coe-staff: Opening of the HEDCO Institute

Tue Aug 17 14:57:02 PDT 2021

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I am pleased to announce the opening of the COE’s new HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice. Funded by a generous donation of $5 Million in startup funds from the Quest Foundation of California, the HEDCO Institute will provide authoritative rapid evidence reviews and research syntheses that meet the immediate decision-making demands of local, state, and national school leaders. The Institute is designed to quickly close gaps between research and practice because of its location within one of the highest performing research university colleges of education in the world.

The work of the HEDCO Institute will be carried out by a faculty leadership team, a newly hired professional staff working collaboratively with faculty in other units in the COE and the university, and an external advisory board comprised of research and policy partner institutions, school leadership organizations, professional societies, foundations, and business and industry partners.

Because the HEDCO Institute received its first year of operating expenses this week, staff hiring will begin immediately with the goal of having the full staff in place by July 1, 2022. The HEDCO Institute plans at least six new hires in its inaugural year:

  1.  Executive Assistant to the Executive Director
  2.  Partnerships Director
  3.  Digital Communications Specialist
  4.  Science Writer
  5.  Research Associate or Full Professor
  6.  Research Assistant or Associate Professor

The grand opening of the HEDCO Institute will occur in late summer, 2022.

Emily Tanner-Smith, Associate Professor and Julie and Keith Thomson Professor, will serve as Executive Director for an initial five-year term. As many of you know, Emily is one of the leading research synthesis scholars in the field and recent recipient of two prestigious awards in recognition of this work: the Robert Boruch<https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/news-and-events/news/2020-campbell-awards-announced.html> Award from the Campbell Collaboration and the Nan Tobler<https://www.preventionresearch.org/about-spr/awards/2018-awards-presentations/> Award from the Society for Prevention Research.

Other core affiliated faculty with expertise in rapid evidence reviews and research synthesis will join Emily at the launch of the work this year. They will include Sung-Woo Cho, Research Associate Professor, David Liebowitz, Assistant Professor, John Seeley, Professor, and Ilana Umansky, Associate Professor. An affiliate faculty program will be established resembling that of the Knight Campus.

Institute leadership will also begin designing research apprenticeship and internship programs for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. Emily and I will work with Kristi Schneider and our development staff to seek donor funding for these student research opportunities.

Space within the HEDCO building on the third floor will be allocated to house the Institute faculty and staff. This location will ensure that the work of the Institute is informed daily by interactions with students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the college.

Many faculty and staff were involved in the planning of the HEDCO Institute. Several faculty and staff provided advice on earlier drafts of the donor proposal. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to Mike Andreasen, Betsy Boyd, Lillian Durán, Chris Krabiel, Leslie Leve, Chris Murray, Brady Nittmann, Provost Phillips, Deidre Sandvick, Kathleen Scalise, President Schill, Kristi Schneider, Emily Tanner-Smith, and Ilana Umansky for providing important feedback and suggestions that helped shape the final contours of the HEDCO Institute. The design of the HEDCO Institute was also informed by studies of similar units at other universities, interviews with external stakeholders, and feedback received during several internal presentations.

Numerous opportunities for additional faculty, staff, and student engagement are planned for the upcoming year as we further define the distinctive contribution that the HEDCO Institute will make to education decision-making and the higher education landscape. Emily and I will be engaging research and academic units, student organizations, and staff groups in the coming months.

I wish to close by expressing our deep gratitude to the family and board members of the HEDCO and Quest Foundations for their multi-decade support of our work. Their faith in our mission and generosity has literally built our HEDCO building, provided ongoing funding for numerous COE student scholarships, and expanded HEDCO Clinic services to the people of Oregon. We are indeed fortunate to have such loyal supporters of the work of our students, staff, and faculty.

With humility that we were chosen for this opportunity and the highest hopes for success,

Randy

For scheduling, please contact educationdean at uoregon.edu<mailto:educationdean at uoregon.edu> or 541-346-6467
Designated Reporter: I am required to report any incidents of prohibited discrimination and harassment including sexual violence or sexual harassment that I hear about to the university administration. I will also direct students to resources to help them.

R.W. Kamphaus, Ph.D. | Professor and Dean
randyk at uoregon.edu<mailto:randyk at uoregon.edu> | 541-346-3405
HEDCO 130
1215 University of Oregon | Eugene, OR 97403

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