academic matters
Teams next had to write full proposals by the second deadline of March 21. From there, the Innovation Council identified those considered most promising to receive funding and forwarded that list to the University Leadership Council. With the ULC’s input, President Lovell awarded funding to 38 projects set to begin this fall. “There are many great ideas, but we have to decide which ones will catalyze change for the university and help really important things happen here,” says Hossenlopp. For Hossenlopp, who has spent more than 26 years on campus in faculty and leadership roles, the uptick in tenor was fun to witness. She had a front seat on the swirl. The pre-proposals came into her email box before being posted on the website where everyone could keep track of ideas ignited by the process. She couldn’t resist reading the daily flow and saw bits and pieces of ideas that surfaced before but had gained substance and traction. Simultaneous to leading this process, Hossenlopp is also charged with building the university’s research infrastructure, including externally funded research, while maintaining the model that supports faculty as both teachers and scholars. She says the institution’s commitment to the teacher-scholar model attracts top faculty and talented students. As a longtime faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and recipient of the university’s top teaching recognition, the Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003, Hossenlopp knows faculty value the opportunity to teach while continuing to follow their lines of research inquiry. “All of that gives me an appreciation for what faculty go through,” she says. “The central part of my charge here is to facilitate growth and development of faculty research and help the campus innovate and be more entrepreneurial. “This is a great job,” she adds, her enthusiasm evident, “to be able to work with people who are excited about what they are doing, to be able to help them get it done. We will run the process again next year. It is a challenge because it is so broad, but it lets people dream. That’s part of the excitement of changing the culture on campus.” m JMM
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RENDERING IS CONCEPTUAL.
GAME ON Marquette as a destination for elite-level and intercollegiate athletes to up their game — that’s the vision churning chatter.
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ince the university announced its intention to build the Athletic Performance Research Center in a strategic partnership with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, eyes nationally have turned to see what Marquette has in mind. The Board of Trustees approved a plan to transform a parcel of land at the eastern corner of campus bounded by Michigan Avenue on the north and Clybourn Avenue on the south and build a nationally recognized athletic center with research initiatives addressing sports performance, medicine, nutrition and psychology. Research will be faculty-directed and provide important opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research students, according to Dr. Sandra Hunter, professor of exercise science and member of the APRC planning committee. “The open-design research space will optimize exciting collaborations between various human performance disciplines, such as biomechanics, bioanalytics, exercise physiology, nutrition and biochemistry, motor control, sport psychology, and muscle fatigue to address barriers to optimal human performance,” Hunter says. “This unique center will put Marquette on the map in terms of elite research and facilitate the training and performance of student-athletes, taking them to the next level,” says Dr. Paula Papanek, associate professor of physical therapy and member of the planning committee.
The APRC will be open to all members of the campus community, reducing pressure on existing facilities, such as Valley Fields, which is used for rec and club sports as well as intercollegiate athletics. It will provide a new home to Marquette’s Division I men’s and women’s lacrosse, soccer, cross-country/track and field, and tennis teams, as well as men’s golf. Additionally, there will be incubator space for ideation of products and materials that contribute to athletic performance. The strategic partnership came about after Bucks owner Wes Edens mentioned he was looking for a competitive edge in player performance. The idea synced with President Lovell’s desire to build a competitive edge in athletics research at Marquette. “This facility is truly unique in terms of the collaboration with the Milwaukee Bucks and the opportunities to bring in other partners to develop cutting-edge research related to athletic performance,” says Lora Strigens, associate vice president for finance and university architect. One such partnership is the addition of Milwaukee Bucks director of player performance Troy Flanagan as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Health Sciences. Before joining the Bucks organization in April, Flanagan was director of high performance for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. m JMM
Marquette Magazine
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