Research and Administrative Computing Committee (RACC) — Fiscal Year 2008

Structure

The Provost and the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer appoints members for a one-year term. Vice President Rahimi serves as the chair. The Committee is supported by senior staff from NUIT; Office of the Provost; Office of Budget Planning Office for Research; Financial Operations, and Facilities Management in developing its recommendations. The Committee is composed of faculty and administrative staff from throughout the University whose research needs or administrative responsibilities bring the necessary expertise to the group's discussions.

Purpose

1. To identify research and administrative computing needs in the university over the next five to ten years.
2. Review best practices and approaches to computing environments at peer and competitive institutions and recommend best practices that could be adopted at Northwestern.
3. Advise on development of a new data center for the University, to address the University’s long-term computing facility needs; advise on solutions to meet immediate (short-term) and medium-term needs.

The Committee should provide its short-term recommendations by 3/31/08.

Sub-Committees

• Research Sub-Committee
  

  Co-chairs: Rex Chisholm and Vicky Kalogera
  Members: Jeremy Freese, Bill Kath, Abel Kho, Warren Kibbe, Martin Mueller, Suzan Van der lee, Joe Paris
  Charge:
  The RACC subcommittee will use the Vision 2020 report as a starting point for outlining a strategy to create the infrastructure needed to support research, scholarly and creative activity over the next 5-10 years.

  This infrastructure will provide computation, storage, applications, and other services needed to support research, in general, sustain research with specialized needs, and enable strategic initiatives whether internal, such as One Northwestern, external, such as pursuing petascale computing opportunities, or partnerships with national labs. The infrastructure will also enable and promote collaborations among researchers and the efficient use of expert knowledge and experience both on- and off-campus.

  The subcommittee will recommend the expert technical staffing needed to provide ongoing support, maintenance and renewal for this infrastructure, and the expertise required to assure that faculty will be able to take full advantage of its resources and services, as well as the regional, national, and international resources that it connects to.

  In addition, it will look at how the infrastructure, resources, and services should be organized and coordinated, what is necessary to assure that faculty know what is available and how to use it, and how to encourage synergies that will transform the research culture in ways that will attract and retain faculty, staff, and students.

• Administrative Sub-Committee
  Co-chairs: Michael Mills and Ingrid Stafford
  Members: Betty Brugger, David Keown, Sheila Driscoll, Kathy Tessendorf, Rebecca Cooke, Eve Jeffers
  Charge:
  The RACC administrative subcommittee will recommend a strategy to create the infrastructure required to support administrative information services necessary to achieve the University’s teaching and research mission over the next 5-10 years.
  
  This infrastructure will provide ubiquitous access to information and services, including support for global and interdisciplinary programs, for the University community, its donors, alumni, students, faculty and staff. This infrastructure will enable strategic initiatives as expressed in the Highest Order of Excellence II, such as, providing a foundation that supports the ability to optimize and streamline business processes and to build a service-focused culture.
  
  The subcommittee will recommend the expert technical staffing needed to provide ongoing support, maintenance and renewal for this infrastructure, and advocate for investment in the expertise required to assure that the University community will be able to take full advantage of its resources and services.

RACC Committee Meeting Dates

Members & Bios

• Ted Belytschko (Walter P. Murphy Professor, Dept of Mechanical Engineering/MEAS)
• Craig Bina (Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Professor, Dept of Earth & Planetary Science/WCAS)
• Tom Board (Associate Vice President of Cyberinfrastructure)
• Betty Brugger (Management Systems Director, NUIT)
• Rex Chisolm (Adam & Rich T Lind Professor, Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine)
• Noshir Contractor (Professor, Dept. of Industrial Engineering Management Science/MEAS and School of Communication)
• Rebecca Cooke (Senior Associate Dean of Administration, Feinberg School of Medicine)
• Holly Falk – Krzesinski (Director, Office for Research Development)
• Tassos Fragkos (PhD student, Dept of Astronomy and Physics)
• Catherine Grimsted (Assoc Dean Admin/Finance - WCAS)
• James Hurley (Associate Vice President, Budget, Planning, Analysis and Allocation, Office of Budget Planning)
• Vicky Kalogera (Assoc Professor, Dept of Physics and Astronomy/WCAS)
• Marv Lofquist (Associate Dean, WCAS)
• Richard Lueptow (Professor, Co-Director Master of Program Development Program, Senior Associate Dean for Research, McCormick School)
• Franziska Lys (Assoc. Professor, Dept of German/ WCAS)
• Rick Morris (Assoc. Dean, School of Communication)
• Martin Mueller (Professor, Department of English/WCAS)
• Ron Nayler (Assoc VP, Facilities Management)
• Joseph Paris (Academic & Research Technologies, NUIT)
• Sarah Pritchard (University Librarian)
• Mort Rahimi (Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Information Technology)
  
• Jennifer Roden (PhD student, Dept of Chemistry)
• Mark Satterthwaite (Professor, Kellogg School of Management)
• George Schatz (Professor, Dept of Chemistry/WCAS)
• Jean Shedd (Associate Provost, Provost's Office)
• Ingrid Stafford (Assoc VP, Office of Financial Operations/Treasurer)
• Patricia Todus (Associate Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Officer, Information Technology)
  
• Jay Walsh (Vice President, Office for Research)