This academic year, ten Yeshiva University professors have been awarded tenure. When some people hear the term “tenured professor,” they mistakenly assume that the speaker is referring to a decade, or ten years. To others more connected to the world of academia, the phrase brings to mind the image of a dry professor who has spent his or her life scribbling notes in dusty books from within looming ivory towers. At Yeshiva University, the ten new professors who received tenure may not all have taught for ten years and probably don’t live in imposing tall buildings (unless you count apartment buildings…), yet their achievements and commitment to their academic field recently won them this lofty rescognition.
When a professor is awarded tenure, they are assured a permanent post at the university. At YU, a tenured professor promoted from assistant to associate professor in a given department of expertise.
Among the recently tenured professors are: Dr. Naomi Grunhaus, associate professor of Bible at Stern; Dr. Bruno Galantucci, associate professor of psychology at YC; Dr. Tamar Avnet, associate profeessor of Marketing as Sy Syms; Dr. Gaetano Bloise, professor of economics at Stern; Dr. Sumanta Goswami, associate professor of biology at YC; Dr. Shalom Holtz, associate professor of Bible at YC; Dr. Jenny Isaacs, associate professor of psychology at YC; Dr. Rachel Mesch, associate professor of French at YC and Chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Dr. Chaya Rapp, associate professor of chemistry at Stern; and Dr. Margarita Vigodner, associate professor of biology at Stern.
According to Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, vice provost for undergraduate education at Yeshiva University, “Tenure is awarded to faculty who have made a long-term contribution to the teaching of our students and have conducted leading research in the field.” Contrary to what some may believe, tenure is “not a reward for past service, but an investment in someone whose academic life in their field will be significant.” Tenured professors, Schiffman explains, are chosen because they “will enhance [the university’s] academic quality and reputation.” The professors who received tenure this year are “all top people who know how to teach and relate to our students,” Schiffman maintains, adding that the professors “identify with our mission as a University, and it is partly as a result of this that our students get into top graduate schools and fellowship programs.” Tenure, then, seems to be a win-win situation, with the university and its students benefiting from the research, experience, and talents these professors bring to the table, and the professors achieving the ultimate job security.
Most of the tenured professors have been extensively published in their field of expertise. The publications range from overarching, broader topics to detailed studies of intricate subjects. Dr. Shalom Holtz authored a comprehensive typological study of the documentation surrounding lawsuits during the last period of native rule in Mesopotamia and the beginning years of its incorporation into the Persian empire. Dr. Rachel Mesch recently wrote Having it All in the Belle Epoque: How Women’s Magazines Reimagined the Modern French Woman (forthcoming from Stanford University Press), in which she discusses the interplay between feminism and femininity in the early twentieth century. Dr. Gaetano Bloise has published a number of papers tackling relevant economic themes.
Many of the tenured ten, primarily those from the science departments, have also done extensive research. Dr. Sumanta Goswami has done research involving targeting micro-metastasis in breast cancer. His colleague, Dr. Margarita Vigodner studies spermatogenesis, male fertility, and reproductive health, and has been awarded two grants for further research.
For several of the professors, being awarded tenure at Yeshiva University is especially meaningful. Dr. Tamar Avnet remarks, “As a researcher it is very important to me to work in a place that appreciates knowledge and advancing science and yet is able to keep its Jewish traditions and combine these two elements well.” Dr. Bruno Galantucci admits that his students motivated him to seek tenure. “I very much enjoy working with YC students,” he explains, adding that “they are delightfully engaging and doing research with them is a great source of motivation and inspiration for me.”
Dr. Chaya Rapp, associate professor of Chemistry at Stern College for Women, shares her experience at SCW and the tenure process.
Surprisingly, Dr. Rapp admits that “I don’t think I knew I wanted to pursue a career in academia. I was finishing my doctorate at Columbia and …I happened to bump into Dr. Irving Borowitz, who had taught at YC for many years and was teaching summer session at Columbia.” He urged her to apply for an open position at the university, an idea which Dr. Rapp remembers calling “crazy” while discussing it with her husband. “Well,” she shrugs, “the rest is history.”
Dr. Rapp was indeed hired for a tenure-track position in 1999 as a member of Stern’s department of chemistry and biochemistry. Her research interests involve using a range of computational methods, including molecular and quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, and docking, to address problems related to protein structure and function. In 2011, she was awarded an NIH R15 grant for her proposal, entitled “Computational Modeling of Post-translational Modification in Proteins.”
This research development may have been the tipping point in terms of her tenure nomination. Indeed, Dr. Rapp notes, “a successful research program was key, along with teaching and service to the university. [It was] very hard, but that’s the case with anything you want to do a good job at.” During the summer of 2011, Dr. Rapp was notified of her nomination for tenure. She then set about preparing a professional portfolio, including information about teaching, research, and service to the university community. When asked about the process, Dr. Rapp compares it to “a long pipeline…the portfolio is sent across the country to experts in your field.” Then, a faculty committee, along with the Dean, the President, the Academic Vice President, and the Board of Trustees, must review the portfolio. Just a few days after Purim in the spring of 2012, Dr. Rapp was granted tenure.
Receiving tenure, Dr. Rapp maintains, does not change anything for her students. Her curriculum, course offerings, and office hours will remain the same. When asked what advice she would offer to students pursuing similar careers, Dr. Rapp replies frankly. “Going into academia means being in a job where your homework is never done,” she confirms. “As a perpetual student, that works for me, but not necessarily for everyone,” she continues, noting that “on the other hand, academia also provides tremendous flexibility, which has been indispensable for balancing work and family life.”
One final word to the wise? “If you love teaching, and enjoy the challenge of research, then go for it.”