Measurements of success

Excerpted from motivation speech: "Success is measured not by the miles, but inches".  I can not agree more.  More than often, it is the small tasks immediately in front of us that make all the difference.

A message to the prospective employers of ITCD graduates

The School of Information Technology and Communication Design is committed to developing graduates who can apply state-of-the-art information technology to solve real world communication problems in a socially responsible way. In addition to the technical knowledge and skills they master, graduates of ITCD programs excel in communication, collaboration and innovative problem solving.  

The School of ITCD is leading the charge in the new era of technology education: our cutting-edge faculty excels both in research and education; our instruction integrates both a timeless theoretical foundation and timely real-world skills; our interdisciplinary curriculum help students solve problems using both hard technical and soft inter-personal skills; our outcome-based education and project-based learning has generated successful graduates in Monterey, Silicon Valley and around the worlds.

I have been told time and time again by our graduates and by employers like you that the distinct education our students gained during their years in ITCD is invaluable for their organizations, especially in a business environment that is fast changing, collaboration essential and globally connected.  You will find the quality and ethics of our graduates are unparalleled. I encourage you to provide an opportunity for them and discover for yourself the value they can bring to your company.

Eric Tao, Ph.D. Director and Professor 

Resveratrol, Melatonin, Low Calories diet and long life

News about a food supplementary: extract from red wine called Resveratrol caught my attention.  In lab it has shown it can extend life for 20% similar for very healthy people who have a very healthy life style.  I remember 20 years ago it was melatonin that created all the health buzz, which is hardly mentioned these days?  Will Resveratrol follow the same path, don't know.  But the promise of living healthy till 100 years old and dying peacefully in ones sleep is so attractive that people, and I included, welling to give it a try.

Workload

Getting worried about workload.  Especially emails.  It take more than two hours to cover all the emails each day.  It gets worse after vacation, emails still piling on during those days.  There is no compensation during the off days yet everyone expect work is done continuously.

As I grow older, I am much choosier about what kind of project that I should engage.  Any project that does not generate long term benefits do not interest anymore since my time is so limited.  I still remember not too long ago I am finished all tasks that are assigned to me, now most of my work are assigned by myself, I can afford to be selective but also have to take on the responsibility of not starting, sometimes finishing, all worthwhile projects. Sigh. 

Comfort or immortal

What to pursue? That is the debate raging in my mind.  Some great ones might pursue both at the same with ease.  I can barely do one.  At the end of the day, it is a tug of war that tears me a part.  I might accomplish none.  When I read Yu Kwang-Zhong, listen to Yo-yo Ma, play Bach cello pieces, I felt so connected with the eternity and lasting beauty that I am overjoyed.  I can pursue, probably not achieve, some kind of greatness.  The sacrifice might be the time spend with Yuan and Fang, the upkeep of the big old red barn, the heavy mortgages that due every first day of the month.  Looking at a few shining new cars, they are tempting, yet I know the moment I were to acquire the impressive Porsche GT, the thrill will be most gone.

Leadership and competitive advantage

When Alexdender was fighting the greek with 10 times of many fighters.  They evaluated their situation, and it looked greem.  "We have less people but each one of us is stronger, the harsh weather is punishing everyone but we can brave it better, " Alexdender said, "but I am absolutely sure we will win, because I am leading!"

That is the leadership confidence and leadership difference.  If a person does not believe the leadership has an impact, that person will not in the leadership position at all.

I have been listening to a few different books why jogging, which I try to do more in light of not able to swim much at all this semester.  I repeat the reading as much as I can.  At the end of each run, I felt both my phyisical and mental conditions is exercised and felt great.

Talked to a friend over Chrismas party, setting as -10% trigger of stock sell might be something I should try.  Since the worse in a game is that one lost everything.

Being looking at so called 3X ETF (and -3X) , it is really a gamble!   

Being Clear

A strangly warm day close to the end of Nov.  It might be just Monterey Bay area.  Played tennis with the usual gang - Dennis, Murray and Joe and found everything very clear.  The sky with traces of silking cloubs, the waving tree top of Monterey cypresses, the tip of the distance houses.  The tennis ball flew to me feel so precise and SLOW, I could bend my knees, coil my trunk, assess the positions of the opponents, line-up my racket and execute my shots with time to spare.  All in a sharkingly vivid and clear way.  It is refreshing and enjoyable feeling.

Maybe because there is no high power meeting scheduled in the afternoon, maybe it is the gensen tea I had the previous night, maybe it the two consecutive good night sleep, maybe because of the strangly warm and clear day.  I felt good.

Advising Model

Approaches:

Prescriptive Advising - tell student what are the requirements

Developmental Advising - personal grow and development

Intrusive Advising - Rober Glennen, focus on at-risk students

Mentoring Advising - mostly between faculty and students

Faculty and staff should be trained.

Q: outcomes of our advising?

Structure:

Centralized - advisng center only

Faculty only model 

Shared/mixed

Successes, failures and risks

Successes are sweet.  Most people savor that and would like to achieve more of it.  However, sometimes people can not achieve more success because fear of failure.  Especially people have vivid memory of their failure in early ages.  

The tricky part is, without taking risks, there is no possibility of success. So how do we learn from the failure, and welling to continue to take calculated risks, is the challenge.

Reflect upon my past, great failures and successes abound. What have I learned?

- Have to take risks.   But only those risks that I can manage the worse consequences, and only the calculated risks that bring major rewards.

- Be careful of details.  My natural tendency is only focus on broad strokes.  I have to learn to pay attention to details and learn how to delegate those tasks to someone capable of detailed work.

- Spend time on followup.  When a duty is assigned, I don't check the result careful or frequent enough.

With that, let's move on!

Academic Building II Fund Raising Talking Points

What does your department do differently than similar departments in other universities?  Why is it better?

ITCD is not only an academic unit offering highly regarded programs, it is a mission driven organization. ITCD’s mission is to

“Apply state-of-the-art information technology to solve communication problems in a socially responsible way.”

ITCD provides multidisciplinary instruction through innovative undergraduate and graduate programs covering computer science, information systems, communication design, technology management, and instructional technology. ITCD also conducts leading-edge applied research and development in these fields, which allows students to get hands-on experience while earning their degrees. In addition to the technical knowledge and skills they master, graduates of ITCD excel in communication, collaboration and innovative problem solving.

What will you be able to do in the new building that we were unable to do in the old?

The new building is unique in several ways: It is the first building, among all 33 public California universities, designed from the ground up to facilitate collaboration between business and technology.  Stronger collaboration between the two schools will enhance innovation, raise the level of student learning, faculty research and provide better service to the community that a single school cannot. For example, a marketing campaign for local non-profit organizations can work with a team of students that consists of both marking majors and graphic design majors. Joint courses and student projects will cultivate a new generation of young professionals who can create businesses utilizing the power of advanced technology.

The building, with many project labs and open space available to students when they are no in class, will facilitate the project-based, outcome-based collaborative learning CSUMB is known for.  Because CSUMB is a residential campus, more than 60 percent of our faculty, staff and faculty live on or around campus, we envision student will have ample opportunity to interact with faculty outside of classroom, a crucial part of education, because of the new building.

What are the most exciting things you see for your department in the future?  Anything cutting edge?  What will set us apart?

ITCD offers many courses in blended-learning mode: combining the best features of face-to-face and online learning.  ITCD is offering an innovative master degree in instructional technology, the largest graduate program on campus.  The degree is training students to be effective online teachers and e-learning course developer.  Many of the students in the program are helping the School designing innovative instructional modules that are highly interactive, multiple senses, and collaborative.

Institute for Innovation - a letter of support

Sep 18, 2008

A. L. S, Regional Director

Economic Development Administration

Dear Mr. S,

I am writing to support the proposal of a planning grant submitted by California State University Monterey Bay and the Monterey Business Council, led by Ms. V W, for an Institute of Innovation and Economic Development on CSUMB’s campus.

A geographical and culturally diverse area with global connections, Monterey Bay has lots of potential for economic successes. There are numerous research organizations, higher-ed institutes, talents and tremendous wealth in the region. Communities have identified oceanography, agriculture and learning technology as domains of opportunities. However, while many groups recognize the potential and have tried to garner the community effort in promoting economic growth in the regions, these efforts have been scattered and have never achieved a critical mass. One of the primary reasons, according to my observation, is lack of a focal point, a centralized location that can integrate the plethora of resources and talents within one place.

An Institute of Innovation and Economic Development can fulfill that gaping need. An Institute that provides systematic connection between intellectual property, entrepreneurs, professionals and venture funds can galvanize the region and create high-paid jobs and economical growth. The Institute can offer training, coaching, internships, technology assessment, market analysis, technology transfer, space and service for start-ups that will be invaluable to both the Monterey Bay communities and to the thousands of students and faculty at CSUMB, especially those in School of Information Technology and Communication Design. Many of them start successful ventures after graduation but have had to leave the Monterey area because of lack of support and resources.

I support the proposal to establish an Institute for Innovation and Economic Development wholeheartedly. It would be a wise investment that will bear plenty of fruits for Monterey Bay.

Truly,

Eric Y. Tao, Ph.D.