Buck boosts brains and business

By RYAN BURNETT

Staff writer

COEUR d’ALENE — Molecular biologist Charles R. Buck has been on the job only a few days, but you won’t find his nose in a textbook or a Coeur d’Alene city map.

He’s off and running in the business of developing business.

“I want to develop a passion for a start-up mentality here, and want to make an impact on our community,” said Buck, the new associate vice president and center executive officer for the University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene.

Buck believes that in order for start-ups and existing businesses to thrive, they need to adopt newer technologies to remain competitive.

Speaking to The Press editorial board Thursday, Buck said he hopes to get rid of the perception that people from academia and people with degrees are “wait and see” types of people — instead, he said, they’re actually people who get stuff done with a “pioneer mentality.”

That mentality is the entrepreneur mentality, where new ideas and adapting to change will greatly help research and ultimately help the community, Buck said.

“The reason we do research is to solve real-world problems,” Buck said. “For the university to survive, we have to change.”

University of Idaho’s president, M. Duane Nellis, voiced much of the same mentality.

“I came here with an attitude of controlling our own destiny,” Nellis said. “We’ve got an attitude of how we can change for the better.”

Both Nellis and Buck agree that the University of Idaho is in a perfect place to achieve the goals they set out in the 2011 Leadership Tour; to be globally competitive in every aspect, including research and learning opportunities; to connect the communities that are part of the UI delivery system; and to make the learning environment as engaging and student-centered as possible.

“The table is set for that success, and now it’s time to go ahead and chow down,” Buck said.

While here in Coeur d’Alene, Buck plans on focusing on three main things, two of which he said are already set up.

He wants to keep focusing on the importance and the impact of water quality, and on coordinating what he called “geo-spacial” information. Buck wants to help develop the geo-spacial industry. One example of the importance of geo-spacial information, Buck said, is collecting data on wind speeds at certain locations for proper placement of windmills.

Yet, the one area that Buck really wants to hit home is connecting local entrepreneurship and its importance with the university.

“It’s that pioneer mentality: If we are going to make it work out, we have to go out and do it ourselves,” Buck said.

A native of Caldwell, Idaho, Buck earned his bachelor of science degree from the College of Idaho  and a doctorate in molecular neurobiology from Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Buck has held positions at Purdue, Oridis Biomed in Austria, University of South Carolina, and at Emory University School of Medicine.

President Nellis believes Buck will make a fine addition to the extension center here in Coeur d’Alene.

“As Idaho's only land-grant university, we owe each region the best we can provide. That's why I'm excited about the selection of Charles Buck for this leadership position in northern Idaho,” Nellis said. “His work will be essential in building community relations; enhancing enrollment; assessing community needs; bridging to the public and private sectors; linking with our regional extension offices; facilitating research; and being a liaison with the main campus.”

Over the past two years, the University of Idaho has had its two largest freshman classes ever. It has earned almost $90 million in competitive research funding and has doubled its student service learning project to 3,800 students. One such project on the Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation earned them a national award.

Also, according to payscale.com, which measures what it costs to get a degree to what the graduate earns over a 30-year career, the University of Idaho placed 52nd among 800 colleges and universities.

“Two years ago we heard from our communities that we had gone away from our roots, and we need to think differently,” Nellis said. “I believe we have reclaimed our roots as a land-grant university.”