's 270-acre site in Newark.

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The board made its decision in an executive session called during the semiannual meeting held Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Trabant University Center on the Newark campus.

In noting that the situation is very fluid, and that an agreement with the automaker has not been reached, Board Chairman Howard Cosgrove said that the resolution, which was approved unanimously, authorized the executive committee to pursue the purchase provided the University and Chrysler reach an agreement based on “price, opportunity and risk.”

“The University of Delaware and Chrysler are still in the midst of negotiations made more complicated by Chrysler's pursuit of a multibillion-dollar government bailout,” Cosgrove said. “We realize that Chrysler and any other automaker we're hearing about in the news have a lot of moving parts in regard to their financial situation.”

During the executive session, Cosgrove said the board reviewed the status of the talks with Chrysler, including the work by University administrators and advisers involving the evaluation of the property, the appraisals and summation of what a piece of similar property is worth.

The resolution noted that the 270-acre property, bounded on the east by South College Avenue and on the north by the Amtrak rail lines, would form a natural gateway to the University campus.

Cosgrove said that beyond being a valuable addition to the University's main campus, purchase of the Chrysler property could have significant value to the state as the site of strategic partnerships to which the University would serve as a catalyst for economic growth.

President Harker's report

University President Patrick Harker gave trustees a progress report on the implementation of its Path to Prominence^TM strategic plan, which calls for a creating a diverse and stimulating undergraduate academic environment, as well as a premier research and graduate University.

The implementation of the Path to Prominence^TM includes:

• Completing academic and department units' plans to match the UD plan;
• Aligning academic and other resources for implementation of priorities;
• Looking for opportunities to fast-track initiatives that can enhance prominence;
• Determining what initiatives can be deferred given the current economic climate; and
• Initiating benchmarks to measure success.

Harker said the milestones set for the University also call for excellence in professional education, an initiative for the planet, a global initiative and an engaged institution. He cited outreach through the UD Commitment to Delawareans campaign.

“With our Commitment to Delawareans we are literally reaching out to every Delawarean in grades six through eleven, and their parents, by providing them with information through the mail, talking with them at various meetings throughout the state and at introductory programs here on campus,” Harker said. “Hundreds have attended each of these 'Just for Delawareans' programs held on campus, at local Boys & Girls Clubs and at local schools, and more than 35,000 brochures have been mailed.”

In creating a premier research and graduate university, Harker noted the creation of three new faculty chairs in energy, the environment and health sciences through Unidel funding, and the future establishment of a bioinformatics center.

“This important growth area is being spearheaded by two individuals, Debra Hess Norris and Mark Barteau, who are not new to this University,” Harker said. “They are creating momentum, excitement and plans to further graduate and professional education as well as research throughout the University.”

Harker also updated trustees on important professional education initiatives under study, including a proposed University of Delaware Law Institute, as well as partnerships and program collaborations in health and education with institutions such as Thomas Jefferson University, Christiana Care and Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children/Nemours.

Initiatives for the planet include several new environmentally sustainable initiatives, such as football game-day recycling and trayless dining, Harker noted.

In furthering the plan for an engaged University, Harked noted that progress has been made on several initiatives.

“These range from new administrative leadership roles and the development of a student plan, to a task force looking at options for a Southern Delaware campus,” Harker said. “Initiatives also include a new online alumni community (UDconnection.com), with more than 9,300 alums registered to date, and also our refreshed web site that receives more than 2 million page views every month.”

Harker also told the trustees that the University of Delaware is faced with many challenges due to the turbulent economic climate and is aware of the concerns of students and their families about the continued affordability of a UD education.

“We don't know if the state will be able to maintain and grow its investment in the state, and it is unclear how the economic climate may affect contributions of our donor alumni and friends,” Harker said. “A reduced endowment could have an impact on the programs and services that the endowment supports.”

Because of such challenges, Harker said the University must be innovative while reducing non-essential expenditures, building reserves and increasing efficiencies.

“These time call for hard decisions, but if we make these decisions wisely, with discipline, analysis and an eye toward the future, UD will be more efficient and effective in fulfilling our collective vision,” Harker said. “The good news is that I believe we have the knowledge, talent and dedication among our faculty and staff needed to meet these challenging times. Working together, I am confident that our prudent actions now will allow the University of Delaware to become an even strong and better-positioned institution as we move forward on the Path to Prominence^TM.”

Campus master plan

Scott Douglass, UD executive vice president, briefed board members about the status of the University campus master plan and the results of a campus assessment and capacity review completed by architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross of Baltimore.

While noting that the historic core of the University serves as both a central ceremonial and iconic center for the campus, there is a strong need to provide a great sense of connectivity among the residential, academic, athletic and residence hall locations spread across the University's 904-acre campus.

Douglas said the recommendations for future use include:

• Preserving the University's historic core;
• Using coherent growth and planning principles to solve campus challenges;
• Recognizing and developing the core as the central academic and social hub of the University;
• Building connections between segmented parts of the campus;
• Expanding to the east with strategic use of height and density; and
• Providing a clear sense of arrival and identity for the University through strategic points of entry.

Recognitions

Provost Dan Rich recognized the special achievements of students and faculty, including the newest named professors:

• Babatunde Ogunnaike, the William L. Friend Chair of Chemical Engineering;
• Lee Anderson, the Maxwell P. and Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Marine Studies; and
• Charles Epifanio, the Maxwell P. and Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Marine Studies.

Susan Goodman, the H. Fletcher Brown Chair of Humanities, was recognized as the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Senior Fellowship.

Mark Barteau, the Robert L. Pigford Chair of Chemical Engineering, and the late Arthur B. Metzner, the H. Fletcher Brown Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering, were cited as making the American Institute of Chemical Engineering list of the top 100 chemical engineers of the modern era.

Michael Shay, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, was recognized as the recipient of the 2008 Francis Alison Young Scholars Award.

Erik Thostenson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Thomas Epps, III, assistant professor of chemical engineering, were recipients of the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program awards.

“The University of Delaware is one of only a few institutions that have had two recipients of this award in the same year,” Rich said. “To date, 110 UD faculty have received this award.”

Individuals cited as leading contributors supporting UD's Path to Prominence^TM include:

• David Weir, director of the recently established Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships, the Delaware Gateway;
• Kelvin Lee, Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering and director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute;
• Karl Steiner, professor of electrical and computer engineering and associate provost for interdisciplinary research initiatives;
• Alan Fox, professor of philosophy and newly named faculty director of the UD Honors Program; and
• John Sawyer, professor of business administration and faculty fellow in the Office of Graduate and Professional Education.

Rich also introduced George Brelsford, as the new dean of students, and Dawn Thompson, as the new assistant vice president for student life.

Student government leaders recognized by Rich included Teagan Gregory and Casey Patiarco, president and vice president, respectively, of the StUDent Government Association, as well as Michele Maughan and Bethany Willis Hepp, president and vice president, respectively, of the Graduate Student Senate.

Rich also noted the contributions of Betty Paulanka, retiring dean of the College of Health Sciences, and introduced Steven Stanhope, the college's interim dean.

In his concluding remarks, Cosgrove presented special citations to James P. Neal, who has served as a trustee since 2002, and Dr. Joan Thompson Mobley for her 16 years of service on the board.

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photos by Kathy Atkinson