The global economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to impact faculty jobs across universities in the coming year. To help envision future scenarios, we look to lessons learned from the last recession. Therefore, PhD Plus is organizing a series of panels to discuss ‘faculty job search during recession’ where PhD students and Postdocs can learn from experiences of faculty on the job market during 2008-2010 across various disciplines.
In collaboration with UVA Postdoc Association’s Career Development Committee, the first panel discussion in the series highlights perspectives from Life Science faculty at UVA, professors Paul Adler, Christopher Deppmann and Sarah Kucenas. Sarah and Chris will share their experiences going through the search and hiring process, and Paul will share his experience chairing the search committee in the Biology department during the 2008-2010 recession. This panel discussion will be especially helpful for postdocs exploring the faculty job market in the next couple of years. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions before and during the panel discussion.
Panelists
Paul Adler is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Biology, Professor Emeritus. Paul served on the search committee of UVA's Department of Biology during the 2008-2010 economic recession. Paul's research lab studied the cell and tissue polarity in the Drosophila wing.
Christopher Deppmann is Professor of Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, and Director of the Distinguished Major Program in Biology. Chris began his faculty career in 2010 at UVA. His research group studies the developmental patterns that help the nervous system grow through competing programs of assembly and disassembly.
Sarah Kucenas is Professor of Biology, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, and Associate Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program. Sarah began her faculty career in 2009 at UVA. Her research group studies the role of glia and the function of glial-glial interactions in peripheral nervous system development.
Moderator
Austin Keeler – Postdoctoral Fellow, Biology, and Career Development Committee of UVA Postdoc Association.