Nathan Ensmenger’s departure from the History and Sociology of Science department after being denied tenure is not the only faculty change that will affect the department next year.
Within the 10-person department, four positions — including Ensmenger’s — will see faculty changes.
Department chairwoman Susan Lindee will be leaving due to a promotion to the Dean’s Office. Robert Aronowitz, the graduate chairman of the department, will be taking a year-long academic leave to complete his research. In addition, assistant professor John Tresch will take an academic leave next spring to finish his book.
“It’s very important for the department to support academic leave,” Lindee said. “The production of knowledge requires a period of complete focus where you don’t have to teach and can do work in the archives, travel and interview people … it’s a core value to support.”
Though replacements have been made for next year, most appointments are temporary until faculty can be finalized for the fiscal year 2012-2013.
By June 2012, both Aronowitz and Tresch will return from academic leave and assistant professor Beth Linker will have completed her tenure review. These changes will affect faculty appointment accordingly, Lindee explained.
The department currently offers two undergraduate majors — Science, Technology and Society as well as Health and Societies. Despite the temporary faculty assignments, Lindee asserts that the STSC program, which lies at “the heart” of the department, will persevere.
“Science, Technology and Society is our field,” Lindee said. “It is a very important major for us — it will never disappear.”
Ensmenger’s tenure denial and subsequent decision to leave Penn has been a “blow and a disruption” to the department, Lindee admitted, but there are already plans to “regroup” for next year.
Ruth Cowan, former department chairwoman, will replace Lindee until her retirement in June 2012.
Professor and former graduate chairman Mark Adams will take over for Aronowitz after coming back from his academic leave.
“Essentially, we’re in a holding pattern where we’re using faculty who have had previous experience in these positions for administrative work,” Cowan explained.
Jonathan Moreno, a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor who holds double appointments in the School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed as undergraduate chairman of the STSC major next year and the department is already in negotiations to create more courses and hire more standing faculty.
“We are all very distressed that Dr. Ensmenger is not coming back, but it’s not going to change the undergraduate experience of our majors very much,” Cowan said.
Despite Ensmenger’s imminent departure, students were confident in the future of the STSC program.
“[Ensmenger] has been instrumental in strengthening the major and increasing the number of students who choose STSC,” College junior Mike Baber said. “Even though he will not be back next year, he has steered the program in the right direction so that it will continue to grow in the coming years.”
“I think [STSC] will continue to grow — people are recognizing the importance of understanding how science, technology and society interact, overlap and shape each other,” College junior Rebekah Larsen said.
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