Director - Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences (Huck) is one of Penn State's largest institutes, with a goal of advancing interdisciplinary excellence, facilitating a university-wide culture of collaborative research, and supporting exceptional graduate education in the life sciences. The new Director will build on this legacy of excellence and guide Penn State life sciences research to the next level by working with Deans and Directors to help achieve the University's strategic research priorities.

With an annual expenditure of over $20M and support from a large endowment, the Huck's mission is to cultivate excellence in interdisciplinary life sciences at Penn State. The Huck is comprised of four Institutes, including Genomics, Plant Sciences, Ecology, Neurosciences, and 28 Centers of excellence, and engages faculty across each of Penn State's colleges, including the College of Medicine in Hershey, PA. The Institutes and Centers catalyze research and graduate training across life science disciplines and are dedicated to solving society's greatest challenges by building alliances across disciplinary boundaries, enhancing Penn State's ability to prepare students for the challenges of the future, and developing innovative approaches to move discovery to impact through active research commercialization. The Huck has a portfolio of 111 co-funded faculty and oversees six intercollege graduate degree programs comprised of approximately 275 graduate students, and a professional master's program in Biotechnology. The Huck supports research through eleven (11) state-of-the-art shared technology facilities including genomics, automated calorimetry, high field magnetic resonance imaging, metabolomics, proteomics and mass spectrometry, microscopy, flow cytometry, cell culture, fermentation, x-ray crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy. With a dedicated staff of over 50 support professionals, the Huck manages over 80,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art laboratory space in 6 buildings including space in the award-winning Millennium Science Complex that brings together researchers in the life, biomedical, and material sciences.

The Huck is built by a team of inspired individuals with unique perspectives, an array of skills, and an engaging environment with opportunities for growth. The Director is supported by a Huck Executive Team (one full-time Associate Director, a Managing Director, and several part-time Associate Directors) who meet weekly to develop strategies for implementing Huck's vision and to steer the day-to-day operations.

The Director of the Huck reports directly to the Senior Vice President for Research, who oversees research activity exceeding $1.239 billion annually.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Director include the following:

• Providing vision, university-wide leadership, and advances excellence in research and graduate training at the interface between life science and a myriad of other disciplines
• Building bridges and collaborations among the core colleges and developing policies and incentives for faculty participation in innovative, high-impact interdisciplinary research, to create an atmosphere of inclusion of diverse expertise and perspectives
• Chairing the Huck Kitchen Cabinet that advises the Director on all activities, policies and programs for the Huck Institutes
• Chairing the Deans Advisory Committee, which gives advice to the Huck Director on strategic, operational, financial, and research team building
• Identifying new funding opportunities and coordinating interdisciplinary research programs
• Enhancing graduate education in the life sciences, including support through fellowships, assistantships, joint recruiting, professional development and mentoring
• Identifying the means to facilitate research through seminars, workshops, and symposia
• Serving as liaison between the University's life sciences programs and state, national, and international life sciences organizations

Education and Experience: The successful candidate must be a U.S. citizen, hold a Ph.D., and have exceptional research and teaching credentials applicable for a tenured professor in an appropriate academic department. There is no time requirement for classroom instruction, but the candidate is expected to spend a portion of their time on their own research.

The successful candidate will:

• possess a selfless, empowering orientation and willingness to prioritize collective success.
• be recognized as an international leader in the biomedical or life sciences in terms of scientific accomplishments and vision and possess leadership skills necessary to develop new initiatives and advance ongoing programs in research in the life sciences.
• support an exceptional working environment with staff, faculty and students, provide professional development and opportunities for career advancement, mentor the next generation of interdisciplinary leaders and provide a work environment that positions individuals to do their best work, ranging from opportunities for individuals to excel, teams to be creative, and units to inspire across all Penn State.
• have an appreciation for the academic environment and our land grant mission.

Application Materials: Applicants should submit a letter expressing their interest in this position with a detailed vision statement for advancing life science research, graduate training, managing talented faculty and staff to achieve greater impact. Also include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for four references.

Review of applications will begin on October 14, 2024 and continue until the position is filled

The Pennsylvania State University is a Land-Grant university located in central Pennsylvania. Coined Happy Valley for itshighlyranked livability, the area is known for itsaccess to nature spanningbeautiful mountains, streams, and parks, as well as superb sports and recreational opportunities. The area has excellent schools and offers a multitude of cultural events.

Interested individuals are invited to visit the website for the Huck Institute for the Life Sciences for more information: www.huck.psu.edu.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion inallits forms.We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

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