Future Faculty Workshop

The application will consist of:

1. A brief statement on why the applicant wishes to attend this workshop and what they hope to gain from it
2. A complete curriculum vitae
3. A cover letter
4. Drafts of the applicant’s research, teaching, and diversity statements

While we understand that you may be just beginning to create these materials, a draft must contain enough information for the opportunity to receive substantive feedback from faculty and peers.

Please contact northeasternadvance@northeastern.edu with any questions.

CURRICULUM VITAe AND COVER LETTERS

• Crafting Your Application: Tips, Tricks, and Advice on Concisely Summarizing Your Entire Career webinar
• Cover Letters for Faculty Job Applications

RESEARCH STATEMENTS

•  The Purpose of a Research Statement (University of Pennsylvania)

TEACHING STATEMENTS

• Teaching Statements: Articulating Who You Are as a Teacher (Northeastern University)

DIVERSITY STATEMENTS

• Guidelines for Diversity Statements (University of California San Diego)

Feedback is valuable but few scientists are trained to give it constructively

Many of us think that constructive criticism means saying something nice before you say something harsh. Though this can soften a blow, it misses deeper guidelines governing how to mitigate the sting of giving and receiving criticism. As scientists we have to read and critique materials often and the process can be quite intense. These guidelines can help.

Mutual Respect – Constructive criticism has to come from a place of respect while assuming best intentions. If everyone is a decent person doing their best, there can be no character indictment. We are better able to act on feedback if it comes from someone we respect, and respects us, who we believe has our best interests at heart.

Be Specific – Specific problems have specific solutions. Vague problems or dissatisfactions don’t have solutions, and they invite frustration or commiseration. Being specific is also the easiest way to avoid character indictment. When you stay focused on the specific issue, what might be motivating it, and how it can be resolved, you can avoid unproductive accusatory generalities. Even if you don’t have a solution in mind, describing the issue as specifically as possible will allow the recipient an opportunity to address it.

Keep, Discard, Improve – Giving constructive criticism is like editing: you need to define the stuff to keep (what is done well?), stuff to get rid of (what is not working at all?) and stuff to fix (what has some value but could be improved?). All of these components are critical. Focus only on the good and you lose the opportunity to improve. Focus only on the bad and you lose motivation.

Mindset: How can I help? – Giving feedback with a helpful mindset sets a good tone. Everyone wants to reach their full potential and succeed scientifically while working to improve professional prospects. Instead of considering what the other person can do for you, flip it around. What can you do to help them?

Based on guidance provided here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2015.04.025

PENNY BEUNING

Professor and Chair, Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University

Bénédicte (Béné) Gnangnon (she/her)

Postdoctoral Associate | Postdoc Academy – Boston University PDPA

Jim gould

Director of HMS/HSDM for Postdoctoral Fellows at Harvard University

dekel luban

Program Coordinator of the ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development

EVELYN PANAGAKOU

Education, Outreach, and Diversity Coordinator – Network Science Institute at Northeastern University

SAMANTHA STOKOE

Program Manager of the ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development

REBECCA WILLITS

Professor and Chairperson of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University

Diedra Wrighting

Executive Director of the ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development

Alex Yen, PhD (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Associate, Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs
Boston University

Yadilette Rivera-Colón

Assistant Professor of Biology, Undergraduate Science Program Research Coordinator

Michael Bergman

PhD Student in Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Northeastern University

Sara Ewell

Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs for the College of Professional Studies and Teaching Professor, Graduate School of Education, College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University

June 2nd: Applications due

Mid June: Accepted applicants will be notified and directed to registration site

June 23rd: Deadline for accepted applicants to formally register for workshop

End of June: Registration fees for accepted applicants due

August 2nd & 3rd: New England Future Faculty Workshop 2023

Upon acceptance, please contact northeasternadvance@northeastern.edu to request a registration fee waiver.

2022 new england future faculty workshop

2021 New England Future Faculty Workshop

2020 New England Future Faculty Workshop

2018 New England future faculty workshop

2017 NEW ENGLAND FUTURE FACULTY WORKSHOP

“Overall the workshop was great! I had the opportunity not only to learn and get more familiar with the faculty hiring process but also it helped me to improve my application materials and feel more self-confident.”

“This was a great workshop, and it did help me tremendously to better understand the nuts and bolts of academic job search, interviews, etc.”

“Overall, fantastic workshop, it came highly recommended to me by a colleague who successfully got a position this cycle, and I will recommend it to any future applicants as well!!”

“Really enjoyed this workshop. Starting from the process of preparing documents to apply for this workshop, it helped de-mystify the faculty application process for me. It was also great to be in an environment where others are in the same stage of life as me. thank you very much to the organizers!!”

“Thank you for organizing this workshop. I feel more prepared to enter the job market this year, and I am excited to apply what I learned here into my application and in my future career!”

“I think this workshop, like the graduate school preview programs popping up, are great because they help to minimize the “hidden curriculum” that is often a barrier for many pursing academic careers. Thanks for putting in the effort to start leveling the process!”

“The [reviewal of application materials] was probably the most valuable part of the workshop for me. Very unique and valuable opportunity to get highly specific expert feedback on materials and the application/interview process as a whole, which was also extremely motivating!”

“Loved that [the reviewal of application materials] was individualized, in an intimate small group setting. I appreciated the genuine feedback and the delivery was kind and caring. I felt as though the professor was in my corner and wanted me to win. I felt very encouraged.”

“The most beneficial element [of the affinity groups] was hearing others share their experiences and recognizing that I’m not alone in my feelings.”

The Northeastern Future Faculty workshop helped de-mystify the job-applying process and introduced me to the different types of academic institutions/the expectations at those institutions. I really appreciated the small group working groups to critique the application materials and the feedback on my CV. It definitely helped me prepare this past year when I was applying for jobs -I only wish I had attended the workshop earlier!

-Anya Brown, Postdoctoral Scholar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Assistant Professor in Ecology and Evolution (starting 2022)

I accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of (Mathematics) Education at Colorado Christian University for the fall and cannot say enough about how important this workshop was in the job search process. My advisor was so impressed with how much my documents (CV, Teaching, Research, and Diversity statements) had improved after the workshop. In particular, someone from my peer review group was pivotal in fine tuning my documents after the workshop. I was looking for jobs in very specific locations so I only applied to 6 jobs (some mathematics education and some mathematics positions) and I received invitations for initial interviews for all of the mathematics education positions (3 of the 6). I really appreciated the variety of the workshop in terms of panels, peer review, and getting feedback on my CV.

-Cammie Gray, Ph.D. Candidate, University of New Hampshire

Attending the New England Future Faculty Workshop illuminated the complex process of applying for positions by hearing from current faculty with a range of experiences on the academic job market. After leaving the workshop, I felt confident in my ability to put together an application package for a faculty position. The small group feedback on my CV and statements was helpful in communicating my experiences and qualifications to a broad audience that would mimic a hiring committee. The schedule was packed with interesting topics involving interesting people–I didn’t realize I could learn so much in just one day!

– Lydia Horne, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Maine

For me, the preparation of application statements and receiving feedback from faculty and peers was really useful. This helped me to begin to organize my thoughts on future research prospects and my teaching identity. Additionally, hearing stories from faculty about different career paths within academia helps in seeing that there are many paths to success in the field. Overall, the workshop helped me feel more comfortable in developing my faculty application package and led me to think more deeply about what academic environments fit with my values and career goals. I highly recommend the workshop!

– Dan Oropeza, Ph.D. Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

“I’m grateful that Northeastern held the New England Future Faculty Workshop virtually in 2020 so it was accessible to more students.  Clearly the organizers thought about how to make the workshop run well virtually.  Larger group presentations were intermixed with smaller group discussions. It was great to hear from such a diverse group of professors at different stages of their careers. I learned so much from the workshop and made valuable networking connections.”

– ML Tlachac, Data Science Ph.D. Candidate, Worcester Polytechnic Institute