Faculty Cohort delves into challenges women faculty face

Four-year pilot seeks to identify issues affecting retention

By JONI BENTZ SEAL, onCAMPUS staff

In 2000, with presidential support articulated in the Academic and Diversity Action plans, women and men contributed to the creation and full implementation of the President's Council on Women's Issues and The Women's Place (TWP). Each has a long-term common goal, which is the recruitment and retention of women at Ohio State, but the mechanisms for doing so are different.

"Taken together, these separate but connected entities, along with partners from across campus, have created a model for enabling the university to address issues critical to women's progress,"said Judy Fountain, associate vice provost for women's policy initiatives and director of The Women's Place.

The Women's Place provides services for women to strategize and advance within the current organizational structure, Fountain said, but does not directly influence policy to better enhance such advancement. It serves, rather, as the institutional point of connection to information for and about women that supports the council, which is directly linked to central administration.

"The council views its mission as identifying barriers to women's progress and advocating for solutions through and with university leadership to assure women's progress at all levels,"said Kate Haller, associate general counsel in health sciences and chair of the President's Council on Women's Issues. "We enlist in our efforts the president and provost, the vice president for human resources, the deans, the directors -- whomever directly impacts our work."

Through a number of initiatives, TWP collects supporting data and reviews existing policy, but must work through implementation mechanisms such as the council to effect institutional change.

One such initiative is the Faculty Cohort, a pilot program that began as collaboration between TWP and the council in 2001 to improve retention of women faculty.

The cohort began with 50 assistant female professors -- 38 percent of the faculty hired between November 2000 and October 2001 by 16 of Ohio State's 19 colleges. Seven of the participants were located on a regional campus.

Prior to launching the project, Fountain said 30 years of institutional data that documented women's progress and experiences was reviewed, and the data revealed that past institutional practices did not result in substantial progress for women. For example, during the last 10 years there has been only a 3 percent increase in the number of faculty who are women. Faculty women and, particularly, newly hired faculty were identified as a critical group -- and the first four years of the probationary period seemed to be the critical time frame in the lives of faculty women.

"What happens during the four-year probationary period can be the defining moment of professional development,"Fountain said. "At Ohio State, women were leaving the university during that four-year period at a faster rate than men, meaning these women were never even coming up for tenure."

The concept of using a cohort as a means to address these issues was developed, and provided a systematic way to gather data to develop strategies based on the experience of these new faculty arrivals. The goals of the cohort were to provide a point of connection for the women -- many of whom may be the only woman in their unit; to identify resources for faculty to be successful; to collect data that will inform policy and practice; and to identify interventions that will ensure success.

"The cohort project was not intended to assist women faculty in navigating a system that doesn't fulfill their needs,"Fountain said, "but to identify the things the university is doing effectively and the things we need to do better, and then working to change those issues negatively impacting the retention of women faculty, which ultimately affects faculty diversity."

The cohort fosters connection among the women by holding a few structured programs each quarter where women can hear presentations on requested topics, discuss issues such as balancing career and family, or glean advice from newly tenured faculty on what it takes to successfully navigate the tenure track. Many of the women have established relationships with others in the cohort and coordinate informal lunches and other activities among smaller groups. But all the activities are voluntary.

Fountain said that at the conclusion of the second year, the participation level of the women in cohort activities was holding at 60 percent, and that all but three of the original faculty members returned for the start of the third year.

"The first two years, we learned from the cohort. We looked to this group to inform us of the environment that they were 'living' in -- the context of their position within their department, their college and the university,"Fountain said. "This year, we have convened a small advisory group of women full professors to help us look at the cohort and evaluate it for impact."

Fountain said the Faculty Cohort was intended to take a positive view of this targeted group and the challenges faced during that four-year probationary period in an attempt to create a "best practices"to improve retention.

"These women are helping to shape policies and procedures as we move forward with the Academic and Diversity Action plans,"Fountain said. "But perhaps the most important outcome is that the cohort project will serve as an effective model for a large institution to analyze how to be successful in retaining our most key resource -- our faculty."

AAAS honors 15 Ohio State faculty with rank of fellow

By PAM FROST GORDER, Research Communications

More Ohio State faculty members have earned the rank of Fellow from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) than any other single institution this year.

With 15 faculty members ranking among the new 2003-04 AAAS Fellows, Ohio State now boasts 76 Fellows.

"We are very proud of the scholarship of our faculty who have earned this prestigious honor,"said President Karen Holbrook. "Research is a key component of our Academic Plan and Ohio State's impressive number of new Fellows shows that the quality of our faculty's work is receiving national recognition."

"This is a strong validation of the current level of faculty excellence in biomedical and physical science research at OSU that is continuing to develop at a rapid rate due to the expanding research culture at the university,"said Tom Rosol, interim vice president for research at Ohio State and a professor of veterinary biosciences.

The new Fellows include:

Sally Boysen, professor of psychology and head of the university's Primate Cognition Project, for "pioneering studies demonstrating counting, numerical competence and other advanced information processing capacities in chimpanzees that have redefined the boundaries of our humanity and our primate heritage."Her program has received international recognition for its discoveries that chimpanzees and other primates possess behavioral traits usually regarded as primarily human. Her studies have shown that chimps will behave altruistically, warning colleagues of specific dangers; that they can count and do basic arithmetic tasks; and that they have the ability to learn to "read"on a very elementary level. These discoveries about our closest primate relatives are providing valuable insight into specifically how humans learn at an early age.

Bruce Bursten, Distinguished University Professor and former chair of the Department of Chemistry, for "significant contributions to the understanding of bonding in inorganic compounds and for leadership in the discipline."Bursten is an expert in using theoretical quantum chemistry to explain the bonding and reactivity of compounds known as transition metal elements (such as chromium and iron) and actinide elements (such as uranium and plutonium). He is co-author of one of the most popular general chemistry textbooks, and recently served as chair of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.

Michael Caligiuri, professor of internal medicine, molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, and veterinary biosciences, for "distinguished contributions to the fields of natural killer cell biology and molecular biology of acute leukemia, including a significant component of translational research."Caligiuri studies the effects of cytokines on natural killer cells, and the molecular mechanisms underlying acute myeloid leukemia and lymphoid cancers caused by Epstein Barr Virus, as well as new treatments for these malignancies. He became director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center in June.

Charis Eng, professor of internal medicine, molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, molecular genetics, and pharmacology, the Dorothy E. Klotz Chair of Cancer Research, the director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program and the director of the Division of Human Genetics in the Department of Internal Medicine, for "distinguished contributions to the field of clinical cancer genetics by applying data from fundamental human cancer genetics studies to the clinical arena for accurate molecular diagnosis and pre-symptomatic predictive testing."Eng's work on tumor suppressor genes and oncogenesis in inherited cancers has helped to improve the understanding of the cancer process in sporadic carcinogenesis.

Ronald Glaser, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics and head of Ohio State's Institute of Behavioral Medicine Research, for "a seminal role in development of the field of human psychoneuroimmunology with pioneering research on relationships between psychological and immunological factors."Along with his research partner and wife, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychology and psychiatry, they are leaders in the field of psychoneuroimmunology -- the study of how stress can affect immune status. His work on medical students, newlyweds, the elderly, caregivers and the grief stricken showed that psychological stress weakens normal immune status and may affect the success of immunization and wound healing.

Michael Grever, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, the associate dean for medical services, the Charles A. Doan Chair of Medicine and a co-program leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, for "distinguished contributions to the field of experimental therapeutics, particularly for achievements in the development of new chemotherapeutic agents to treat patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia."Grever is internationally known for his research in hematologic malignancies, such as leukemias, lymphomas and myeloma. His work has led to discoveries on how to silence certain proteins that interfere with chemotherapy.

Samson Jacob, William C. and Joan E. Professor in Cancer Research, professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry in Ohio State's College of Medicine, and co-director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, for "distinguished contributions to the field of RNA metabolism, gene expression, and the application of DNA-modifying agents for chemotherapy of cancers."Jacob's work has revealed the basic mechanisms by which the gene for the protein metallothionein protects cells from cell damage induced by a variety of factors, including exposure to heavy metals and to ultraviolet radiation, and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms for the suppression of genes by DNA methylation. He has served on many national committees, most recently as a member of the Expert Panel at the National Institutes of Health to determine future research directions in nutrition and cancer.

Stanley Lemeshow, dean of the School of Public Health, director of the Center for Biostatistics, and professor of statistics and biostatistics, for "distinguished contributions to biostatistics and applied statistics, including co-authorship of textbooks on logistic regression, survival analysis, and survey sampling that have become classics for applied researchers."Lemeshow developed two of the three statistical models currently used for assessing the severity of illness of patients in intensive care units, and also helped to create the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation. He has been active in the analysis of medical data resulting from complex sample surveys for institutions such as the National Center for Health Statistics and the World Health Organization.

Berry Lyons, professor of geological sciences and director of the Byrd Polar Research Center, for "distinguished contributions to the field of environmental geochemistry, particularly studies of arid and polar regions."He is a highly regarded polar researcher, and worked on the Long-Term Ecological Research programs at Lake Hoare, one of only four rare ice-covered lakes in Antarctica's Dry Valleys. Lyons' work on the chemistry and biology of these rare and highly challenged ecosystems has provided new insights into how biological systems are affected by climate change and human incursion. Lyons is also recognized widely for work he has done on heavy metals contamination of water systems in the Southeast and in the West.

Ellen Mosley-Thompson, professor of geography and research scientist with the university's Byrd Polar Research Center, for "documenting climate change through ice-core measurements, for leadership in the glacial research community, and for transmission of climate-change science to the world community."With her research partner and husband Lonnie Thompson, a professor of geological sciences, she heads the Paleoclimatological Research Group at the Byrd Center, a team that has retrieved ice cores from remote sites on five continents. Locked within those cores are ancient climate records, some of which date back more than 600,000 years. Her work has already led to the prediction that some tropical ice caps in South America and in Africa may be lost to global warming within the next two decades.

Wolfgang SadÈe, professor of pharmacology, medicine and pharmacy, chair of the Department of Pharmacology, director of Ohio State's Pharmacogenomics program, and director of the School of Biomedical Sciences, for "distinguished contributions to molecular pharmacology of G-protein coupled receptors, in the development of novel opioid antagonists, and to the field of pharmacogenomics."SadÈe's research has led to discovering a compound that affects a person's dependence on narcotics. This same work has led to a new approach for the treatment of drug addiction. Moreover, his research in pharmacogenomics has revealed genetic variations relevant to disease and therapy.

David Schuller, professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology and director of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, for "distinguished contributions to the field of cancers, for directing translational research of head and neck cancers at the national level, and for leadership of a comprehensive cancer center hospital and research institute."Schuller's research has led to new therapeutic strategies and surgical approaches for treating head and neck cancer, and to new and more effective methods of surgical reconstruction. He has been director of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute as well as director and deputy director of the university's Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1988.

Gary Stoner, professor and holder of the Lucius Wing Endowed Chair of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, and professor of pathology and human nutrition, for "distinguished contributions to the fields of chemical carcinogenesis and chemoprevention of lung and esophageal cancers both in animals and in humans."Stoner has shown how antioxidants in fruits and vegetables may help prevent certain types of cancer. In a series of studies, black raspberries prevented the development of colon cancer and esophageal cancer in rats. Stoner has received numerous awards, including the NIH Young Investigator Award and the NIH MERIT Award, in recognition of his research.

M. Guillaume Wientjes, professor of pharmacy, for "pioneering the use of computational modeling in cancer chemotherapy, particularly in translating preclinical data to identify effective patient treatments."Wientjes helped develop a three-dimensional system that allows researchers to look at tumors to evaluate the effects of anti-tumor agents as a function of drug concentration and treatment duration. He has also helped to develop regional therapy for the treatment of bladder and prostate cancers.

Allan Yates, associate dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health, and professor of pathology, for "distinguished contributions to the field of neuropathology and neuro-oncology and for the establishment of two integrated educational programs for graduate and MD-Ph.D. students."Yates was recognized for his research on the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the aggressive growth of brain tumors, and for improving methods to diagnose and predict the clinical behavior of such tumors. He also helped establish a pioneering college-wide graduate program with the theme "The Biology of Human Disease"to train researchers to investigate abnormalities responsible for human diseases.

AAAS represents the world's largest federation of scientists and works to advance science for human well being through its projects, programs and publications. It conducts programs in the areas of science policy, science education and international scientific cooperation. AAAS members are elevated to the rank of Fellow for their efforts in advancing science or fostering applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

The association will publish the names of all 348 new Fellows in the Oct. 30 issue of the journal Science. The Fellows will be honored in Seattle in February 2004, at the AAAS Annual Meeting.

Department of Theatre presents Lanford Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch

Ohio State's Department of Theatre is presenting The Rimers of Eldritch, by Lanford Wilson, Nov. 5-22 in Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed by Bruce Hermann, assistant professor of theatre, the play features undergraduate and graduate theatre students.

One of America's best and most prolific playwrights, Pulitzer Prize winner Wilson wrote The Rimers of Eldritch early in his career. In the mid-1960s, America was in the midst of a radical transformation and the American theatre mirrored this climate of cultural change. With Rimers, Wilson explores false morality, gossip and relationships in the small Midwestern town of Eldritch when a local resident is murdered.

"In light of the events of and since 9/11, it is clear that as a nation we continue to struggle with our ability to empathize, especially with those who are perceived as different,"Hermann said. "Evil is the absence of empathy, and the central issue of Lanford Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch is nothing less than an exploration of the nature of good and evil."

In the play, the town of Eldritch resonates as a microcosm of fearful, vulnerable America. On the surface, the citizens are church-going, law-abiding believers in family values. But as the story is revealed piece by piece, the everyday superficial goodness of the town has the potential for hatefulness and hypocrisy fueled by fear, Hermann explains.

"Rimers is a cautionary tale about what can happen to a group of people when they lose their ability to put themselves in the place of others, and have compassion for what others are feeling,"Hermann said. "It is in essence a murder mystery, set in the early 1960s in a small former mining town, left in economic ruin after the coalfields play out."

Wilson is known for his use of realistic dialogue. He overlaps monologue, conversation and direct address to the audience in his plays. He is the author of 17 full length plays and more than 30 short plays; many of his works focus on themes of decay, dissolution, loneliness and loss. Wilson has received many awards, including the Brandeis Creative Arts Award, the Institute of Arts and Letters Award, four Obies, and the New York Drama Critic's Circle Awards.

Wilson moved to New York City in 1962, becoming part of the off-off-Broadway movement with his one-act plays So Long at the Fair and Home Free! With Balm in Gilead, he moved to off-Broadway, and then on to Broadway with The Gingham Dog in 1968. In 1969, Wilson co-founded the Circle Repertory Theatre in Greenwich Village where many of his plays were performed until it closed in 1996. Among them were The Hot l Baltimore and his trilogy Fifth of July, Tally's Folly (Pulitzer Prize) and A Tale Told.

The Rimers of Eldritch will be presented at 8 p.m. Nov. 6-7, 12-14 and 19-22; and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 and 16. It will be performed in the Roy Bowen Theatre in the Drake Performance Center. Tickets are $14 general public; $10 OSU faculty, staff, Alumni Association and seniors; $8 students and children.

For tickets, call the theatre box office at 292-2295.

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