Director School of Science, Penn State Behrend

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Penn State Behrend invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the School of Science. The Director serves as the School's chief academic and administrative officer (duties comparable to those of a Dean) and reports to the Vice-Chancellor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Director and the School's academic leadership team oversee 57 full-time faculty members, Bachelor of Science degree programs in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Nursing, Physics, Secondary Education in Mathematics, and Interdisciplinary Science and Business, an interdisciplinary program in Functional Data Analytics, several minors, and a certificate program in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics. In addition, the School offers courses in astronomy and geosciences and houses the Yahn Planetarium. The School supports research in the traditional science disciplines, as well as supporting growing, all-campus research interests in addressing women's health issues, energy and sustainability, and polymer science. In particular, the School's strengths include Great Lakes research (Pennsylvania Sea Grant), collaboration with Magee-Womens Research Institute (Pittsburgh), and collaboration with the Penn State College of Agriculture and the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center, all with an emphasis on undergraduate research. The School of Science website is at https://behrend.psu.edu/school-of-science.

The College emphasizes faculty excellence in teaching and research. Enrollments in the School of Science are strong, in part because students benefit from small class sizes, engagement with faculty members, and opportunities to conduct undergraduate research while obtaining a Penn State degree. Students engage in challenging courses and degree programs that prepare them for the competitive job market, graduate school, and professional training programs. Many faculty research programs are nationally and internationally recognized, are funded extramurally, and involve undergraduate researchers. Many research and teaching laboratories are equipped with advanced instrumentation/equipment, including confocal, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopes, state-of-the-art molecular biology facilities, a high-field NMR spectrometer, a chemical instrumentation laboratory, two astronomical observatories, geographical information science and surveying instrumentation, and a Mathematics Education model teaching laboratory.

Candidates must possess leadership, strategic planning, budgetary experience and have demonstrated potential for academic and administrative leadership. Candidates must have a teaching and research record with credentials commensurate for appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure in one of the School's academic disciplines. Candidates should also have at least three years of administrative experience, including progressively increasing responsibilities; have experience working with students, administrators, and faculty members from a broad range of disciplines; have experience in innovative and interdisciplinary program development; have strong skills in written, oral, and interpersonal communication; be committed to shared governance; be strongly supportive of diversity; and have experience in fundraising and outreach efforts.

Essential duties of the Director include the following:

• Promote a climate of collegiality among the campus community that supports all faculty, staff, and students and allows them to reach their fullest potential as participants in a richly varied community. Creates a positive and productive workplace atmosphere that includes faculty members and staff consultation as an integral part of decision-making processes.
• Leads the strategic planning effort of the school, including the development and execution of the school's vision, mission, goals, objectives, and facilities within the framework and consistent with those of Penn State Behrend and the University.
• Contribute to the advancement of Penn State Behrend and the development and execution of Behrend's strategic plan. Collaborate with other schools and units at Behrend.
• Define research goals for the school, including reasonable targets for sponsored research programs in collaboration with the office of the Associate Dean for Research. Launch and support intra-departmental proposals for large-scale funding opportunities.
• Continue to collaborate with and expand our relationships with current research partners, such as Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Magee-Womens Research Institute.
• Strategically engage with industrial partners, identify opportunities, and set goals for the School of Science in Behrend's new Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness in Knowledge Park, which will open in 2027.
• Advance and support the diversity of the school's student body, faculty, and staff.
• Oversee recruitment, retention, annual evaluation, promotion, tenure, sabbatical application, and faculty and staff professional development.
• Lead efforts to design, develop, deliver, and assess academic programs and maintain accreditation of the school's programs. Innovate/develop new programs and ensure the relevance of existing programs to current disciplinary needs, employment and career opportunities, and student preferences.
• Lead and collaborate in developing and implementing research and outreach initiatives and centers for the school, College, and its constituents.
• Build relationships with employers regionally and nationally to offer opportunities for open lab experiences (a living laboratory where learning and discovery are applied to solve problems defined in partnership with external stakeholders), class projects, mentoring, internships, and employment.
• As a budget administrator, manage school budgets including departmental allocations, equipment, personnel, research and scholarly activity funds, and endowments.
• Allocate school space for specialized academic facilities and offices. Maintain, renovate, and advance school lab facilities for academics and research.
• Collaborate with the Chancellor's Office and Development and Alumni Relations to fundraise and develop supportive relationships with important constituencies for the School and College.
• Plan and lead meetings of the School's Advisory Board, participate in meetings of the Behrend Council of Fellows, and implement feedback accordingly.
• Develop and manage enrollment, retention, and marketing strategies for the school in collaboration with other units.
• Be the primary spokesperson for school marketing and promotion efforts to stakeholders, external/industry partners, prospective students, recruiters, media, industry groups, and alumni, in collaboration with Strategic Communications.

Penn State Behrend is an undergraduate and graduate college of The Pennsylvania State University. Situated on a beautiful, wooded 854-acre hillside campus recognized as a U.S. arboretum, we have four academic schools (Business, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science); student residential living; a range of research programs and outreach centers and a highly successful business and technology park. With 4,400 students in resident instruction and online in college programs offered through Penn State World Campus, we uniquely blend the atmosphere and focus on teaching a small college with access to the academic, research, and professional development resources of a Big 10, R1 University. Our college is an open laboratory of learning and discovery where students gain real-life experience engaging with business, industry, and community partners. We seek faculty members who share our commitment to teaching and scholarship, students' holistic development, and principles of respect, diversity, and inclusiveness.

Erie, Pennsylvania, is a metropolitan area of more than a quarter million people located on the southern shores of Lake Erie, two hours from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. The area's economy reflects a mix of educational, medical, industrial, tourism, and service activity. The region is home to five colleges and universities, including Penn State Behrend. Northwestern Pennsylvania offers abundant cultural, sports, and recreational opportunities with four seasons of adventure. Summers feature miles of beaches, a range of lake sports, and festivals every weekend, and the winters are made for skiing, skating, and more. It's easy to get around, housing is affordable, and the cost of living is modest. Erie offers relaxed, comfortable living.

Please send names of nominees and inquiries toBD-DEANSEARCH@psu.edu

All interested candidates must apply online. Review of applications will begin on January 27, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. It is intended to fill the position in advance of the 2025-2026 academic year. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for at least three references. All documents must be uploaded at time of application completion.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

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