Faculty recruitment will become more visible

Science Article
September 19, 2002

The recruitment of faculty to the center will get higher visibility following action by a faculty-oversight committee and center leaders this month. PHOTO BY TODD McNAUGHT

By BARBARA BERG

Autumn brings cooler temperatures, falling leaves and - for aspiring academic scientists - the start of the faculty-recruitment process.

At Fred Hutchinson, each of the four scientific divisions typically seeks to fill at least one open faculty position every year. Job advertisements are posted in the fall and offers to qualified candidates are usually extended in the spring.

But what happens in-between?

To make the faculty search process more visible to those not directly involved, the center will initiate a series of activities, including a regular column in Center News, to track the progress and outcomes of these searches.

Peggy Means, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said these changes are the result of recommendations made by a faculty-oversight committee formed in 1999 to examine whether gender has influence on resource allocation, hiring, appointment to leadership positions and promotion among faculty.

The recommendations were accepted and a work plan adopted by senior vice presidents and associate program heads earlier this month.

The committee commissioned an outside evaluation of the center's decision-making process for selection of scientific leadership, as well as an internal analysis of space allocation and research support. This was done in an effort to ensure that decision-making processes support the goal of increasing the representation of women and minorities among the center's scientists.

The evaluation was initiated following a similar analysis at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that received national attention and prompted academic institutions to examine these issues on their own campuses.

Means said that the Fred Hutchinson analysis, completed in 2000, revealed no evidence that gender improperly influenced the decision-making process for selection of scientific leaders. But she stressed that the center is committed to addressing even the perception of inequities between men and women.

"The biggest concern, with respect to gender equity in faculty searches and appointments at the center, is making the search process more visible," she said.

"The committee's work revealed that many faculty don't know how searches are conducted, how appointments are made and how resources are allocated. We're working on ways to put more light on these issues so that everyone can see how these processes are carried out and how decisions are made."

In addition to enhancing the visibility of faculty searches, the committee affirmed that the center should continue to recruit and promote qualified women, including into leadership positions, and that search committees should be made aware of the importance of identifying qualified minority candidates.

New manual this fall

A new faculty-appointment and -promotions policy manual will be distributed this fall and be available on the center's Internet site, to provide detailed information about how appointment and promotions processes function across the center.

Multiple benefits accrue with a more diverse faculty, Means said.

"We know that certain populations are at increased risk for some diseases," she said. "To reach members of those communities to improve health care and involve them in research studies, it's important to have members of those populations conducting the studies and delivering the treatment."

In addition, she said, a more diverse faculty contributes to a broad array of ideas and stimulates people to think about topics from a variety of perspectives.

In keeping with its practice of recruiting the best scientists for faculty positions, the center's strategy to increase the diversity of its faculty will be to find ways to expand the pool of highly qualified applicants.

Increasing the number of people - both inside and outside the center - who are aware of open positions is one way to broaden the applicant pool. Faculty are encouraged to let search-committee chairs know of qualified candidates for positions that are posted in Center News.

In addition, Human Resources will be more involved in new faculty searches so that it can assist search committees in identifying more candidates with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Human Resources also will monitor the center's success in identifying qualified candidates who meet the center's diversity goals. Faculty searches historically have been conducted with limited involvement of Human Resources.

Means said center leadership will pay close attention to searches to ensure that the recommendations of the faculty-oversight committee are fully implemented.

Commitment to diversity

"The most important thing is to heighten awareness that the center is committed to building a diverse faculty of highly qualified researchers," she said. "Many factors contribute to a shortage of racially and ethnically diverse faculty candidates. Some barriers may be internal, but it is difficult to identify and address potential barriers without more experience in attracting and making offers to diverse candidates.

"The center had somewhat similar experience in recruiting women into senior faculty positions. We found that these highly sought-after candidates required a higher level of commitment and support from the center during the recruitment and transition process. Family issues and commitments to staff members from their prior institutions had to be addressed right away. The center became more sensitive to these issues, which ultimately benefited all faculty candidates.

"So, the first step is to keep people apprised of ongoing faculty searches and our goals so that they can encourage colleagues to apply for these positions. We'd like to make sure that every possible excellent candidate knows about the open positions at the center."

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Open faculty searches

Basic Sciences
Two junior faculty (assistant member) positions for candidates whose research complements existing areas of research or extends beyond them. Research areas include, but are not limited to, cell biology, infectious disease, molecular modeling, quantitative biology or proteomics. The division welcomes applications from scientists developing and using new methods to investigate important biological problems.
First advertised: Aug. 16, 2002
Search chair: Dr. Jon Cooper

Human Biology and Public Health Sciences
One junior faculty (assistant member) position in cancer biology. Applicants with outstanding accomplishments in the molecular biology, cellular biology or genetics of cancer are encouraged to apply. Of interest are applicants whose research may involve interactions with epidemiologists, biostatisticians or prevention researchers.
First advertised: Aug. 13, 2002
Search chair: Dr. Denise Galloway

Public Health Sciences
One faculty position at any level (assistant, associate or full member) in the area of biostatistics to join the statistical and data-management center of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
Will be advertised: October 2002
Search chair: Dr Ken Kopecky

Clinical Research Division
One full or associate member position for the associate director of the Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson/associate head of the Division of Medical Oncology, UW
Search began: Early 2002
Search chair: Dr. Fred Appelbaum
One faculty position at any level (assistant, associate or full member) for a laboratory-based physician/scientist with interests that could complement and expand a growing clinical program focused on translational research that is relevant to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of breast, gastrointestinal, ovarian, prostatic, neurologic or other solid-tumor malignancies in humans.
Search began: 2000
Search chair: Dr. Fred Appelbaum

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