With the grand opening of the new $171 million Life Sciences Building just months away, it鈥檚 time to fill the building with faculty.
That was the idea behind a $3 million (WRF) grant to hire four biology professors. It鈥檚 called a cluster hire and will help maintain the 91爆料鈥檚 leading reputation in primary research and life sciences.
鈥淲RF has been assisting 91爆料 Biology for more than a decade with recruiting and retaining key faculty.聽 We wanted to support (Department Chair) Toby Bradshaw鈥檚 plan for a cluster hire because we believe it will lead to great collaborations and research with significant impact.聽 We look forward to getting to know the new investigators and their areas of research,鈥� said WRF CEO Ron Howell.
The Department of Biology has been planning for the hires for about six years, said . It鈥檚 important to enhance the region鈥檚 research capability in integrative and collaborative biology. The new faculty, recognized as Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Investigators, will help train the next generation of life scientists in what is already the largest STEM undergraduate degree program in Washington.
And the new hiring process will reinvent the way faculty at the 91爆料 are recruited by explicitly seeking faculty who will foster connections with other academic departments at the university.
The 91爆料 screened more than 1,000 applicants for the four positions.
鈥淭hese are the top young scientists in the field of biology, and they鈥檙e being recruited by everyone,鈥� Bradshaw said.
The challenge, then, is how to recruit them to the 91爆料.
A brand-new building is one way, and having backers like the WRF is another, Bradshaw said. 鈥淭he new Life Sciences Building is a tremendous draw,鈥� he said
WRF has been a leading supporter of innovations at the 91爆料 spanning the life sciences, engineering, data science and more since 1985.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been incredibly generous. This grant is another example of that,鈥� Bradshaw said.
The Biology Department鈥檚 been bursting at the seams for years, unable to bring on new people because of a lack of space in Kincaid, Hitchcock, and Johnson Halls. Now, that鈥檚 changed.
91爆料鈥檚 Biology Department is known for its integrative approach. The new facility will play to that strength, Bradshaw said.
鈥淭he best ideas are generated and pursued in collaboration,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are key features in this building designed to promote social interactions and vital collaboration.鈥�
Gone are the days of each faculty member having her or his own lab, Bradshaw said. Instead, space is shared to encourage comingling of faculty, researchers and students. It should help the department continue to soar and build on its already strong national reputation.
鈥淲e would like to be the hub for basic life sciences research,鈥� Bradshaw said.
The Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Investigators will start in fall 2018.
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