Kerong Kelly
Writer
Sixteen professors were awarded tenure by the University this semester. The professors were selected among faculty from both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. Currently, 62 percent of the University faculty is tenured, according to the University website.
Newly tenured Associate Professor of Comparative Humanities and Asian Thought James Shields said that he was proud to be awarded the new position by his peers and the University Administration.
“My reaction was, more than anything, relief. I don’t think there are very many jobs where it takes roughly 20 years to reach the ‘entry’ gate to a stable and secure position,” Shields said.
In addition to the newly tenured professors, the University also added 10 full professors in fields ranging from geology to linguistics.
This most recent wave of growth in the faculty size marks the end of a period of significant expansion. According to Provost Mick Smyer, the increase in faculty size was originally the result of a transition from a mandatory six-course to a five-course, as well as the number of sabbatical leave positions.
In the 2008 academic year, the administration converted sabbatical leave replacement positions with 12 tenure track positions, Smyer said. The decision to replace sabbatical positions with tenured positions was part of an initiative to fulfill a chronic need of faculty, especially seen by larger departments.
“President Bravman and I have been urging our colleagues, who are associate professors, to consider going up for promotion to full [professorship]. That’s explicitly a strategic effort on part of the University to encourage colleagues to get the recognition that they deserve for their teaching and research accomplishments,” Smyer said.
Newly tenured professors:
M. Laura Beninati, associate professor of mechanical engineering
Sharon Garthwaite, associate professor of mathematics
Julie Ann Gates, associate professor of biology
Michael Gross ’03, associate professor of chemical engineering
Mark Haussmann, associate professor of biology
Peter Jansson, associate professor of electrical engineering
Sarah MacKenzie-Dawson, associate professor of education
Christopher Martine, associate professor of biology
Collin McKinney, associate professor of Spanish
Robert Nickel, associate professor of electrical engineering
Leocadia Paliulis, associate professor of biology
Adam Piggott, associate professor of mathematics
Nathan Ryan, associate professor of mathematics
James Shields, associate professor of comparative humanities and Asian thought
Matthew Slater, associate professor of philosophy
Katsuyuki Wakabayashi, associate professor of chemical engineering