First Cohort of Faculty Academy for External Recognition and Awards Pursues Prestigious Fellowships

James J. Kimble, Ph.D., became the director of the Prestigious Fellowship Program in September 2024. Part of this initiative is the new Faculty Academy for External Recognition and Awards (FAERA) program. The year-long seminar consisted of an inaugural cohort of 10 faculty nominated by their dean. Meeting virtually four-to-five times per semester, the program devotes each session to discussing and workshopping an aspect of awards/recognition activities and strategies. Topics include tailoring a CV to specific awards, writing a persuasive project description, and collaborating with recommenders. The goal of the program is to increase faculty submissions for prestigious external awards and fellowships and thereby raise the university’s profile.

Members of the first FAERA cohort included:

• Margarita Balmaceda, School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Katherine Hinic, College of Nursing
• Sooji Kim, Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy,    College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
• Mark Molesky, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Nathan Oates, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jessica Rauchberg, Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts,
  College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
• Travis Timmerman, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
• Xiaoqing (Eleanor) Xu, Stillman School of Business
• Viswa Viswanathan, Stillman School of Business
• Genevieve Zipp, School of Health and Medical Sciences

During the FAERA seminar, each class member selects an external faculty award competition and works toward producing a fully realized project proposal. If the competition deadline falls during the year, the goal will be to submit it in most cases; other class members will be targeting a future deadline. Upon submission of this deliverable, each participant receives a stipend for their participation. Kimble works with the cohort to oversee award applications and deadlines. The participants will also work with the Office of Grants and Research (OGRS) for budgeting and submission support through Cayuse, Seton Hall’s proposal submission system.

In year two, the class will start over with a new group of nominated class members. The call for the next FAERA cohort has been requested from Deans of all colleges. John Buschman, associate provost for Research and Innovation and Dean of University Libraries, states that “This initiative is the brainchild of Provost Katia Passerini. We have the perfect partner with Dr. Jim Kimble to launch this initiative. Kimble is the right person to move this program forward. The Office of Grants and Research is happy to provide a home for the Prestigious Fellowship Program and the FAERA cohorts.”

Watch for updates here.

Categories: Arts and Culture, Business, Education, Research