Jun 15, 2016

As in Chess, Think Two Moves Ahead

Dean Trevor Young

Dean Trevor YoungOne of the highlights of my career was the day I learned that I had been promoted to the rank of Full Professor. It was a sign that my work was appreciated and having an impact on an international scale. But at the start of the process, I was somewhat tentative to go forward. I hadn’t been successful on my first attempt and the process seemed rigorous and time-consuming (because it was). But with the encouragement of many supportive colleagues, I prepared my dossier and collected the requisite letters. If it seemed onerous at the time, that went away quickly with the news I had been successfully promoted.

I suspect something similar may be felt by the 130 faculty members who received academic promotions this year to the ranks of Associate and Full Professor. It’s not just a milestone in a successful career, but also a clear sign of increasing impact as your influence reaches national and international levels. It’s a demonstration of respect from colleagues, but also a signal to others of your scholarly achievements. I know how much this can mean and I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s worth the effort. 

I was also pleased to learn that Professor Peter Zandstra of the Donnelly Centre and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering has been named a University Professor by Governing Council. This is U of T’s highest academic rank and recognizes unusual scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge. The number of such appointments is limited to two per cent of the University’s tenured faculty. Peter, who is Executive Director of Medicine by Design, is a pioneer in stem cell bioengineering and richly deserving of this recognition.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a small army to support the academic promotions process. I am very thankful to the department chairs and the department academic promotions committees who support nominees and coach candidates through the process. I am also very thankful to members of the Dean’s Faculty Appointments Advisory Committee – especially its chair Professor Avrum Gotlieb and Academic Human Resources Coordinator Libby Shirriff – for their hard work and sage consideration.

As important as it is to thoroughly review and support those candidates in the pipeline, we also need to ensure we’re bringing strong candidates into it. The Centre for Faculty Development plays an essential role in helping faculty members identify their career path, develop their teaching skills and dossiers, and – by supporting department-based faculty development leads – helps prepare candidates for the process ahead. And it’s never too early to start preparing! Like a good chess player, I encourage our faculty to think at least two moves ahead.                                       

Please join me in congratulating all our newly promoted colleagues and in celebrating the achievements of University Professor Zandstra. You can view a list of faculty members promoted to the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor, effective July 1, 2016.  

Trevor Young
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions