iMechanica - Faculty Position - Comments

deadline

albertto — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:04:09 -0400

Hi Antonis,

The faculty search will be ongoing. However, the review will begin late Jan 2009, and there's an advantage to submit the application before then.

Thanks for your interest.

Albert C. To

Dear Alberto, When is the

Antonis Kanellopoulos — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:58:58 -0400

Dear Alberto,

When is the deadline for this post?

Broad search vs. target of opportunity

Zhigang Suo — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:29:36 -0400

A broad search will likely miss someone like Ramanujan. At most universities, however, there is another procedure of recruiting, called target of opportunity. When a movable Ramanujan is identified, by whatever means, one can go through a process to convince the faculty and the university that this Ramanujan is indeed special. By contrast, a broad search is often used to recruit assistant professors.

Re: Which factors. And, why bother?

Ajit R. Jadhav — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:21:37 -0400

Dear Zhigang,

Permit me to be blunt. The following is not written to you in your personal capacity. The "you" is to be taken in a general sense.

Two points.

-- The advisor. Who do you intend to hire---the advisor or the graduate? In case the point has not sunk in: Who do you expect will show up in your class-room---the advisor or the graduate? Another point: Do you prefer to hire indoctrinated people with narrow vision?

-- The Department. The first part of the above argument, extended.

-- The University. No comments. If even the selection committee can ignore it, sure, I can, too!

Overall, do you think Srinivas Ramanujan would stand any chance with this part of the procedure, today, at Harvard? This was not a rhetorical question. I meant to ask it. ... Please be thoroughly honest---i.e., if you would answer it. (I suppose Harvard does, even today, give you enough rope to be honest on matters like these, without in the process jeopardizing your own position there.)

2. More importantly:

If the only candidates to be shortlisted are going to be those who would have gotten to know of the existence of the post through their advisors or departments anyway and therefore do not need to read it here (at iMechanica), then, why bother posting such ads here?

Is the idea simply to help others in showing off "prestige"?

Or is it, rather, entertainment for the rest of us?

Never mind. A lot of useless stuff does pass one by, as one lives life. (... Just think of a typical American newspaper / magazine---e.g., "Span" of the yesteryears... Why, even so many journal articles!! )

Which factors are important for a faculty applicant?

Zhigang Suo — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:16:00 -0400

Not sure I can provide any useful answer to this difficult question. Different places may have different practices. Not sure what I'll say is of any generality.

For an open search for assistant professors, when applications are in, members of the search committee will read the applications. The object is to select a few candidates to interview face to face. People seemed to be affected by the following factors (in no particular order):

The advisor of the candidate. Does the candidate come from a dynamic group, led by an advisor with good reputation?
The Department of the candidate. Does the Department have other excellent professors? Do they have any influence on the candidate?
The University of the candidate. This may become less relevant if the previous two are very positive.
The depth of the subject. Is the subject deep and lasting?
The originality of the work. Has the candidate broken any new ground?
The usefulness of the work. Has the candidate done anything useful?

When a candidate is interviewed, a few other factors come into play (again in no particular order):

The seminar.
The interview between the candidate and individual members of the faculty.
The meals.

All along, people may look for answers to the following questions. Can the candiate motivate the work? Is the motivation novel, or does the candidate regurgitate some popular motivations (e.g., nano-xyz, multiscale simulations, energy, bio-xyz) thoughtlessly? Is the work new and useful? Can the candidate defend the conclusions of the work? Does the candidate answer questions well? Is the candidate really the resourceful person behind the work? Will the candidate likely identify new and significant areas of research? Will the candidate enjoy the job? Will the candidate complement the strength of the existing members of the faculty?

Discouraged? No need. It is unrealistic to expect anyone to do something really new and useful and deep and lasting, all in a few years of graduate study. One hopes to find evidence for brilliance of mind, and capacity of work.

Prof. Zhigang, Which factors are important?

RoozbehSanaei — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:22:00 -0400

Prof. Zhigang

Actually, I am just a first semseter graduate student, but i am very eager to know which factors have importance in getting such positions in good universities such as Harvard. I saw most of faculty Have degrees from other famous american universites. Is it important?

Best Regards.

Done: tag was generated

Kilho Eom — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:32:36 -0400

As you requested, the tag (for "job") was created.

request for moderators

vh — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:15:32 -0400

I request the moderators to list this post on the job section

V. Hegadekatte, University of Karlsruhe, Germany

Oh, is that so?

Ajit R. Jadhav — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 05:54:48 -0400

My class-mates (and even people younger to me) have already become Full Professors. At highly ranked universities in USA or in IITs/IISc. I suppose I do have knowledge and expertise. See: http://www.JadhavResearch.info. Please note, some of the achievements have *not* been mentioned on the Web site.

But, I am not applying.

I *am* a good learner.

-----

Explanatory Addendum (July 21, 2007--I have noticed that not even timestamps remain the same here!): After years of disbelieving people who reported otherwise, finally, I too have given up my belief in (an objective idea of) justice as the dominant idea or the prevalent condition in the West. I have begun to see how, in the West today (practically speaking, as far as I go, in USA, UK, may be Canada), how easy it has become for incompetents to so easily put up obstacle after another obstacle in the path of a competent. I can see, if my experience with (at least some of the) iMechanica moderators is anything to go by, how easy it would be for someone to make it impossible to perform my job without either having to make a fool of myself or having to make a show of it all... (The issue applies to MNC's or their major Indian contractors in Pune too--as also to other Indian employers following the same kind of games under the name of "ethics".) May one of the moderators (or one of their favorites having a "PhD"--whatever that means!) well fit into this job! By posting this, I have the satisfaction of exposure--in case anyone in the larger world out there still cares!! Or, even if not, if that is the illusion the decision makers in the world at large believe in!! Though I took long, finally, I did learn my lesson of what people--including the decision makers--in the West really mean--that's what I meant when I said I am a good learner. (I am sure the context made it absolutely clear to many regular readers of iMechanica.)