UIC UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO The Sky is the Limit Academia in the 21st Century Mrinalini C. Rao Ph.D. Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Professor Digestive Diseases and Nutrition

What do I Hope to Achieve Today? To help you understand the career opportunities in academia To identify and surmount potential barriers to success

Why am I Talking to You? I am thrilled with this honor I want to share the excitement of my job with you My gray hair lends me a touch of respectability

An Academic Career in a Research University TEACHING SERVICE RESEARCH

An Academic Career in Medicine in at UIC

Academic Career in Medicine at UIC TEACHING SERVICE RESEARCH TEACHING CLINICAL SERVICE RESEARCH

Open Inquiry Ability to be Influenced by Others Diligent Search Studious Inquiry Critical & Exhaustive Investigation Revision of Accepted Conclusions –Modification of underlying theories in light of new facts Why Pursue Research in an Academic Setting? Add to generalizable knowledge Add to practical knowledge Explore the limits of your mind

Good controls, good controls, good controls Good Practices -- anally retentive records Reproducibility Appropriate Models - don’t let the models dictate your science What Constitutes Good Research? Integrity and Ethics

Why Does Research Thrill Me? The adrenalin rush when you discover the unexpected The excitement of seeing the sparkle in a student’s eye The exhiliration of putting a story together

Why Does Teaching Thrill Me? Ability to influence younger minds The excitement of seeing the sparkle in a student’s eye The pleasure of seeing your trainees succeed

What are the Challenges? Who are our constituencies? Promotion Publish or Perish Funding Time Juggling

UIC COM Enrollment Table Total Number of Students: on Leave of Absence Total: Men: 694; Women: 624

Figure 1. Gender Distribution of UIC CoM Faculty 1997 & National average in was 32% women.

Do we have a Problem? Over the past 9 years in the College of Medicine -% of all faculty who are women increased by 4.5 ( ) -% tenured faculty who are women increased by 2.5 ( ) -Only 25.3% women faculty are tenured vs. 44.8% of men -% of all faculty who are African American increased by 0.2 ( ) -% tenured faculty who are AA decreased by 1.1 ( ) -% of all faculty who are Hispanic American increased by 0.7 ( ) -% of tenured faculty who are HA increased by 3.1 ( ) –Courtesy: Dr. Claudia Morrissey, FAAC

What Can We Do?

Efforts at UIC Office of Faculty Affairs Programs: Heads are the Change Agents Cannot forget the Mid-Career Faculty-- Junior Faculty - New Faculty Orientation/ P and T workshop/”brown bags” Underreprsented Faculty Mentoring Program Mentoring Match Up Program -- can always have >1 mentor

Efforts at UIC Office of Faculty Affairs What is New? Online Faculty Handbook -- all you wanted to know and more Faculty Affairs Newsletter -- 3 times a year New Grievance Procedures -- so there is due process, but please do not feel obliged to use it Podcast versions of the Promotion and Tenure workshops

Efforts at UIC WISEST: Warm the climate & decrease the isolation of women STEM faculty Pilot initiatives to attract & recruit minority women faculty Transform STEM departments to foster diversity & women’s leadership Promote STEM women’s scholarship & teaching Improve the ability to track & report on gender equity in STEM Advocate & collaborate across UIC & nationally A fascinating read --the Climate Survey

Efforts at UIC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FACULTY ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE: Create an institution whose faculty, departmental leadership, and deans reflect the gender and ethnic profile of the College’s student body. Enable excellence in research, teaching, and patient care - while promoting work/life balance - so that the College of Medicine becomes a desired destination for a talented and diverse faculty.

. The Search Process One Size Does not Fit All Avoid Unintentional Gender Bias Avoid Racial and Ethnic Stereotyping Avoid Evaluation Bias Search Committee Training

Promotion The face of the “guild” is changing UIC is one of a few institutions where there are separate tracks and norms for clinical disciplines --one size does not fit all Be informed about the campus policies Ask about the norms of the Department/College Do not be afraid to ask for advice

Get a Mentor –Campus mentoring program –Departmental mentoring program Network –You are your best advocate Collaborations –choose wisely –discuss the ground rules Translational Research –Bench to Bedside –Bedside to Bench Publish or Perish

Can I Really Succeed? Yes you can Figure out the family friendly policies –Tenure roll back –Childcare –Partner Hiring Accommodation –Extending the tenure clock

What are the Benefits?

At the End of the Day Remember life goes on Life Outside Academia –Supportive Spouse –Challenging Kids –Great Friends & Family –Extracurricular Interests Personal Satisfaction

Figure 5. Percent Distribution of UIC COM Faculty by Tenure Status, by Gender, 2005 * Q’s included in Tenure Track Courtesy: Dr. Claudia Morrissey, FAAC

Figure 10. Percent Distribution of UIC COM Faculty by Tenure Status by Race/ Ethnicity, 2005 *Q’s included in Tenure Track