ANDUM
MEMORA
TO:
Academ
mic Deans, F
Faculty, and Staff
FROM:
Elizabeeth Garrett
Provostt and Seniorr Vice Presiddent for Acaddemic Affairrs
DATE:
January
y 12, 2011
T:
SUBJECT
Faculty
y Hiring Initiiative in the Neurosciencces
O
Office of the Provvost
E lizabeth Garrett
Prrovost and
Seenior Vice Preside
ent
fo
or Academic Affairs
Frrances R. and
Jo
ohn J. Duggan
Prrofessor of Law,
Po
olitical Science
an
nd Public Policy
U
University of
So
outhern California
3551 Trousdale
Paarkway
Su
uite 102
Lo
os Angeles,
California 90089-4
4019
Teel: 213 740 2101
Faax: 213 740 7606
6
[email protected]
du
w
www.usc.edu/
ad
dmin/provost
The field of
o neuroscien
nce is uniquue in the breaadth of its innquiry, touchhing
on discipliines as diverrse as the artts, biology, bbusiness, ecoonomics,
engineerin
ng, gerontolo
ogy, law, meedicine, philoosophy, poliitical sciencee,
and psycho
ology, amon
ng others. A
At USC, the sstudy of neurroscience sppans
multiple scchools and research
r
instiitutes, and inncludes facuulty and studdents
not only on
n the Univerrsity Park annd Health Scciences camppuses, but also
colleaguess at Children
n’s Hospital L
Los Angeless and the Hoouse Ear Insttitute.
The interd
disciplinary Ph.D.
P
Prograam in Neuroscience has more than 100
graduate students purssuing their deegrees underr the superviision of morre
than 90 traaining facultty. Because of the uniquue interdiscipplinary naturre of
neuroscien
nce at USC, as well as thhe importancce of the studdy of the braain
(and brain
n disorders) for
f any majoor research uuniversity in the 21st Cenntury,
the Provosst’s Office haas worked w
with the varioous schools tto pursue
academic excellence
e
in
n this arena.
Provost’s Professor
P
Paat Levitt has agreed to chhair a facultyy committeee that
will focus on assessing
g and identiffying areas w
within the fieeld of
nce that are crucial
c
for raaising USC N
Neurosciencce to a level of
neuroscien
undisputed
d academic excellence,
e
aand recruitinng transform
mative facultyy
who will accelerate
a
that rise. Worrking with thhe deans, I w
will provide
support to aid in the reecruitment of such facultty. In additiion, the
committeee will work with
w the morre than 90 faaculty members involvedd in
the neurosscience progrram to recom
mmend wayss to better traanscend schhool
and disciplinary bound
daries, to inttegrate reseaarch and teacching on our two
campuses,, to collaboraate on signifficant propossals for exterrnal fundingg and
philanthro
opic support, and to ensuure that the reesearch donee at USC hass the
Page 2 impact and influence it merits. The committee membership is provided in an attachment to this
memorandum.
I look forward to receiving from schools the names of outstanding neuroscientists who should
become part of our USC community. It is expected that these faculty will have a record of
accomplishment that clearly distinguishes them as major scholarly figures, and that there will be
convincing evidence of future productivity and influence. Consideration will be given to the
proposed faculty member’s success in mentoring Ph.D. students, in attracting top post-doctoral
fellows and junior faculty, and in interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition to providing the
CV, nominators should discuss the likelihood that such recruitment will be successful, and how
the work of the scholar will complement the work being done by our own exceptional faculty.
Hiring clusters of faculty will also be considered.
I note that we continue to pursue other faculty hiring initiatives that have successfully brought
outstanding new colleagues to our academic community, such as the initiative to recruit
Provost’s Professors, whose work is interdisciplinary and who have appointments in more than
one school, and the initiative to identify, recruit and retain scholars who add to the diversity of
our university at all levels of the tenure track.
Submissions will be rapidly reviewed by the faculty committee who will advise me on the
strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. My office will then work with the relevant dean or
deans to determine the types of university-level assistance and resources that can be provided to
achieve success in recruiting the candidate. Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis. To
submit candidate name(s) for consideration, or for additional information, please email
Executive Vice Provost Michael Quick at [email protected].
cc:
C. L. Max Nikias
Robert Abeles
Todd Dickey
Al Checcio
Martha Harris
Page 3 Neuroscience Advisory Committee
Pat Levitt, Provost’s Professor of Neuroscience, Psychiatry & Pharmacy
Roberta Brinton, R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development and
Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Antonio Damasio, David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience
Mark Humayun, Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering, and Cell &
Neurobiology
Larry Swanson, Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences