Nominations are now open for the Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization. All nontenured MIT faculty members are eligible.
Endowed by the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, the two-year chair opens the way for promising, nontenured professors to undertake marine-related research that will further the innovative use of the ocean's resources. Any aspect of marine use or management may be addressed, whether social, political, environmental, economic or technical. The chair will receive $25,000 per year for two years, beginning July 1.
In 2005, Patrick Doyle, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, was awarded the Doherty Professorship to study the dynamics of single polymers and biomolecules under forces and fields. That research is expected to increase the understanding of turbulence in the marine environment.
Department heads may submit one nomination every year. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 28. Final selection will be made by a committee that includes the vice president and dean for research, the dean of engineering, the dean of science, the chairman of the Sea Grant Committee and the director of the MIT Sea Grant College Program, following a review and recommendation from the full Sea Grant Committee.
The vice president and dean for research will announce the new Doherty Professor in early 2006. While serving as the Doherty Assistant or Associate Professor of Ocean Utilization, the incumbent cannot hold another MIT-funded chair.
Anyone wishing to be nominated should contact his or her department head for procedures and selection criteria. Please contact Kathy de Zengotita for more information, Room E38-300, x3-9305, kdez@mit.edu.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 28, 2005 (download PDF).
