College of Forestry Department of Wood Science & Engineering Staffing Plan Approved by WSE faculty, November 2007 WSE is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, mission-directed program that is fully engaged in the teaching, research and outreach missions of the College and University. It operates under a 2005 strategic plan that is focused on a) helping the domestic wood-using industry be competitive and b) advancing science, engineering practice and business concepts that will help society use renewable wood-based materials and products intelligently. WSE is a premier wood science and technology program in North America and is highly regarded internationally. It offers a BS degree that is accredited by SWST as well as MS and PhD degrees in Wood Science. It has historically had very strong research programs, produced students that are in high demand by the private sector and been very active in developing and delivering outreach programs to varied audiences. In 1997, the WSE program was anchored by 19 tenure/tenure track professorial faculty including two county-based faculty members. There was one open county-based position in 1997 bringing the total T/TT WSE faculty lines to 20. The past ten years have seen a variety of personnel moves, resignations and retirements. The net result is that in 2007 the department is now home to 13 T/TT state-supported professorial faculty and two endowed chairs. There are no county-based faculty members directly supporting the department mission. A search is currently underway for a fixed term Instructor who can fill an unexpected vacancy in the area of manufacturing and assist with undergraduate advising. In the next several years it is reasonable to assume that WSE will experience 3-4 retirements, and perhaps other changes. Loss of those positions will dramatically change the nature of the department and will directly impact the ability to deliver the BS curriculum and other programs. At present, all hiring for T/TT faculty is frozen due to College budget challenges. However, that situation is expected to change, and new opportunities through gifting are possible now that a major capital campaign has begun. The purpose of this plan is to propose a staffing plan for new hires that will be necessary in the next 3-4 years to maintain the ability to accomplish our mission at the high level set over the past 20 years, and to respond to the most likely challenges and opportunities described in our Strategic Plan. This list is contingent upon uncertainty in the composition of the future WSE faculty and is subject to change. Proposed Tenure Track Assistant/Associate Professor Positions (not prioritized): Biobased Energy Systems and Value-added Chemical Processing Green Building Engineering and Sustainability Forest Products Marketing and Innovation Management Product Manufacturing Systems and Technology |