OSU Extension - Ross County

06/21/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/21/2022 12:36

CFAES to recruit 5 research faculty focused on race and equity issues

COLUMBUS, Ohio-Under The Ohio State University's new RAISE Initiative, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) will be recruiting five additional faculty members focused on addressing how race and equity issues intersect climate, urban health, environment, and engagement with urban communities.

The new positions are part of Ohio State's expansion of high-impact research, which will include the university recruiting additional faculty members focused on addressing how race and equity issues intersect with criminal justice, STEM education, economic opportunity, and engagement with urban communities.

The Office of Academic Affairs has approved 25 RAISE (Race, Inclusion and Social Equity) initiative positions since the fall - significant progress toward the goal of attracting 50 RAISE research faculty within a decade.

More information about the approved proposals is available on the RAISE webpage.

The new CFAES positions will include:

  • Three scholars focused on urban health and environmental problems that are experienced differentially based on race and class. The three positions will form a new Urban Health, Environment, and Race Outcomes (Urban HERO) collaborative of experts and community partners in social, biological, and ecological sciences focused on new solutions to racial inequities and social disparities in environmental and health outcomes.
  • An urban OSU Extension scholar focusing on problems experienced differentially based on race and class within urban environments across Ohio. This position will develop Extension and outreach programming to build stronger relationships in urban communities and will include a focus on equity in the areas of food, health and wellness, environment, economic and workforce development, and leadership development. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of CFAES.
  • One of three tenure-track faculty under the race, resources and the environment research area focused on climate, race, and place in the areas of climate science,climate analytics, and climate adaptation. CFAES will be partnering in this faculty cluster with the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. The areas of expertise to be recruited includes data analytics and environmental justice; racial/ethnicdisparities in relation to climate change adaptation and resilience; and indigenous environmental studies.

"CFAES engages in work that sustains life and these additional university resources through the RAISE program are a wonderful opportunity for us to expand the reach of our important work," said Tracy Kitchel, CFAES senior associate dean and director of faculty and staff affairs.

"In addition to engaging in impactful research, many of these new faculty members will also be engaging in outreach leveraging the strength of OSU Extension." Kitchel said. "And all of these new faculty members will be building off of already established expertise in the college so we can our impact can reach more communities in Ohio and beyond."

The university expects to fill the approved positions by autumn 2023. Searches are also underway for the RAISE research positions approved earlier this academic year, which include focus areas such as cardiovascular health, the impact of climate change and the physical design of communities.

Through the support of U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Congress recently allocated $475,000 in the omnibus appropriations agreement for fiscal 2022 to support the RAISE initiative.

RAISE is part of a larger Ohio State initiative to add 350 tenure-track faculty within a decade, while also enhancing academic and personal resources to support Ohio State scholars, educators, and practitioners through all phases of their careers.

This broader faculty hiring and retention effort includes initiatives such as the Provost's Tenure-Track Fellow to Faculty Program, the Distinguished Early Career Scholars Program, and the creation of the Office of Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation.