Research and Creative Scholarship Council Members

MEMBERSHIP: The composition of the council can be found in the Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article VI: Councils, Sec. 1, including at least 18 members including the vice president for research, the dean of the Graduate College, the provost, 11 faculty members elected by the Senate (three from Arts and Sciences–with representation from each division recommended, one from each of the other colleges, one from unaffiliated units, and one at large), the Faculty Senate president or executive board designee as an ex officio member, the chair of the Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award Screening Committee as an ex officio member, one undergraduate student selected by the Western Student Association, and one graduate students selected by the Graduate Student Association.

The RCSC requires 12 out of its current 22 voting members to be in attendance to establish quorum, as long as there are no Vacant seats, any Vacant seat(s) should be removed from the voting member total so that one more than half of the new total is needed for quorum. (*indicates a non-voting member)

Council officers

Amy Bocko, Chair

Vacant, Vice Chair

Jesse Smith, Secretary

Ex Officio members

Lofton Durham
Faculty Senate Executive Board

Andre Venter
Chair, Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award Screening Committee

Permanent members

Christine Byrd-Jacobs
Dean, Graduate College

Christopher Cheatham
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Melinda Brakenberry (Designee for Vice President for Research and Innovation)
Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation 

Elected members

Onur Arugaslan (2027)
Business

Upul Attanayake (2028)
Engineering and Applied Sciences

Amy Bocko (2027)
Unaffiliated Unit (University Libraries)

Benjamin Brady (2028)
Health and Human Services

Lofton Durham (2028)
Fine Arts

Sally Hadden (2029)
Arts and Sciences (Social Sciences)

David Kemp (2029)
Aviation

Beixi Li (2027)
Education and Human Development

Gellert Mezei (2027)
Arts and Sciences (Sciences and Mathematics)

Jesse Smith (2027)
Representative-at-Large (Arts and Sciences-Social Sciences)

Belinda Straight (2029)
Representative-at-Large (Arts and Sciences)

German Zarate-Sandez (2028)
Arts and Sciences (Humanities)

Student members

Alayna Houts 
Undergraduate Student

VACANT
Graduate Student