Mission Priority Design Teams

In early 2026, the University of Kansas launched a collaborative, institution-wide strategic planning process to develop a unified strategic framework. The strategic framework is being designed to guide all campuses, schools and units in advancing our shared mission: 

We educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world.

In June and July 2026, mission priority leaders for Student Success, Research & Discovery, and Healthy Communities formed design teams of about 10 individuals to establish metrics, targets, and three to five strategies per metric. The design teams are meeting through the end of fall 2026, and will share their recommended metrics, targets, and strategies with the university community in the fall and winter of 2026. The work of the design teams will be informed by data provided by AIRE, the current campus-level strategies, and feedback from the strategic engagement process. 

Design Team Leadership:

Student Success:

  • Arash Mafi, chief academic officer, provost and executive vice chancellor of the Lawrence and Edwards campuses

Healthy Communities: 

  • Steve Stites, chief health sciences officer and executive vice chancellor for KU Medical Center

Research & Discovery: 

Design Team Members

Quick Links

Role of Design Teams 

Design Teams are convened to articulate and refine the University Strategic Framework mission priorities into clear, actionable, and measurable goals. Their work ensures alignment across the institution and supports achievement of enterprise-level outcomes.  Mission Priority Leads (Student Success, Healthy Communities, Research and Discovery) will lead their respective teams in meeting their responsibilities. 

The responsibilities identified below will take place from June through fall 2026. 

Core Responsibilities 

Identify Metrics and Targets for Mission Priority Areas  

  • Collaborate to identify 3-5 key metrics and long-term targets (e.g., 2030/2040 outcomes) aligned to mission priorities. 

Identify Strategies for Mission Priority Areas 

  • Review institutional engagement input for consideration in the development of 3-5 strategies per metric. 
  • Review strategies from existing campus strategic plans for consideration as potential strategies in the new framework. 
  • Consider funding requirements and other resource implications, trade-offs, and prioritization to enable successful execution. 

Collaboration & Engagement 

  • Participate in regularly scheduled meetings and actively contribute expertise. 
  • Represent a broad institutional perspective (faculty, staff, students, other stakeholders) from across all campuses. 
  • Engage constructively with diverse viewpoints to advance solutions that will impact the mission priority area. 

Transition to Implementation (at the conclusion of the design phase) 

  • Help prepare recommendations for leadership review and approval. 
  • Identify strategy leads to oversee the planning and execution of the approved strategies. 

Expectations for Participation 

  • Demonstrate subject-matter expertise, capacity, and commitment to the work. 
  • Balance representation of stakeholder perspectives with institutional priorities. 
  • Maintain active engagement, preparation, and accountability throughout the process. 
  • Serve as ambassadors of the strategic framework within their areas. 

Design Team Members

Research & Discovery Design Team Members

Chairs:

Members:

  • Sara Baer, professor, senior scientist and director of Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
  • Mario Castro, professor, KU Medical Center, Division of Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
  • Bret Freudenthal, professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, KU Medical Center
  • Donna Ginther, professor, director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research, Director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Policy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Economics, 
  • Timothy Jackson, professor and chair, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry
  • Simon Craddock Lee, professor and chair, KU Medical Center, Dept. of Population Health
  • Kevin Leonard, professor and associate dean for research, School of Engineering, Dept. of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
  • Mindie Paget, assistant vice chancellor for research communications & training, Office of Research
  • Paul Toler, senior associate vice chancellor for research administration, KU Medical Center

Support:

  • Kierstyn Cox, senior strategic implementation manager, Strategy Office
  • Tom Field, associate vice chancellor of strategy development, Strategy Office  
  • Haley Pederson, research analyst, Analytics, Institutional Research, & Effectiveness

Student Success Design Team Members

Chair: 

Arash Mafi, chief academic officer, provost and executive vice chancellor of the Lawrence and Edwards campuses

Members:

  • Chris Anderson, associate dean for student success, School of Business
  • Jordan Atkinson, professor of practice, director of undergraduate programs & director of organizational communication graduate programs, School of Professional Studies
  • Heather Black, associate dean for student affairs, School of Nursing 
  • Prabhakar Chalise, associate professor, School of Medicine, Dept. of Biostatistics and Data Science
  • Abby Coffin, associate vice provost, Academic Affairs
  • Sheyda Jahanbani, associate professor & director of graduate studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of History
  • Angela Karlin, associate vice provost, Financial Aid & Scholarships 
  • Molly McVey, assistant teaching professor, School of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  • Dawn Shew, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, Academic & Student Affairs, KU Medical Center
  • Lizz Warren, assistant dean for student retention, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Support:

  • Kim Beets, research analyst, Analytics, Institutional Research, & Effectiveness
  • Kierstyn Cox, senior strategic implementation manager, Strategy Office
  • Tom Field, associate vice chancellor of strategy development, Strategy Office

Healthy Communities Design Team Members

Chair: 

Steve Stites, chief health sciences officer and executive vice chancellor for KU Medical Center

Members:

  • Benjamin Anderson, president and chief executive officer, Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System 
  • Jonathan Brumberg, chair and professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Dept. of Psychology
  • Dave Burnett, associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives and associate professor, KU Medical Center, School of Health Professions 
  • Simon Craddock Lee, professor and chair, KU Medical Center, Dept. of Population Health
  • David Dietz, dean and professor, School of Pharmacy
  • Melinda Lewis, professor of practice and director of the Center for Community Engagement and Collaboration, School of Social Welfare
  • Robert McCormack, chief of staff and director of government relations, KU Medical Center, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor 
  • Mark Meyer, interim chair and professor, KU Medical Center, Family Medicine and Community Health
  • Bob Moser, professor, KU Medical Center, Dept. of Population, and medical director for the Cara Collaborative, The University of Kansas Health System
  • Akinlolu Ojo, executive dean and professor, KU Medical Center
  • Laura Lynn Tatpati, dean and professor, KU School of Medicine Wichita
  • Karen Weis, dean and professor, School of Nursing - Salina Campus 
  • Chris Wilson, executive director of Digital Health Co/Lab and senior vice president of business development & integration, The University of Kansas Health System

Support:

  • Kierstyn Cox, senior strategic implementation manager, Strategy Office
  • Tom Field, associate vice chancellor of strategy development, Strategy Office  
  • Niranji Dopa Pathirage, principal data analytics scientist, Analytics, Institutional Research, & Effectiveness