Message from VPAA Yeigh
Bjong Wolf Yeigh, PhD
Dr. Yeigh, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the faculty.CVBiography
On all fronts the academic environment here at Norwich is strong and becoming more so each day. The University’s faculty and students are excelling and proudly displaying Norwich spirit in the greater academic community. We have two faculty members in the School of Humanities who have garnered prestigious Fulbright Scholar grants. One faculty member began her award in Ukraine, lecturing at the Dnipropetrovsk National University, while the other begins his appointment at the University of Innsbruck as a distinguished professor in March, 2008.
I had the pleasure of witnessing accomplishments of Norwich students at this year’s Vermont Chapter of Sigma Xi induction ceremony. Of the eight students inducted statewide, seven hailed from Norwich! Sigma Xi is a scientific honor society (equivalent to Phi Beta Kappa) whose membership boasts more Nobel Laureates than any other professional and academic society outside the National Academies. The academic achievements our students have garnered by election into Sigma Xi are, therefore, quite significant.
Along with our students, Norwich’s faculty members are also excelling in their respective professional and academic fields. Faculty and students from the departments of biology, chemistry and psychology, are active in Vermont Genetics Network (VGM) research; Norwich is now the second largest recipient of VGN grants. Additionally, faculty from the David Crawford School of Engineering have recently recieved a grant from NASA to fund groundbreaking research occurring here on campus. Across all eight schools and in all academic affairs, we are actively engaging in academic pursuits with our students, we are publishing on a regular basis, and we are doing more than ever before.
Working jointly with the schools of humanities and national services, we have created a new major and minor program in Chinese language and are moving forward in forging a collaborative relationship with the Chinese Military Academy.
~ Dr. Yeigh
The University is supporting its faculty and students in many ways. Income from endowed and gift sources will provide more than$600,000 this year to be used for faculty development and student research effort. Sources include Dana funds, Chase funds, Weintz funds, Bride funds, Board of Fellows funds, Academic Enrichment funds, McDermott funds, Temperform funds and Leadership Campaign funds, among others. External funding from VGN, NASA, and Vermont Geologic Survey will provide more than $375,000. Moreover, to sustain these efforts for faculty and students and to promote new programs, we have invested an additional $190,000 plus into VPAA initiatives. Norwich’s academic affairs have now become a scholarly enterprise valued at more than $1.2 million in fiscal year 2008, and we are growing rapidly!
This spring we made a conscientious decision to invest in a strategic language program at Norwich. Working jointly with the schools of humanities and national services, we have created a new major and minor program in Chinese language and are moving forward in forging a collaborative relationship with the Chinese Military Academy. In its first semester, all expectations for the program were exceeded. The first Chinese course now has 40 students enrolled, and all but a few are ROTC students. We are now preparing to bring a strategic language institute to Norwich in the near future. Although we have much more to do in the realm of internationalizing the campus, our indicators point to growth, excellence and a sustainable future.
Stay tuned and check back often to see what our faculty, students and staff are doing to make Norwich academics some of the best in the nation. Yes, it’s an exciting time to be at Norwich!
Sincerely yours,
Bjong Wolf Yeigh, PhD, EMCP, F.ASME
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Management
