Dr. Christine Grant leads restructuring of College of Engineering Faculty Development Office

Dr. Christine Grant was recently named the associate dean of faculty advancement for the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University. This achievement entails more than a change in title for Grant; it involves a restructuring of the Faculty Advancement Unit for the College of Engineering, previously known as the Faculty Development and Special Initiatives Unit.

The new name and title come as the next steps in the evolution of an office that was established seven years ago. Grant was named associate dean of faculty development and special initiatives in January 2008 when she approached the dean of the College, Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, about creating an office and position to meet the professional development needs of the faculty. Grant, who holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Brown University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, had significant experience in professional development and mentoring on a national scale. Her goal was to leverage those experiences to benefit NC State, specifically the College of Engineering.

Since its inception, the office and Grant’s position have become a significant part of the administrative structure of the College. The office is focused on meeting the needs of the faculty in the College, with Grant and her office fully devoted to a combination of leadership, discovery of knowledge and mentoring and broadening faculty participation.

As part of the restructuring, Grant’s office is now responsible for faculty development, all faculty promotion and tenure review processes and mentoring among the College of Engineering faculty. The unit also works on special initiatives that seek to broaden participation in STEM. In this capacity, Grant will serve as a resource for department heads, an advocate for the faculty and a liaison to the Provost’s office.

Faculty Development Television (FDTV) is one of the newest initiatives pioneered by Grant. FDTV, a series of online programs designed to inform faculty on issues related to career and professional development, seeks to streamline the professional development and mentoring process. Through this initiative, Grant hopes to “empower faculty to be successful where they are, in a timely fashion through relevant information they can easily glean from other successful faculty.”

Ultimately, Grant wants to bring faculty members together to learn from one another. Another step taken toward this goal has been the creation of the “Now What?” series, which brings together faculty members at certain stages in their careers and gives them the opportunity to engage in a roundtable discussion with “faculty sages” about how to navigate career milestones such as reappointment, pursuing tenure and full professorship.

What first began as an idea has now developed and evolved into an office that specifically fits the College of Engineering and meets the professional advancement needs of the faculty. Grant’s appointment as associate dean of faculty advancement and the creation of the Faculty Advancement Unit is just the beginning of exciting developments and future initiatives for the College of Engineering.