Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
Introduction
The Self Study report of the Biology Department highlights the dramatic growth of the teaching and
research efforts of the Department since the last Program Review, and that growth has continued since
completion of Self Study. At the time of the last Program Review (1996), the Biology Department had
26 full-time faculty members, ~850 undergraduate majors, ~150 graduate students, and ~$3 million in
external funding. At time of the most recent Program Review (2005), the Biology had 50 full time
faculty members, ~1250 active undergraduate majors, ~250 graduate students, and ~$16 million in
external funding. The Biology major has been the largest on campus since 2002, and the Department is
routinely among the top four departments in annual generation of credit hours. These enrollment
trends have continued since 2005, with the number of undergraduate majors having increased by 11%
and the number of credit hours generated having increased by >8%. The number of full-time faculty
members has increased by five (two tenure-track faculty, two Academic Professionals, and a Visiting
Lecturer) or 10%. It is also noteworthy that in 2007, 211 biology majors received the B.S. degree, up
70% from 123 in 2004, the last full year of the Program Review. The demand for an education in the
life sciences continues, and with appropriate resources, Biology can continue to meet these demands.
Biology’s objectives and goals in its Action Plan match many of the University’s Strategic Goals.
These include increasing student enrollment, elevating research profiles into national prominence, and
significantly increasing external funding. In instruction, a goal is to provide a high quality education to
our undergraduate and graduate students interested in the life sciences, including addressing
undergraduate concerns of class size and limited course offerings by recruitment of additional tenure
track faculty as well as a non-tenure track faculty member to coordinate efforts directed towards
professional school placement and career advisement. These efforts are intended to increase
graduation rates and speed up time to degree. Emphasis is placed on recruitment of underrepresented
minority faculty. Faculty recruitment is targeted at strengthening the current disciplines and expanding
interdisciplinary research. Facility maintenance is an important ingredient in keeping up the level of
scholarly activity and concomitant procurement of extramural funding. Another key objective is
providing sufficient GLA positions to cover instructional laboratories and funding GRA positions at
nationally competitive levels to maintain the quality of students in the doctoral programs.
These goals and objectives take into account recommendations by both the External Reviewers’ Report
and the Academic Program Review Committee (APRC). Both recommend addition of tenure-track
faculty, particularly in two of the disciplines in the Department, Applied and Environmental
Microbiology (AEM) and Cellular Molecular Biology and Physiology (CMBP). Moreover, both
recommended strengthening instructional faculty in the area of Organismal Biology. In addition, the
External Reviewers’ Report emphasized the need for higher salaries for Lecturers, whereas the APRC
emphasized the need for undergraduate experiences, including undergraduate research.
The Department has already taken actions on several urgent needs identified during the Program
Review, with new resources that have been provided outside of the Action Plan process. These include
the recruitment of a tenure-track faculty from an underrepresented minority, two (and soon to be three)
Academic Professionals for instruction, staff for laboratory coordination, faculty for implementation of
the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and Critical Thinking and Writing (CTW) initiatives in the
Biology curriculum, and an Undergraduate Coordinator for advisement of Majors. The receipt of a
grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for undergraduate education in biotechnology
provides the Department with the opportunity to significantly enhance undergraduate research
opportunities.
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Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
The Biology Action Plan also recognizes the strategic plans of the University for increasing enrollment
and elevating research excellence, and also takes advantage of the window of opportunity noted in the
External Reviewers’ Report provided by the vaccine and therapeutic initiatives by Georgia Research
Alliance and Georgia Cancer Coalition. Moreover, the Department will play a continuing major role in
the Provost’s two areas of focus in Molecular Basis of Disease and in Brains & Behavior. These goals
will be realized and shaped for the future of the Department with the construction and occupancy of
the Science Research and Teaching Building and hopefully a second research building in the new GSU
Science Park.
Departmental Action Plan
The Biology Department has been and will continue to be a pivotal part in Instruction and Research at
GSU. This Action Plan is designed to build on Biology’s previous success in these areas and to work
toward fulfilling the University goals of increasing enrollment, enhancing the educational experience
for our students, and expanding on research prominence.
This Action Plan is being presented at a time when there are several major changes that significantly
impact the department. It is therefore necessary to begin with several caveats.
1. The department’s undergraduate program will likely continue to grow as the University strives to
increase its overall enrollment. This growth will likely be offset by two anticipated changes. First,
some students who would have otherwise declared biology as their major may opt for a neuroscience
major. Second, the Department has voted to limit declared biology majors to those who maintain a 2.2
or higher GPA. This minimum grade requirement is projected to reduce enrollment by approximately
10%. Even taking into account these additional factors, however, we project that the number of majors
may continue to increase over the next several years.
The department has adopted an instructional model for undergraduate students that depends heavily on
non-tenure track faculty to meet its considerable responsibilities in the core curriculum and in the
major. This model has proved effective and efficient, especially in light of the severe shortage of
laboratory space that has limited hiring of new tenure-track faculty. Thus we propose to keep this
model rather than transform non-tenure track positions into tenure track ones. Moreover, we do not
include in the Action Plan requests for an expansion of non-tenure track positions. If this expansion is
needed, we expect that it will be addressed by other funding mechanisms such as new and unmet
demand.
2. Growth of the tenure track faculty needs to be tied to growth in laboratory space and to the
availability of appropriate start up funding. We have set the time frame for the Action Plan to be five
years, from FY2011 to FY2015 and timed the new tenure track positions to the likely availability of
new space. However, it is critical that hiring plans be reexamined as more clarity is gained about the
availability of laboratory space. In addition, the number of positions will be affected by faculty rank
since laboratory size and start up costs will be inversely proportional to rank.
3. The imminent establishment of a Neuroscience Institute within the College will influence the
department in several ways. It is expected that 8 tenure-track faculty members from the neurobiology
department will move their primary appointments to the Institute. We anticipate that these faculty will
continue to maintain their current teaching responsibilities, which initially will be in the Biology
Department or in courses that are transferred to the Neuroscience Institute. This Action Plan does not
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Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
include requests for faculty hiring in the Neuroscience Institute. A separate plan will be initiated soon
after the new degrees are in place and their impact can begin to be discerned.
4. The Department is dedicated to providing a positive and memorable learning experience for
students at all levels. Thus, we strongly support the implementation of the QEP/CTW initiative as a
way to provide our students with the thinking and writing tools necessary for the critical analysis of
scientific problems. Moreover, the limitations in class size set by the program (25 students per section)
will enable us to give our students the personalized attention necessary to address their individual
needs. New resources have been identified in the QEP proposal for the department to make 4 hires to
provide the new sections that are needed for the implementation of the CTW plan. This includes an
Academic Professional in FY08; one Lecturer in FY10; and two tenure-track faculty members, one in
FY11 and one in FY12. However, if the number of majors increases, it may be necessary to provide
additional faculty, funded by the QEP program, to teach CTW courses.
5. The Biology department is committed to STEM initiatives. Funding from the Chancellor’s STEM
program is earmarked for a senior-level tenure track science educator. Given the prominence of
biology in GSU’s STEM areas, the successful candidate might well be in the area of biology. In
addition, we have made a significant commitment to providing inquiry-based, hands-on opportunities
for our students, as indicated by our receipt of the $1.5M Biotechnology Scholars grant from the
Howard Hughes Division for Undergraduate Education.
With these caveats in mind, the Action Plan presented below focuses on expanding the research
prominence of the Biology department.
1. Faculty Replacements.
We request to replace all faculty positions upon vacancy. This includes both NTT and TT lines.
2. Faculty Additions.
The Self Study process documents the need for new faculty in the Biology Department. Research areas
in the Molecular Basis of Disease (MBD) are particularly important in our plans for growth of research
programs. Our hiring plan will continue to complement interactions with other departments and
programs in Chemistry, Computer Science, Neuroscience Institute, Physics, and Mathematics &
Statistics.
TT faculty to be hired will be a blend of Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors, as has been the
strategy in hiring TT faculty in the last 10 years. This model allows a balance between recruiting more
senior faculty with established, externally funded research programs, and hiring junior faculty with
strong potential to develop their research programs at GSU. The balance may depend on salary,
laboratory space, and other resources available at the time of hire. Thus, a range of salaries of $65,00090,000 is requested. The college’s standard amount for minimal operational budget of $3,000 to
support professional development and basic computer equipment is requested for each new TT faculty.
However, as noted below, significant start-up costs will also be required, with funding coming from
outside the action plan funding process.
We request nine new tenure-track lines, in addition to the two QEP/CTW tenure track lines noted
above, noting that if these lines are filled with senior people with high space and resource needs, the
number of lines will need to be assessed. However, in the New Science Park, the Biology faculty have
agreed and designed the laboratory space to be generic and flexible to allow expansion and
reassignment based on the needs of funded projects.
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Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
The 11 action plan new faculty will be recruited into the three current graduate areas.
Each of the following three areas will have three hires:
1. Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry (MGB), which is aligned with the Molecular Basis of
Infectious Diseases Area of Focus, in line with the goal of the Georgia Research Alliance.
2. Cellular, Molecular Biology, and Physiology (CMBP), which focuses on signal transduction as
the basis of metabolic diseases and cancer and shares its goals with the Georgia Cancer
Coalition.
3. Applied and Environmental Microbiology (AEM), which has close ties to industrial and
environmental organizations, as well as Georgia Research Alliance goals for translational
economic development is emphasized.
The two QEP funded positions will be filled by junior level tenure track faculty. We anticipate that
their research areas will overlap with one of the department’s three areas and consistent with a role in
teaching organismal biology. It is understood that most of the new TT faculty will contribute to the
QEP/CTW effort through undergraduate course instruction and that the two positions designated as
QEP/CTW are being added to account for the increased number of sections that the department as a
whole will need to open in order to implement the QEP/CTW plan.
TT1. Bacterial Pathogenesis. (MGB hire). Many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are
caused by bacterial pathogens. This faculty hire is expected to bring expertise in molecular
characterization of bacterial virulent factors and/or in the study of bacteria-host interactions, and to
enhance the graduate training program in the areas of infectious diseases and/or structural biology.
TT2. Comparative Biology & Integrative Physiology / Endocrinology / Molecular Developmental
Biology (CMBP, or MGB, or AEM hires).
TT3. Process Research and Developmental Microbiology. (AEM hire). Process research and
development is a major roadblock and hurdle to the development of pharmaceuticals and biological
therapy, as indicated by national surveys and a study by the Georgia Research Alliance and as
incorporated into the State of Georgia’s major initiative into vaccines and diagnostics.
TT4. Systems Biology. (CMBP hire). One faculty hire will be a systems biologist who employs
quantitative modeling and data-driven computer simulations to explain how system physiology derives
from component interactions, to predict system behavior under different conditions, and to design
experiments for testing the predictions based on their simulations. This CMBP hire will also
complement MGB faculty and other new hires.
TT5. Comparative Biology & Integrative Physiology / Endocrinology / Molecular Developmental
Biology (CMBP, or MGB, or AEM hires).
TT6. Opportunistic Pathogens Microbiology. (AEM hire). Device associated infections and
emerging pathogens are significant concerns that are expected to worsen. The conversion of a benign
opportunistic microorganism into a serious pathogen is central to understanding pathogenesis and the
molecular basis of disease. There is an increasing demand for individuals who can bridge between
molecular biology and biochemistry, and a practical understanding of developing solutions for these
pressing problems. The role of sensing (chemical and molecular) is a central focus of this area and
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Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
integrates well with existing capabilities and experience, and with the Chemistry Department and with
the MBD effort.
TT7. Autonomic Physiology. (CMBP hire). An autonomic physiologist will be hired, who will
bridge the areas of physiology and cell biology. This faculty member would be expected to work on
diabetes, metabolism, cardiology, or one or many other areas in physiology that can take advantage of
current extramural funding opportunities.
TT8. Viral Pathogenesis. (MGB hire). A faculty position in viral pathogenesis, diagnosis, and
therapeutics will be hired to complement and expand the department’s strength in this area.
TT9. Microbial Control Microbiology. (AEM hire). Health issues related to food and foodstuffs,
personal health care items, and drinking water, in which microbial contamination has compromised the
integrity and safety of the product, are of grave concern and importance. To properly understand
microbial control and most importantly to develop effective approaches to microbial control, it is
important to integrate chemistry, molecular biology, and diagnostics and sensor development. The
addition of a new faculty member in this area will complement our current faculty and expand
collaborative efforts and competitiveness in this area.
TT10. Cell/Cancer Biology. (CMBP hire). This position will bring in a faculty member with
expertise in cellular components, intra- and inter-cellular interactions, and their regulation. The new
hire is expected to complement existing strengths in basic research and clinical relevance, and study
structural elements and/or processes related to basic cellular functions such as locomotion, electrical
signaling, protein turnover, transcription, translation, membrane transport, exo/endocytosis, antigen
presentation, and signal transduction.
TT11. Fungal or Protozoan Pathogenesis (MGB hire). The recruitment of a new member working
on fungal or protozoan pathogens will broaden the scope of the research programs in both molecular
genetics and microbiology, and will provide the expertise for new courses in Mycology or
Parasitology.
Hiring of TT faculty will be distributed over five years covered by the action plan, beginning in FY
2011 in anticipation of the opening of the New Science Park building by fall of 2010. The order of
hiring is specified in the schedule at the end of this document with some flexibility, depending on the
quality of the applicant pools in the three disciplines.
3. Graduate Research Assistants:
Two Graduate Research Assistantships funded at nationally competitive levels will be needed for each
new tenure track faculty, for a total of 22 assistantships, The rate will likely be approximately $20K in
current dollars per GRA. New funding from the university will be needed to provide a base level of
support for doctoral students (currently $12K) which will be supplemented by funds from other
internal sources such as university research initiatives and from research grants.
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Department of Biology Action Plan
April 29, 2008
Timeline and Budget, Biology Department (Note A)
Year 1 FY 2010 -(2009-2010)
TT1 faculty member
Operational budget for new faculty ($3000 each)
Two additional graduate students
Cost
$65-90,000
$3,000
Note C
Year 2: FY2011 (2010-2011)
TT2 faculty member
TT3 faculty member
TT4 faculty member
Operational budget for new faculty ($3000 each)
Six additional graduate students
Move from Kell to NSC and Science Park
Note B
$65-90,000
$65-90,000
$9,000
Note C
Note D
Year 3: FY2012 (2011-2012)
TT5 faculty member
TT6 faculty member
TT7 faculty member
Operational budget for new faculty ($3000 each)
Six additional graduate students
Note B
$65-90,000
$65-90,000
$9,000
Note C
Year 4: FY2013 (2012-2013)
TT8 faculty member
TT9 faculty member
Operational budget for new faculty ($3000 each)
Four additional graduate students
$65-90,000
$65-90,000
$6,000
Note C
Year 5: FY2014 (2013-2014)
TT10 faculty member
TT11 faculty member
Operational budget for new faculty ($3000 each)
Four additional graduate students
$65-90,000
$65-90,000
$6,000
Note C
Note A: Assumes that all regular faculty positions are replaced as they open. Fringes required
for all salaries. Salary of new TT faculty depends on level of hiring.
Note B: Funded by QEP/CTW initiative at $65,000
Note C: Funding to be determined by model, continues in subsequent years
Note D: Costs for Moves and Renovations to be determined
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