Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

The USM in 2010: 

Responding to the Challenges that Lie Ahead

RB.34 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) engaging in research, education, and public service consists of three laboratories, two of which are located on the Chesapeake Bay: The Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) at Solomons, the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) at Cambridge, and the Appalachian Laboratory (AL), is located at Frostburg in Western Maryland. The Research Fleet Operations (RFO) is based at Solomons. The Maryland Sea Grant College coordinates the research efforts of the USM that are associated with the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is a research institution that advances knowledge through scientific discovery, integration, application and teaching, all leading toward a holistic understanding of our environment and natural resources. UMCES is the only institution of the University System of Maryland (USM) whose statutory mission is the development of a comprehensive program of environmental research, education and service. Through these functions, UMCES will maintain its national and international reputation for the excellence and multidisciplinary nature of its research, its success in applying scientific knowledge to the management of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, and its multifaceted collaborations in education. While UMCES does not grant degrees, its faculty members advise, teach, and serve as mentors to many graduate students enrolled in USM institutions.

UMCES will continue to evolve as a globally eminent yet locally relevant institution dedicated to discovery, integration, application and teaching concerning the environment and natural resources.

Goal 1: Strengthen the predictive ecology for Maryland through highly relevant research programs.

Objective 1.1. By 2004 increase to 125 of Chesapeake Bay restoration research projects from 106 in 2000.

Goal 2: Produce a well-educated work force.

Objective 2.1. Continue through 2004 to maintain the rate of employment or additional graduate education for UMCES graduates in the environmental sciences field (within the first 3 months after graduation) above 90%.

Goal 3: Strengthen the K-12 education and teacher training in environmental education programs.

Objective 3.1. By 2004 increase to 15,000 the number of K-12 students participating in UMCES' environmental education program from 12,000 in 2000

Objective 3.2. By 2004 increase to 50 the number of teachers trained in UMCES' environmental education program from 35 in 2000

Goal 4: Increase the financial support of non-General State Funds.

Objective 4.1. By 2004 improve private support to $5.0 million from $0.8 million in 2000.

Objective 4.2. By 2004 increase the two-year running average of annual sponsored research funding to $20 million from $17 million in 2000.

Goal 5: Strengthen UMCES' eminent research and graduate education program.

Objective 5.1. Continue through 2003 to maintain within the top ten of the doctoral programs in Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences according to the decadal ratings by the National Research Council.

Objective 5.2. By 2004 increase average GRE scores for incoming graduate students to 1875 from 1854 in 2000.

Objective 5.3. By 2004 increase the number of new large competitive extramural research awards (grants in access of $500,000) to 10 from 5 in 1999.

Objective 5.4. By 2004 improve faculty salaries to the 50 percentile for Carnegie Research I universities in order to attract and retain outstanding faculty from 33^rd percentile in 2000.

Objective 5.5 By 2004 raise sponsored research awards per faculty member to at least the 90^th percentile for Carnegie Research I universities from 87^th percentile in 1998.