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Planning Team

The university’s 15-member Strategic Planning Steering Committee is charged with the creation and management of a collaborative process to engage the campus in the development of a university strategic plan. A draft plan, with identified goals and strategies, was delivered to the president and the executive team on Jan. 15, 2021.

Strategic planning steering committee

  • Alicia Garza – professor, Department of World Languages, and Presidential Fellow
  • Marcellus Brown – associate professor, Department of Music
  • David Estrada – associate professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
  • Amy Vecchione – Faculty Senate president, associate professor, Albertsons Library
  • Zeynep Hansen – vice provost for academic planning (co-chair)
  • Andrew Finstuen – dean, Honors College and Presidential Fellow (co-chair)
  • Leslie Webb – vice president, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
  • Mark Wheeler – dean, Extended Studies
  • Tammi Vacha-Haase – dean, Graduate College
  • Tim Dunnagan – dean, College of Health Sciences
  • Kevin Feris – professor and chair, Department of Biological Sciences
  • Greg Martinez – director, Center for Multicultural Educational Opportunities
  • Shawn Miller – associate vice president, Human Resources
  • Argia Beristain – interim associate vice president, University Advancement
  • Cambree Kanala, student representative, ASBSU
  • Kayla Magana, incoming student representative, ASBSU

Ex Officio: Holly Mikesell, strategic planning coordination

Team leads

Team leads are tasked with more deeply exploring and capturing how the campus community views and understands each of the university’s strategic goals. Team leads comprise 2-3 Steering Committee members, as well as 5-7 campus community members. Through focus groups, open forums and survey design and analyzation, the team leads will gather input about best strategies the university should implement in an effort to achieve each of the goals.

Pursue Innovation

Co-chairs

  • Tim Dunnagan, dean, College of Health Sciences
  • Kevin Feris, professor and department chair, Department of Biological Sciences

Team Leads

  • Shawn Benner, associate dean, College of Innovation and Design
  • Donna Llewellyn, Executive Director, Institute for Inclusive and Transformative Scholarship
  • Shelle Poole, division dean, School of Nursing
  • Catherine Weitz, director, Human Resources Operations
  • Emily Wakild, professor and program lead of Environmental Studies, School of Public Service
  • Will Hughes, professor and director, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering

Advance Research and Creative Activity

Co-chairs

  • Marcellus Brown, associate professor, Department of Music
  • David Estrada, associate professor, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
  • Tammi Vacha-Haase, dean, Graduate College

Team leads

  • Suzy Arnette, director, Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability
  • Tyler Brown, assistant professor, Department of Kinesiology
  • Leslie Durham, dean, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Nancy Glenn, professor, Department of Geosciences
  • JoAnn Lighty, dean, College of Engineering
  • Matt Smith, associate director, Office of Sponsored Programs
  • Katherine Wright, assistant professor, Department of Literacy, Language and Culture

Serve All of Idaho

Co-chairs

  • Leslie Webb, vice president, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
  • Mark Wheeler, dean, Extended Studies

Team leads

  • Amanda Ashley, associate professor, faculty director, and program lead of Urban Studies and Community Development, School of Public Service
  • Mark Bannister, dean, College of Business and Economics
  • Debbie Kaylor, director, Career Services
  • Michelle Kelley, director, High School Equivalency Program and College Assistant Migrant Program
  • Ramon Silva, associate director, Admissions

Create a Thriving Community

Co-chairs

  • Alicia Garza, professor, Department of World Languages, and Presidential Fellow
  • Shawn Miller, associate vice president, Human Resources

Team leads

  • Barb Beagles, director, Facilities, Operations and Maintenance
  • Anna Drennen, school manager, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
  • Diana Garza, assistant dean, College of Engineering
  • Mario Pile, assistant director of development, University Advancement
  • Martha Plascencia, management assistant, Institutional Effectiveness
  • Dr. Dora Ramirez, professor, Department of Sociology

Trailblaze New Connections

Co-chairs

  • Greg Martinez, director, Center for Multicultural Educational Opportunities
  • Amy Vecchione, Faculty Senate president, associate professor, Albertsons Library

Team leads

  • Maya Duratovic, department manager, Department of English
  • Scott Lowe, professor and associate dean, Graduate College
  • Peter Mullner, professor, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
  • Jon Schneider, director, Bachelor of Applied Science and Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Shelton Woods, professor and associate dean, Honors College
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