Syracuse University has approved funding for 53 faculty positions as part of its Cluster Hires Initiative, the university announced on Wednesday.

Cluster hiring, which involves creating “themes” of interdisciplinary research, is being used to hire 100 new faculty members in specific fields, according to a news release. Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Academic Strategic Plan outlines research and diversity as key elements to improve the student experience.

The seven fields for the university’s first round of cluster hires will be aging, behavioral health and neuroscience; artificial intelligence, deep learning, autonomous systems and policy; big data and data analytics; bio-enabled science and technology; energy and environment; innovation and entrepreneurship; and social differences, social justice.

Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly said hundreds of faculty, staff and administrators from all schools and colleges at SU worked on the plan for six months.

The choice of the seven fields and the positions to be filled within the clusters were part of the first round of the process. Originally 19 clusters, compiled by more than 200 faculty, were proposed to the university.

The release did not detail the 53 approved hires, though the new faculty hires will be funded through Invest Syracuse, a $100 million academic fundraising initiative to bankroll university projects designed to support the ASP.

Wheatly said in the release that she thinks hiring within specific themes, which is the purpose of cluster hiring, will encourage people to collaborate within a focus, using niche skills to support students.

SU announced its plan to hire more faculty in 2017, and said that the hires would be made through cluster hiring in June. The new hires will be tenure-track professors and will be brought to the university through 2023.

Published on November 14, 2018 at 10:08 pm

Contact Catherine: ccleffer@syr.edu | @ccleffert