Provide environmental expertise to east Texas communities as mandated by the TRIES charter
Objective
Community Environmental Education
Provide environmental awareness to civic groups, schools, and citizens of Texas.
Indicator
Community Outreach
Number of educational outreach events to educate the east Texas community about environmental issues.
Criterion
Community Outreach
Participate in at least two community functions where TRIES presents environmental materials.
Finding
Community Outreach
We were not successful in establishing community awareness by educational outreach or media exposure. We still think this is an important objective for TRIES and will make more effort in this regard in the next year.
Criterion
Educational Outreach
Give at least one presentation at an east Texas school concerning TRIES or environmental issues.
Finding
Educational Outreeach
We did not meet our goal of giving an outreach presentation at a regional school.
Indicator
Community Awareness
Number of public notices that are delivered through media sources to make citizens aware of environmental issues and activities of TRIES.
Criterion
Media Exposure
Get one article or notice in public media sources to highlight the activities of TRIES or make citizens aware of environmental issues.
Finding
Media Exposure
We were not successful in getting an article published in a public research to make citizens aware of environmental issues or the activities of TRIES.
Objective
Environmental Monitoring And Analysis
Provide environmental service to evaluate environmental conditions and problems in east Texas.
Indicator
Environmental Analysis
Number of clients for which TRIES provides technical environmental analysis.
Criterion
Analysis Services
Provide environmental analytical services for at least 60 clients.
Finding
Analysis Services
to date we have provided services for about 40 analysis.
Criterion
Sellf Sufficiency
Make analytical lab financially self-supporting.
Finding
Self Sufficiency
We have not yet made our lab self-sufficinet and it still requires some support from the general TRIES budget. However, we are getting closer to self-sufficiency than in past years.
Indicator
Environmental Monitoring
Number of environmental monitoring projects conducted to assess environmental health of a given area.
Criterion
Environmental Monitoring
Establish at least one environmental monitoring project in east Texas.
Finding
Environmental Monitoring
We did not yet establish an environmental monitoring system. However, we have formed a collaboration with a researcher at the University of Oklahoma and we are working towards establishing environmental monitoring systems in a project that would be located at four bases managed by the Texas Army National Guard.
Goal
Environmental Research
Initiate externally funded reseasearch on environmental issues.
Objective
Faculty Research
Incorporate SHSU faculty and students in conducting externally funded reasearch at TRIES.
Indicator
Faculty Participation
Number of SHSU faculty and students who conduct research with TRIES.
Criterion
Faculty Research
Get two new faculty members or their students working on projects associated with TRIES.
Finding
Faculty Research
The TRIES analytical labs are currently being used by Dr. Tom Chasteen and his graduate students. Additionally, TRIES has hired a post-doc who will begin Ecosystems research in August 2009. Thus, we have exceeded this goal.
Objective
TRIES Research
Initiate new research projects taht will be conducted by TRIES personel.
Indicator
Research Projects
Number of externally funded reasearch projects being conducted by TRIES personel.
Criterion
TRIES Research
Successfully bring one new, externally funded research project to TRIES.
Finding
TRIES Research
We have established a new program at TRIES in Insect Toxicology. Wwe added Shirley Carrias to manage this program and we have already secured four contracts for research on ant baits that are/will be funded by BASF.
Goal
Faculty Research
Facilitate faculty and student research at Sam Houston State University.
Objective
Faculty Research Support
Provide access to TRIES equipment and expertise to aid SHSU faculty and students in their research.
Indicator
Research Support
Number of SHSU researchers who are supported by TRIES equipment, facilities, or expertise.
Criterion
Research Support
Provide support in the form of expertise or equipment for two faculty or student projects at SHSU.
Finding
Faculty Research Support
We are supporting the research of Tom Chasteen and his graduate students in the Chemistry Department. We are also supplying a facility and equipment for Todd Primm and his graduate student in the Biology Department.
Goal
TRIES Image
Improve the professional image of the TRIES laboratories.
Objective
Scientific Image
Improve the stature of research being conducted at TRIES
Indicator
Publications
Number of scientific publications related to research activities associated with TRIES.
Criterion
Research Publications
Have two scientific, peer-reviewed publications with a TRIES by-line.
Finding
Scientific Image
One peer-reviewed paper was published with a TRIES byline. The citation is: Cook, J. C. 2009. New host association, distribution, and morphological variation in Caenocholax fenyesi. Proceedings of the Washingtion Entomological Society 111: 370-377.
Indicator
Grants
Amount of external funding coming to TRIES and its researchers.
Criterion
Funding Level
Achieve a 1.5 million dollar yearly external funding level at TRIES.
Finding
Grants
Two projects have brought in over $2.6 million at TRIES this year, exceeding our goal.
Objective
Community Image
Improve awareness of the research expertise and activity by the east Texas community.
Indicator
Visibility
Number of positive exposures of TRIES through community media and outreach events.
Criterion
Positive Image
Have one positive citation of TRIES by community media.
Finding
Positive Image
We did not meet our goal of a community article highlighting our work at TRIES.
Objective
SHSU Awareness
Improve awareness of research activities and opportunities to the SHSU faculty and students.
Indicator
SHSU Exposure
Number of presentations by TRIES associates to the SHSU community or mention of TRIES activities in the SHSU media.
Criterion
SHSU Presentation
Give one presentation to an on campus Department or SHSU organization.
Finding
SHSU Presentation
We did not meeto our goal of giving an on campus presentation on TRIES this year.
Criterion
SHSU Press
Be mentioned in a positive manner by one SHSU press release or internal news article.
Finding
SHSU Press
We had our water treatment project highlighted in an SHSU press release, thus meeting this goal.