Nominations are open for the Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization. All non-tenured MIT faculty members from any Institute department are eligible.
Endowed by the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, the two-year chair opens the way for promising, non-tenured professors to undertake marine-related research that will promote innovative uses of the ocean's resources. There are no restrictions on the area of research, and any aspect of marine use and/or management may be addressed, whether social, political, environmental, economic or technical.
Each year, one new faculty member is appointed to the chair, which carries $25,000 in annual support. In 1996, Paul Laibinis, assistant professor of chemical engineering, was awarded the chair for his proposal to develop an organic, hydrophobic coating for metals that would reduce corrosion and leaching, increasing the lifetimes of metals in marine environments.
Department heads may submit one nomination each year. The deadline for applications is October 21. Final selection will be made by a committee that includes the vice president and dean for research, the dean of engineering, dean of science, chairman of the Sea Grant committee and the director of the Sea Grant College Program, following a review and recommendation from the full Sea Grant Committee. Announcement of the new Doherty Professorship will be made in early spring.
Anyone wishing to be nominated should consult his or her department head for procedures and selection criteria. For more information, contact ReRe Quinn, Rm E38-330, x3-9305.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 11, 1996.
