Colleagues

I wish to update you on the current status of our thinking and plans to continue transforming our College through new faculty hires.

As you know, for over ten years we have, on several occasions, actively discussed this issue. In addition, several reports dealing with the profile of our future faculty have been prepared and discussed.

Presently, four active faculty searches are under way. The focus of the four positions is: remote sensing and biospatial analysis, plant sciences, natural products chemistry, and director of the Center for Sustainable Forestry. Three of the positions are tenure-track and one is WOT. We expect to finalize each position in autumn quarter 2006.

Also in autumn quarter, a search will be initiated for a second tenure-track faculty position supported on Precision Forestry funds. This position will complement one of the four position searches (remote sensing and biospatial analysis) that is presently under way.

By autumn quarter, we expect Dr Christian Torgerson (quantitative landscape ecology) to relocate to the UW from Corvallis to assume his USGS position in the College. And, pending the outcome of the recent faculty vote and finalization of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UW and WSU, Dr Dean Glawe from the WSU Department of Plant Pathology will also join us.

We expect these seven new faculty to have a profound positive impact on both the scientific and educational programs of the College as well as our work place culture.

We have requested four additional entry-level tenure track positions from the Provost in the form of 'bridge' positions to be 'repaid' from future faculty retirements. These discussions continue, but we are optimistic that we will soon receive approval to move forward with faculty searches this autumn. A brief description of these four positions may be reviewed at:Bridge positions.

We are involved in active discussions with four of our faculty who have indicated a desire to retire in either 2006 or 2007. These retirements will be used to 'repay' the bridge positions we anticipate receiving from the Provost.

We are hopeful that this strategic effort to transform our faculty profile will complement other ongoing efforts we are engaged in through Campaign UW to secure additional resources to build a world-class faculty for the future so that our College may continue to produce the next generation of scientists, managers and leaders.

B. Bruce Bare, Dean