New Watson College program gives a boost to potential future faculty
Watson Future Faculty Fellows (WF3) Program will provide professional training for doctoral students to encourage successful faculty careers
Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science has launched a new program to foster tomorrow’s academic leaders.
The Watson Future Faculty Fellows (WF3) Program will provide professional training for selected doctoral students to encourage successful faculty careers. Fellows will receive mentoring, specialized training and practical experience in higher-education teaching, proposal writing, academic job-hunting and other essential skills.
They also will conduct cutting-edge research under their advisors’ guidance, shadow an experienced instructor and then teach a course themselves.
“Watson College is deeply proud to launch this program with the vision of shaping tomorrow’s academic leaders,” said Dean Atul Kelkar. “This signature program is designed to nurture the next generation of academic leaders, researchers and educators. We wish them every success on their journey toward outstanding academic careers.”
Students chosen for the WF3 program are nominated by their departments and schools. Each will receive a $5,000 fellowship when completing the training program.
The first WF3 cohort is:
- Sara Aghazadeh (Mechanical Engineering)
- Javid Azimi Boulali (Mechanical Engineering)
- Amir Esmaeili (Computer Science)
- Soumit Mondal (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
- Akbar Solhtalab (Mechanical Engineering)
“I am very happy and proud to welcome these five students as the first cohort of the Watson Future Faculty Fellows,” said SUNY Distinguished Professor Hiroki Sayama, Watson’s executive assistant dean for graduate programs. “They will represent the academic and professional excellence of Watson, and their future success will not only benefit the fellows’ own careers, but will also help Watson’s reputation and visibility.”