The Department's strategic plans are in accordance with the LSU Strategic Goals: LSU must offer excellent curricula and must attract, retain, educate, and graduate highly qualified students. LSU must attract, retain, develop, and support excellent faculty and staff. LSU must facilitate and encourage teaching, research, and service that benefit society and advance knowledge. LSU must contribute to the social, economic, and cultural well being of the state, the nation, and the world. Department's Vision 2010 To become a nationally recognized department of excellence in environmental science and policy research, graduate education and public service. To offer an innovative and rigorous academic curriculum and research experience for M.S. and Ph.D. students. Additionally, the Department is striving to extend its nationally competitive research program. Department's Mission 2010 To provide academic expertise for solving environmental problems in Louisiana, the nation, and parts of the global community by conducting excellent basic and applied research in environmental science and policy; to provide a rigorous academic program; to transfer environmentally relevant technology developed in departmental laboratories to state and national agencies and the private sector; and offering service to the University, the public, and the professions. ENVS Strategic Goal # 1. To develop as a national center of excellence for environmental science, policy research and technology development. Task 1.1 To establish a Ph.D. program. Performance Indicators: The first phase of establishing a Ph.D. program, the Letter of Intent, was submitted in Fall, 2002. Our goal is to have a Ph.D. program with (30 students together with) the existing M.S. program with its 42 students by 2010. The LSU Board of Supervisors approved the Letter of Intent in December 2004. Task 1.2 To benefit from having highly qualified Ph.D. students assist in conducting research. Benefits: The direct benefits to the Department and its overall academic and research goals and missions from having highly qualified Ph.D. students are innumerable. Briefly, Ph.D. students, since they are more highly trained and have a longer “tenure” in their research laboratory will clearly make the Department more productive. In addition, the Department will be able to expand its teaching capabilities by Ph.D. students serving as Teaching Assistants. Task 1.3. To develop research methods within the M.S. and proposed Ph.D. program to provide students with practical lab experience. Performance Indicators: Through retreats scheduled during 2002-2004, the ENVS faculty identified curriculum changes and courses, including laboratory courses, which it must develop. Four courses were sent to Academic Affairs for consideration during the 2002-2004 academic years. New courses approved over the past five years include the following: Environmental Toxicology: Introduction and Applications (ENVS 4477), Water Quality Modeling for Management (ENVS 7335), Watershed Hydrology and Floodplain Analysis (ENVS 7051), and Introduction to Environmental Sciences (ENVS 1126). An analytical methods course for toxicology students is under development (ENVS 7114). Task 1.4. To focus on interdisciplinary research. Performance Indicators: The Department continues to team with faculty from the College of Basic Sciences, College of Agriculture and CAMD (Center for Advanced Microstructures & Devices) in submitting proposals for research and teaching initiatives. Recently funded projects from USDOE, USDOD and NOAA with our faculty as principal investigators are indicative of these efforts. ENVS Strategic Goal #2 To provide a broad-based, interdisciplinary graduate program in environmental science and policy that attracts the best and the brightest graduate students nationally and internationally, especially students from the southeastern U. S. (special consideration is given through the 15 states that comprise the Academic Common Market program) and the Caribbean. Task 2.1a: To recruit and graduate highly qualified international students. Performance Indicators: The Department has successfully recruited graduate students from Cyprus, Mauritania, Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Argentina, Germany, Canada, Mauritius, Bahamas, Nepal, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Republic of Georgia in 2002-2005. Recent Fulbright/UN scholars have come from Germany, Ukraine, Haiti, UK, India, Korea, Pakistan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa. GRE scores have all exceeded 1250. Our goal for 2010 is to recruit students from all of the above places plus eastern and central Europe, South America and Central America with GRE scores exceeding 1250. Task 2.1b: To recruit and graduate highly qualified students nationwide. Performance Indicators: The Department has successfully recruited graduate students from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia and Puerto Rico. Our goal for 2010 is to recruit students beyond the states in SACS. How is goal being addressed? It is difficult at this time. One professor (anonymous) in the department stated, “hoping someone from North Dakota or Brazil stumbles upon our webpage and applies is a poor game plan for recruiting students”. Additional resources, namely funding, are needed to promote this program in a systematic manner. Task 2.2 To develop an alumni-mentoring program. Performance Indicators: The department has received commitments from alumni who are willing to serve as mentors for graduate students. This effort is under departmental review and will begin in the Fall 2005 with final implementation to begin in Spring 2006. Task 2.3 To begin replacing outmoded laboratory equipment (analytical and modeling) with state of the art equipment. Performance Indicators: Begin the development of a long-range equipment upgrade plan in 2003. Goal: 2003: new equipment expenditures: $200,000 Goal: 2010: replace $2.5 million in equipment USEPA donated a LECO Pegasus III Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer to the department for use in developing rapid analytical methods of detection of toxic air pollutants. This state of the art instrument can take up to 500 mass spectra per second and will be extensively used with the recently developed ultra fast microFAST GC for a variety of pollutant monitoring applications. Additionally, the US Mineral Management Service has funded additional air monitoring equipment for detection of "highly reactive volatile organic compounds" (HRVOCs) for offshore production areas in the northern Gulf of Mexico. DARPA had funded a joint project between Sandia National Laboratories and ENVS for development of the next generation of tiny field analytical devices based around the LSU patent for high aspect ratio columns by Overton. This 15 million dollar project will result in significant improvements in state of the art analytical instruments for detection of environmental pollutants. Integrated Systems and Landscape Ecology (ISLE) Laboratory (ECE 2272, Dr. Moret) was established in 2004. Systems analysis is used to help decision makers identify a preferred course of action. Landscape ecology is the study of the interrelatedness between spatial landscape patterns and ecological processes. The Integrated Systems and Landscape Ecology (ISLE) laboratory focuses on the effects that land use has on the environment, with a focus on water resources. The ISLE laboratory integrates biological, physical, and social data with spatial modeling tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), to develop solutions in environmental planning and management. The laboratory has a variety of data collection equipment, such as water quality monitoring equipment, computers and computer support equipment, including a variety of environmental analysis software. Task 2.4 To provide students with access to an advanced computer learning laboratory. Performance Indicators: Continue to work cooperatively with DOCS in building the School’s Audio-Visual Laboratory (Room 1070) by competing successfully for funding annually for Student Tech Fee Program (discipline specific funding to enhance the lab and to provide computers to create a teaching lab). This goal was met in 2004. Goal 2010: all students will have personal wireless technologies for home or school. This goal will be met in 2006. Task 2.5 To continue and expand the Department’s commitment to distance learning. Performance Indicators: Expand distance-learning opportunities using compressed video and computer-based courses with ERDL/WES (Army Corps of Engineers), work with LSU-Shreveport (LSU-S) to provide students an opportunity to receive the only environmental sciences degree offered by the LSU System (current program: completing 60% of coursework from LSU-S with the remaining coursework offered from LSU-BR). The Department is also offering courses statewide to the 15 different LSU Agricultural Center Experimental Research Stations via distance learning. Discussions are in progress with the University of New Orleans (UNO, LSU System) for a similar Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). ENVS Strategic Goal #3 To develop an adequate funding base to strengthen the existing M.S. program and provide additional funding to establish a Ph.D. program Task 3.1 To secure funding for competitive stipends to attract outstanding graduate students. Performance Indicators: To increase the Department’s assistantship stipends in 2003 through 2010. The LOI submitted to the Board of Regents and backed by the School calls for three new faculty FTEs and at least six new assistantships. The department has been successful in obtaining Board of Regents fellowships through a competitive grant program with DOCS and Geography & Anthropology (8G fellowship program). Task 3.2 To develop an internship program for graduate students. Performance Indicators: Fall 2005 will be the midpoint for data collection for establishment of internship opportunities. The data phase will continue through Spring 2006. We plan to initiate the internship program during 2006-2007. (The State Board of Regents provided through a grant initial funding for planning to Dr. Reams and Dr. Portier). Task 3.3 To work with the LSU Foundation to increase individual, corporate and foundation contributions to the Department. Performance Indicators: To showcase the Department’s research and academic programs and capabilities by improving the following: • our Department webpage (with links to Department research projects and scholarly activity), • our Department’s brochure and Curriculum Package, • and regularly publishing an informative Department newsletter. Task 3.4. To increase and diversify the Department’s extramural funding sources. Performance Indicators: Long range goal. Utilize the strengths of the LSU Office of Research to assist faculty in identifying funding opportunities. Departmental funding has increased since the collaboration began. Task 3.5 To obtain the funding necessary to endow fully the Joseph D. Martinez Professorship in Environmental Sciences. Performance Indicators: Secure private and state 8-G funding to endow the Joseph D. Martinez Professorship in Environmental Sciences by 2006. The late Dr. Martinez was chair of the Institute of Environmental Sciences. Minimal progress has been made on this initiative despite an aggressive campaign soliciting donations from alumni. To date, a paltry $1800 has been raised. Task 3.6 To continue and enhance the Department’s role in technology transfer and become the University leader in development of spin-off companies led by University researchers. Performance Indicators: Obtain at least three approved patents in 2003 resulting from Department research. Overton, Portier, Wilson submitted patent applications in 2004. Goal: 2010: Obtain an additional 10-12 patents.