The National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program aims to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce. The ADVANCE Program supports leadership, dissemination, planning, and institutional transformation grants. More information about the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program is available at: www.nsf.gov/advance.

An Institutional Transformation Award supports academic institutional transformation by promoting the increased participation and advancement of women scientists and engineers in academe. These awards support innovative and comprehensive programs that engage leadership at the highest levels of the institution to affect systemic change, which includes changes in policy.

Northeastern University is 1 of 9 planned new Institutional Transformation sites in 2008 that will join a group of 28 NSF-funded ADVANCE Institutional Transformation (IT) sites across the country. This group includes the University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Case Western Reserve University, Columbia University, Kansas State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Duke University, University of Arizona, and Brown University. Websites for all Institutional Transformation sites are available at: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/advance/itwebsites.jsp.

Northeastern ADVANCE aims to develop innovative ways to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, by promoting positive changes in the work environment that will advance all faculty in research environments that are increasingly interdisciplinary and global. Program focus includes engineering, science, mathematics, and social science disciplines as well as interdisciplinary research centers that are characterized by solo women and culturally diverse workplace cultures. The average STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) or Social Science (SS) department at Northeastern consists of 20 tenured or tenure-track faculty members, nearly half with international educational backgrounds, but with only three women, one in each rank.

Northeastern ADVANCE, working within the Office of the Provost, will engage institutional leadership to build effective collaborative networks for faculty, in particular women, departments, and interdisciplinary programs that incorporate global opportunities. While driven by the need to increase participation and advancement of women faculty, the Northeastern ADVANCE efforts will benefit all faculty members and should serve as tools for initiatives at other academic institutions. The focus areas of Northeastern ADVANCE include:

• An adaptation of the University of Michigan developed STRIDE Recruitment Committee to support search committees in the hiring process. STRIDE stands for Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence.
• A Leadership Academy to engage campus leaders who are responsible for the Academic Plan and to enable the Northeastern ADVANCE program to be a catalyst for bringing gender balance and diversity into the center of the plan. Leaders and rising leaders will share best-practices related to unit leadership, leadership development, recruitment, and the advancement of faculty within interdisciplinary and international environments.
• Interdisciplinary Recruitment Conferences attached to existing regional center conferences to bring potential faculty candidates to campus for academic scholarly activities.
• A program of funding opportunities for academic departments, interdisciplinary programs, and Centers to strengthen national and international collaboration networks.

A key component of the Northeastern University Academic Initiative is to develop and foster interdisciplinary initiatives. Efforts to recruit and engage women in academic activities are consistent with the University's Academic Plan. The Northeastern ADVANCE program will focus on attracting new scholars to Northeastern's interdisciplinary efforts. Programs will be developed and implemented to facilitate, for new scholars, connections with external experts, especially in emerging fields.

Globalization has led to a diverse international faculty on Northeastern's campus. About 48% of the male faculty members and 30% of female faculty members in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the Social Sciences hold at least one degree from an international institution—a rough measure of international faculty in the institution. These percentages are higher than the national averages and at Northeastern they are much higher for Engineering. In 2003, National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) reported that 40% of engineering faculty at Carnegie 5 institutions held a degree from a non-U.S. based institution. In 2007, 75% of male faculty members and 25% of female faculty members in Northeastern's College of Engineering held degrees from non-U.S. based academic institutions.

The international environment on Northeastern University's campus coupled with the demand for international recognition for tenure and promotion require a global mindset when we recruit, retain, and advance faculty. Support in developing international collaborative networks is especially important for faculty who do not yet have those connections. Thus, Northeastern ADVANCE will be an integral part of the implementation of the Academic Plan, especially, as it pertains to its interdisciplinary, global, international, and diversity components.

Funded by the National Science Foundation with a $3.7 million Institutional Transformation (IT) Award, Northeastern University's IT project is scheduled to start on September 1, 2008 and will be funded for five years.

The project leadership team (grant PIs) includes:

Sara Wadia-Fascetti, Associate Vice-Provost for Faculty Advancement
Luis M. Falcón, Vice-Provost for Graduate Studies
Kathrin Zippel, Associate Professor of Sociology
Jackie Isaacs, Associate Professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and Associate Director of the NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing
Graham Jones, Professor and Chair of Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Additional individuals (and their affiliations) who were instrumental in project development include:

Larry Finklestein, Dean of the College of Computer Science & Information Systems
David Luzzi, Dean of the College of Engineering
Allen Soyster, former Dean, College of Engineering
Emily Spieler, Dean of the School of Law
Jim Stellar, former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Steve Zoloth, Dean of the Bouve College of Health Sciences

Ahmed Abdelal, former Provost
Brendan D. Bannister, Associate Professor and Group Coordinate, Human Resources Management
Chris Bosso, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences
Rosanna Garcia, Marketing, College of Business Administration
Debra R. Kaufman, Sociology and Women's Studies
Harry Lane, International Business & Strategy, College of Business Administration
Carolyn Lee-Parsons, Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
Nancy Ludwig, Director, University Planning and Research
Eugene Mahr, Office of Corporate and Foundation Advancement
Kay Onan, Assistant to the President, Northeastern University
Coleen Pantalone, Finance Professor & former Executive Vice Provost
Donnie Perkins, Dean of Affirmative Action
Sue Powers-Lee, Executive Vice-Provost
Carey Rappaport, Professor of Electrical Engineering & Associate Director of the Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems Alexandra Roth, International Business & Strategy, College of Business Administration
Marian Stanley, Office of Corporate and Foundation Advancement
Phyllis Valentine, Office of Corporate and Foundation Advancement
Marge Wiseman, Institutional Research and Planning
Yaman Yener, Associate Dean, College of Engineering

The project has advisory boards for research and implementation. Advisory board members have been engaged in the project conceptualization and development. The Northeastern ADVANCE team is grateful for their efforts and look forward to working with board members over the next several years.

The External Advisory Board chaired by Provost Stephen W. Director is comprised of experts with proven records in the advancement of women faculty from peer and aspirational institutions that have made distinctive progress in the development and the advancement of women faculty.

The Internal Advisory Board consists of administrators and faculty leaders who have a proven record and are in the position to create and identify opportunities to deveop and maintain a positive environment for women and diversity, in general.

The Research Advisors are recognized experts in the field of faculty development, gender studies, organizations, and organizational culture. Research board members are:

Dr. Lotte Bailyn, MIT Sloan School
Dr. Carol Burger, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Elizabeth Gorman, University of Virginia, Sociology
Dr. Cathy Trower, Harvard University, Collaborative on Faculty Careers

The implementation board, comprised of a group of well-known external and internal advisors, brings valuable experience from academe and business, and includes representation from Northeastern University's Board of Trustees.

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