Research Advisory Council

The CLAS Research Advisory Council (CRAC), formed in March 2025, is designed to advise the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs and other leaders in CLAS on matters related to CLAS research and scholarship. The council’s responsibilities include identifying strategies for the following:

• Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Encouraging and facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations for joint scholarly endeavors, graduate curricular sharing, and grant proposal writings.
• Advising on Strategic Direction of CLAS Research: Offering recommendations on current practices and strategic actions to enhance the outcomes and connections of CLAS research and graduate programs.
• Generating Mutual Support System: Creating a culture of support and mentorship, including implementing formal and informal support systems to increase faculty, graduate student and undergraduate researcher well-being.
• Engaging with External Community Partners: Identifying and enhancing existing partnerships and developing strategies for new partnerships with external stakeholders to support collaborative transdisciplinary research and graduate education.
• Reviewing and Communicating Essential Information on Research: Collecting and sharing research-related information, updates, and best practices across departments, including approaches for strengthening graduate education.

Questions can be directed to Heejun Chang, Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Programs, at changh@pdx.edu.

Council Members

The council has representation from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with a mix of tenure-related faculty and research NTTF. CRAC appointments are for three years, though the initial cohort will be appointed for a mixture of two-year and four-year terms to create staggered terms. The council meets at least monthly throughout the academic year.