Author: Alice Bauer
The economics, film and philosophy departments have begun the search for faculty members to replace one economics professor and to expand the latter two programs. As is customary when hiring new faculty, the input of selected student groups will be key in choosing the new professors, said professors in the departments. The department chairs said they are looking to find professors who will incorporate new ideas and academic potential into the growing departments.
“The most important thing is to hire a candidate who will be a strong community member,” said philosophy professor Saul Traiger, who is involved in his department’s search process. “[The ideal candidate is] one who will continue scholarly research, which will encourage and engage students, and [have] good communication with people and during classes.”
The philosophy department, which has been staffed by four professors for most of the past two decades, is seeking to hire an assistant professor who would infuse interdisciplinary work into the philosophy curriculum. The two candidates interviewed thus far have been multi-talented, which would create strong pathways between the philosophy department and others, said Traiger.
Like the philosophy department, the film department is also looking to create interdepartmental relationships. “It’s serendipitous and characteristic of Oxy, this real possibility of interdisciplinary actions,” film professor Louise Yuhas said.
The film program, which falls under the umbrella of the art history and visual arts (AHVA) department, is looking to hire a new media professor to bolster its understaffed program. With the department hoping to integrate a diverse range of elements into its program, the position is calling for a professor who could infuse cultural and economic perspectives into digital production and theory.
In addition, the increased number of professors in the department would help cope with the growing number of students involved in the program.
“Film is becoming a more popular major,” film major Elizabeth Hodgman (senior) said. “By having so many students, it cuts down on the time and feedback you can get [from professors]. It would be nice to split the classes.”
In the film department search especially, students have been active in the interviewing process. “There are about five of us asking questions about teaching styles and studies [the potential professor] would target,” said AHVA major Julia Miller (senior).
The economics department will replace professor Giorgio Secondi, who left Oxy last semester, as well as hire two new adjunct professors. The new associate professor would be put on a tenure track, requiring him or her to teach four classes over one year, while the adjuncts would be asked to teach six over the course of two years, said professors in the department.
The department is hoping to expand the diversity of its faculty, placing job postings with job organizations such as the Committee of the Status of Women in the Economics Profession and the American Society of Hispanic Economists, according to the department. Additionally, the department is looking to hire a professor who can teach a wide variety of topics in the economics discipline, as opposed to one emphasis or discipline.
If need be, according to Whitney, the department is willing to go outside the box to find the right professor. “We will bend in order to bring in the best we can recruit,” he said. “The department concerns itself more with the candidate’s overall caliber and promise as a researcher and member of the community.”
All positions will be confirmed by the middle of March, and accepted candidates will start teaching in the fall semester, said professors in the departments.
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