A Message from Dean Mark Smith

The University of Houston, and in particular, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is undergoing a renaissance, with growth and increased attention in almost all of its functions and aspirations. All indicators of success are on the rise – undergraduate enrollment and achievement, graduate education and research, faculty success in garnering sponsored research, and national recognition of NSM excellence through awards to our students and faculty. These times present tremendous opportunities.

As we begin the fall semester, it is the perfect time to review the NSM vision and ensure that our activities are focused on upholding the College’s core values and priorities.

The College’s highest priority is to prepare the next generation of scientists to solve global health, energy and environmental challenges. To fulfill this goal, NSM is dedicated to being a leading resource for research and education within Texas and throughout the world.

As Dean of NSM, one of my primary objectives is to increase this awareness in the local and national communities. I am committed to NSM’s core values – outstanding teaching, innovative science with global visibility, collegiality and academic freedom, commitment to diversity among faculty and students, and academic excellence.

NSM Vision
NSM will become one of the premier colleges in Texas for developing intelligent solutions to global challenges through excellence in education and relentless dedication to research.

To achieve this vision, we will ensure NSM remains on the path to

• Grow annual research awards in excess of $80M dollars per annum
• Increase faculty to 220
• Develop a larger and stronger graduate program by increasing the Ph.D. program to 600 students while further increasing the quality of our undergraduate education program
• Build strong research teams in health, bioscience and energy while ensuring a strong academic core
• Grow $10M in scholarship endowments for general scholarships, teachHOUSTON and the Scholar Enrichment Program
• Develop strong research core facilities by
• Attracting large equipment grants to acquire state-of-the-art research instrumentation
• Training students in instrument usage and interpretation
• Assisting faculty in exploring new directions and methodologies
• Bringing scientific groups together with common interests but diverse experience.

In recent years, NSM has emerged as a leading health care and energy research institution. We are building strong health care collaborations and partnerships with the Texas Medical Center as well as bridging our research expertise into the energy sector in Houston. These collaborations, naturally extending across the globe, are creating tremendous research opportunities and attention.

NSM has much to offer our students and our city. We want to be an active partner in the Houston community – impacting education for children and UH students and influencing the lives and health of Houstonians.

As we embark on the 2011-2012 academic year, I hope you will stay connected with NSM research, programs and student success as we continue our mission of “Excellence in Science.”

- Mark A. Smith, Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics