NEWS FROM THE PROVOST

What is Building Future Faculty?

The Building Future Faculty (BFF) Program is a three-day professional development workshop for doctoral students and postdocs working toward faculty careers. BFF is hosted by NC State each spring, drawing participants from across the nation.

In 2016, participants came from all corners of the US – from the University of Washington to Texas A & M, MIT, the University of Chicago and locally from North Carolina A&T – and visited 32 departments ranging over eight of the ten academic colleges at NC State.

One 2016 BFF participant wrote: “This is the best mentoring I have received in my entire graduate career.”

Program Goals

The aims of the Building Future Faculty Program are to:

1. Enhance the preparation of diverse graduate students and post-docs interested in pursuing academic careers by providing accurate, in-depth information about the research and teaching expectations for faculty at a research-extensive institution, information about what faculty do on a daily basis and the qualities and accomplishments expected of competitive candidates for faculty positions;
2. Introduce outstanding graduate students and postdocs from diverse backgrounds to NC State;
3. Provide an easy mechanism for NC State departments to host scholars from underrepresented groups;
4. Foster ongoing relationships between NC State faculty and outstanding ethnically diverse graduate students and post-docs.

Over the 12 years since BFF began in 2006, 288 graduate students and postdocs have participated. We are very proud of the BFF alumni. We haven’t been able to keep track of everyone who has participated, but 101 BFF alumni are now in faculty positions, 91 are still in graduate school or postdoctoral positions and 53 are in other types of professional positions. Six are currently on the faculty at NC State: Elaine Bohorquez, Graduate Physiology Program; Marc Dudley, English; Ericka Ford, Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science; Jodi Hall, Social Work; Derek Allen Ham, Industrial and Graphic Design; and Anne Porterfield, Textile Apparel Technology and Management.

Building Future Faculty Program Now Accepting Applications for 2017

We are happy to announce that NC State’s Building Future Faculty (BFF) Program is now accepting applications for the 2017 Program.

Information Sessions Scheduled for October

Two BFF information sessions for faculty are scheduled for October. These sessions provide information about the faculty role in attracting applicants, the goals of the program, the application and selection process and ways departments are involved in hosting participants during the BFF program. If you are interested in attending one of the following information sessions, please RSVP to gumpertz@ncsu.edu.

• Wednesday, October 5, 9:00-10:00 a.m., 5234 Hunt Library (Centennial Campus)
• Tuesday, October 11, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 2312 DH Hill Library (Faculty Commons, Main Campus)

Program Dates

BFF 2017 will be held from Wednesday, March 15, 2017 to Saturday, March 18, 2017. Information about the program agenda and instructions for applying for the 2017 Building Future Faculty program, as well as a directory of alumni of the BFF program, are available on the BFF Website. Applications are due before midnight on Sunday, November 13, 2016.

Sponsors

The BFF program is sponsored by NC State’s Office of the Provost and co-sponsored by several departments and academic colleges. The following departments and colleges cosponsored BFF 2016: Humanities and Social Sciences; Education; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; English; Leadership, Policy and Human Development; Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Materials Science and Engineering; Plant Pathology; Teacher Education and Learning Sciences; and the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity.

Dr. Marcia Gumpertz is assistant vice provost for faculty diversity in the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity.