The Department of Pharmacology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine has won a coveted position in the 2023 Wayne State University Pathway to Faculty Hiring Initiative to recruit a new pre-faculty member.

The Pathway to Faculty program is an initiative from WSU’s Graduate School, designed to diversify the professoriate at Wayne State. Through the program, pre-faculty fellows will be guided to and prepared for the acceptance of tenure-track faculty positions into which they will transfer upon fulfillment of predetermined metrics.

“We are honored to have been selected for the Pathway to Faculty award. We look forward to implementing its flexibility and robust support system to continue increasing the diversity of the Department of Pharmacology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine,” said Professor and Chair of Pharmacology Sokol Todi, Ph.D.

The department will begin conducting a search for the position, to be completed and filled by early next year, Dr. Todi said.

The department was established in 1974 to study drug actions on biological systems. The discipline encompasses molecular modeling, basic studies on subcellular mechanisms of drug action, investigation of drug effects on cells, organs and organisms, as well as the therapeutic uses and adverse effects of drugs. Most recently, pharmacology has utilized knowledge of the human genome to tailor individual pharmacotherapies.

Ongoing support will be provided by the Office of the Provost. Individuals who identify as members of historically marginalized groups in their chosen field of higher education are strongly encouraged to apply.

Successful candidates for the Pathway to Faculty program will have shown exceptional promise in research or creative activities and scholarship, along with a demonstrated desire to pursue a tenure-track position while advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. Applicants to the Department of Pharmacology must have or be pursuing a doctoral degree (or equivalent) with two years or less of post-graduate training. They must also have a confirmed date of degree completion.

Candidates will receive two to three years of funded post-terminal degree training; two to three years of funding as an independent, tenure-track faculty member (to follow the post-terminal degree training, for a total not to exceed five years); professional development opportunities; research support and stipend; mentoring and more.

The Pathway to Faculty program utilizes a “Brain Trust” model for faculty mentoring. All pre-faculty fellows will have a full team with various roles and responsibilities supporting them.

To learn more about the Pathway to Faculty program, or to apply to one of the pre-faculty fellow positions, contact Graduate School Associate Dean Angulique Outlaw at aoutlaw@med.wayne.edu. If applying for one of the current or upcoming positions, mention the program of interest in the email.