From the Dean
Science Journal, Fall 1997 -- Vol 15, No. 1
As you may know, Greg Geoffroy, who served superbly as Dean of the Eberly College of Science for eight years, has left Penn State to become Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maryland. I served as Head of the Department of Physics during Greg's tenure as dean and can attest to his strong leadership, watchful eye on the budget, effective mentorship, and unrelenting commitment to excellence within the college. Greg achieved many accomplishments as dean and we all wish him well in his new position.
Several months ago, I received a telephone call from Provost John Brighton asking if I would be willing to serve as Interim Dean during the transition period until a new permanent Dean takes office. I was extremely flattered by his invitation, especially since he indicated that there was widespread support and confidence in my ability to assume this important role. After Dr. Brighton assured me that he expected continued leadership during this transition?not merely caretaking?I enthusiastically accepted his offer. Thus, I now find myself with the opportunity to address many important and exciting issues within the college.
One of my first priorities has been to meet many of the people who make up this great college. I have had several meetings with each department head, a series of fruitful discussions with key faculty, conferences with the supervisors in the Dean's Office, and luncheon meetings in small groups with all of the staff in the Dean's Office. These meetings have been extraordinarily useful in getting me up to speed quickly and have been invaluable in providing the perspective needed both to maintain continuity and to develop new initiatives.
Among the emerging new initiatives, these are the most important to be targeted during the next few months:
¥Appointment of the Eberly Chair and endowed professorships in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Eberly Chair in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics;
¥Establishment of a fall reception within the college for acknowledging important faculty awards, introducing new faculty to the College, and delivering a State-of-the-College address;
¥Establishment of a workshop for untenured faculty and an orientation program for new faculty;
¥Initiation of improvements in undergraduate advising and expansion of an advising center in the life sciences;
¥Promotion of diversity in student recruiting and faculty and staff hiring;
¥Expansion of the Cooperative Education Program;
¥Initiation of open-house tours in the departments and the Dean's Office to strengthen college-wide staff teamwork; and
¥Establishment of a space and facilities committee to advise the Dean.
Underlying these initiatives is the strongest commitment to promote our college goals and to achieve excellence in teaching, research, and service.
A great college of science requires a dedicated faculty devoted to the multiple roles of research, teaching, and service. As a result of retirements and other faculty departures, recruitment efforts for new faculty this past year were both very ambitious and highly successful. Aggressive recruiting is likely to continue this year as we pursue superb senior scholars to fill some of our vacant Eberly Chairs and endowed professorships.
Our recruiting success last year has brought with it new challenges. The college now has very limited space to house new research groups, yet the number of faculty in the college is expected to increase with the filling of vacant positions and with new opportunities for expansion in the life sciences at Penn State. I have appointed a space and facilities committee to help accommodate the addition of these new outstanding faculty members, who we expect will enhance our research reputation and lead to a reduction of class sizes in some departments.
Success in the recruitment of new faculty also has lead to a significant depletion of those precious dollars, called "startup funds," which are needed to purchase equipment and renovate space for new faculty. We will need to find creative ways to continue to provide attractive startup packages because these funds are an absolute competitive necessity for recruiting the best scientists to Penn State.
We are fortunate in having a dedicated and knowledgeable staff in the Eberly College of Science. Typically, members of a hard-working staff in a large and diverse organization such as ours understand well their individual responsibilities but often do not have the opportunity to see how their work blends with that of other staff in the College. To bring this larger picture into clearer focus, I have established opportunities to bring our faculty and staff together in a variety of different venues?such as open houses, receptions, and workshops?to get to know each other better and to learn more about their respective contributions to the college.
As students progress through their college education, the advice they receive from family, friends, professional advisors, and faculty is of great importance to them. It is therefore imperative that we have in place a highly effective means of meeting with students on a regular basis and of providing them with sound counsel. And so our ongoing initiatives will include a continuous effort to assess how we can deliver ever more effective advising to our students. We also are extremely interested in expanding our Cooperative Education Program to ensure that students receive a rich education that includes opportunities for work experiences in a university research laboratory or in industry. Experiences such as these are important because they both enhance our students' education and strengthen their competitiveness in the employment market upon graduation.
Penn State is making substantial progress toward achieving a more diverse university community?one that more nearly reflects the workforce of the future. For example, "Black Issues in Higher Education" recently rated Penn State first in Pennsylvania, and one of the top 20 nationwide, in doctoral degrees earned by minority students across all fields. I am particularly proud of the fact that during my tenure as head of the Department of Physics I was instrumental in increasing the number of women on the physics faculty from zero to five. I also worked vigorously to recruit members of other underrepresented minority groups as faculty and as students. I know that within the college and the university we can do much more to enhance diversity and to develop a climate of inclusion and achievement for everyone.
As the search for a new dean continues, I want to assure you of my continuing
dedication to the Eberly College of Science. I expect to meet many of you
either in State College or in my travels. Do not hesitate to call me at
814 865-9591, send me an e-mail message at h1g@psu.edu, or write me a letter
if there is any issue you want to discuss or any idea you would like to
present. Your ideas, commitment, and generosity are a great source of strength
to our college and can be valuable in helping us move into the next century.
One can only imagine the great strides that scientists will make in the
future. As a center of knowledge in which our faculty learn and help others
to learn, your college can expect to be a major part of the most exciting
developments in scientific research and in science education.