Safa Jafari Safa, communications@aub.edu.lb
AUB welcomed 29 new faculty members and 17 newly appointed chairs at an orientation that introduced AUB administration and programs, as well as the new members, their backgrounds, and their fields of research.
The new faculty members (12 males, 17 females) joined five AUB faculties: 15 joined the Faculty of Medicine (FM), 8 joined the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), three joined the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB), two joined the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS), and one new faculty member joined the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (MSFEA).
“Today, we celebrate growth by welcoming new colleagues who will embark on impactful careers at AUB, and we celebrate the leadership of our newly appointed department chairs whose service and dedication drive our continued academic excellence," said Provost Zaher Dawy.
The chairs (10 males and 7 females) were appointed starting September 2020: six at FAS, five at FM, three at MSFEA, and one chair at each of FAFS, the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), and OSB.
Incoming faculty hold degrees from universities around the world, including Columbia University, Stanford University, University College London, University of Edinburgh, Université de Lorraine, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Dr. Fida Afiouni, associate provost and new NFO facilitator, told us that the orientation program was revamped into one that is learner-centered with the objective to ensure new faculty wellbeing and productivity towards a successful promotion and tenure at AUB. The program this year adopted a faculty-centered perspective and provides new faculty with information that responds to their immediate needs and facilitates a successful academic journey for them at AUB, balanced with wellbeing and access to needed services.
“We have [also] decided to launch a new orientation program for newly appointed chairs" stated Dr. Afiouni. She further explained the rationale for launching such a program: “We are truly thankful to all newly appointed chairs who have decided to step up in these difficult times and lead their departments for the first time and we wanted to organize this New Chair Orientation (NCO) program to clarify the roles, responsibilities, and skillsets of new chairs, as well as acquaint them with the institutional resources available that can support them in their roles as chairs. The program also offers great networking opportunities and peer to peer support for new chairs".
During the joint orientation opening, AUB President Fadlo Khuri welcomed the new faculty members and chairs and spoke about the AUB spirit and strategic initiatives. Provost Dawy then delivered a presentation on the importance of balancing research, teaching, and service towards a successful tenure at AUB. The joint session concluded with presentations by the deans of the corresponding faculties about their schools and introductions of their new faculty members and chairs.
The two groups of new faculty and chairs proceeded to attend a series of sessions by experts that offered technical and practical details to facilitate a quick and smooth integration into AUB. Covering areas such as wellbeing and inclusion, and being a good citizen, the sessions together covered an array of topics, from resources available, to research centers and initiatives, to ethical principles in human research, to the university's strategic vision and goals and creating a learning community. The day was concluded with a reception at Marquand House, hosted by President Khuri.
“Your diverse and accomplished backgrounds and expertise reflect the breadth of AUB's distinguished modern academic profile," President Khuri told the new faculty members. “Our students are our hope for better days to come, they put their faith in all of us to lift them above the fray. I would like to thank each and every one of you for offering your support to them. If they can stand tall, they can make the impact that they believe they can make, that we know they can make."