Issues Chairs May Think About Issues Chairs May Think About Related to the Future of the Related to the Future of the

FieldField

Stephen P. HinshawStephen P. Hinshaw University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley

COGDOPCOGDOP2/112/11

OverviewOverview

Linda and Rich: Conceptual/VisionaryLinda and Rich: Conceptual/Visionary Me: A bit more ‘on the ground’:Me: A bit more ‘on the ground’:

– Issues arising during our external review; Issues arising during our external review; issues I think about every day in issues I think about every day in pondering my own program of research, pondering my own program of research, which incorporates aspects of which incorporates aspects of Developmental/clinical: developmental Developmental/clinical: developmental

psychopathologypsychopathology Social: stigmaSocial: stigma Policy: treatment disparitiesPolicy: treatment disparities Narrative: mixed methods Narrative: mixed methods

Centrifugal or Centripetal?Centrifugal or Centripetal?

Fissionary tendenciesFissionary tendencies– Q: How many “departments of biology” are there Q: How many “departments of biology” are there

today at major universities?today at major universities? A: Not many!A: Not many!

– Some eminent Psychology Departments have splitSome eminent Psychology Departments have split– Some have reunited after a decade or more of Some have reunited after a decade or more of

splitting!splitting! Can neuroscience coexist with other subdisciplines, not just Can neuroscience coexist with other subdisciplines, not just

intellectually, but in terms of teaching load, funding for intellectually, but in terms of teaching load, funding for trainees, expectations for research, etc.? trainees, expectations for research, etc.?

Berkeley: strong attempt at continued Berkeley: strong attempt at continued integrationintegration– No medical school (which is across Bay at UCSF), but No medical school (which is across Bay at UCSF), but

Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute has been a vital Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute has been a vital forceforce Not a Department, but does have separate graduate program Not a Department, but does have separate graduate program

““Home” for Psychology?Home” for Psychology?

Social Science?Social Science?– At Cal, we’re in Social Science, though we argued against At Cal, we’re in Social Science, though we argued against

it loudly at our External Review! We’re outliers in terms it loudly at our External Review! We’re outliers in terms of the lab science we do, the $ amount of start ups, etc. of the lab science we do, the $ amount of start ups, etc. etc.etc.

Biological/Natural Science?Biological/Natural Science?– Many departments in such a divisionMany departments in such a division

Life Science? Life Science? – E.g, UCLAE.g, UCLA

““Own” school?Own” school?– Or, as we argued, psychological/cognitive/brain Or, as we argued, psychological/cognitive/brain

sciences/maybe with linguisticssciences/maybe with linguistics

Quality/DiversityQuality/Diversity How is quality really ranked?How is quality really ranked?

– Pubs/cites/h-indexes/grants/long-term impact? Pubs/cites/h-indexes/grants/long-term impact?

Faculty ‘productivity’Faculty ‘productivity’– Counterexample: Harvard and Berkeley offer NO buyouts Counterexample: Harvard and Berkeley offer NO buyouts

from teaching for any level of research ‘productivity.’from teaching for any level of research ‘productivity.’– At Cal, argument is that we’re a publically funded At Cal, argument is that we’re a publically funded

research university; ‘intrinsic motivation’ research university; ‘intrinsic motivation’

How does a department show a true commitment How does a department show a true commitment to diversity?to diversity?– Example of search at Cal, earlier this past decade: Example of search at Cal, earlier this past decade:

Sociocultural bases of behaviorSociocultural bases of behavior– Student diversity will follow faculty diversityStudent diversity will follow faculty diversity

Sub-areas vs. UnitySub-areas vs. Unity

Rule of thumb:Rule of thumb: – Large departments, areas = mini-departments; small depts: no Large departments, areas = mini-departments; small depts: no

real areasreal areas– But see IndianaBut see Indiana

Middle range: how much autonomy for areas?Middle range: how much autonomy for areas?– Federalist system?Federalist system?– Berkeley: all hires full vetted and voted on by entire Berkeley: all hires full vetted and voted on by entire

Department; areas exist to organize colloquia and courses and Department; areas exist to organize colloquia and courses and to admit grad students to admit grad students

Exercise (prompted by our own external review):Exercise (prompted by our own external review):– Tally of active collaborations among faculty in our departmentTally of active collaborations among faculty in our department– For our external review, yielded 3 single-spaced pages, largely For our external review, yielded 3 single-spaced pages, largely

cross-areacross-area

Revitalization of areasRevitalization of areas– Change, Plasticity, and Development, Behavioral NeuroscienceChange, Plasticity, and Development, Behavioral Neuroscience– But why not an ‘Emotion’ area? But why not an ‘Emotion’ area?

Money, Support, CompletionMoney, Support, Completion

Safe to say we’ve entered a new ballgame in terms Safe to say we’ve entered a new ballgame in terms of expectations from new faculty for start-upof expectations from new faculty for start-up– But we’ve now entered an era of retrenchmentBut we’ve now entered an era of retrenchment– Start-up = rate-limiting factor for future hires Start-up = rate-limiting factor for future hires

Campus units with sufficient endowments CAN hire now!Campus units with sufficient endowments CAN hire now!

On the ground:On the ground:– Can we attract top candidates?Can we attract top candidates?– Can we meet inflation for grad student support?Can we meet inflation for grad student support?– Inequities across students (fellowships, RAships vs. Inequities across students (fellowships, RAships vs.

chronic teaching assistant loads?)chronic teaching assistant loads?)– How fast to push students to complete program? What is How fast to push students to complete program? What is

the ‘point of readiness’ and how much of a post-doc is the ‘point of readiness’ and how much of a post-doc is expected? expected?

Grad Education: ‘Core’ vs. Grad Education: ‘Core’ vs. ApprenticeshipsApprenticeships

Chronic ‘tension’: How best to prepare our Chronic ‘tension’: How best to prepare our doctoral students for the moving target that doctoral students for the moving target that constitutes our ‘hub’ status constitutes our ‘hub’ status

Minimize core requirements vs. offer a well-Minimize core requirements vs. offer a well-taught set of truly cross-disciplinary ways of taught set of truly cross-disciplinary ways of approaching problems?approaching problems?

Is most education done within the mentorship? Is most education done within the mentorship? – But then how to get good data on quality of But then how to get good data on quality of

mentoring?mentoring?

Berkeley model: no 2 students have same Berkeley model: no 2 students have same program… but is there cost here?program… but is there cost here?

Anticipating the future Anticipating the future for a ‘hub’ disciplinefor a ‘hub’ discipline

Where and how will discoveries be made?Where and how will discoveries be made?

Moving target for entire field—and which Moving target for entire field—and which departments (and campuses) will lead the departments (and campuses) will lead the way? way?

Back to starting point: Will psychology exist as Back to starting point: Will psychology exist as a discipline in 50 years (a la biology)? a discipline in 50 years (a la biology)?

Or, will it maintain identity and vitality as it Or, will it maintain identity and vitality as it strongly plays a role in linking cog sci, strongly plays a role in linking cog sci, neuroscience, affective science, developmental neuroscience, affective science, developmental science, psychopathology, several different science, psychopathology, several different professions (see Rich), etc. etc.?professions (see Rich), etc. etc.?

In memoriam: Geoff In memoriam: Geoff KeppelKeppel

Former COGDOP member; Dept Chair at Cal in early Former COGDOP member; Dept Chair at Cal in early ’70s (when he was < 40), literally unifying ’70s (when he was < 40), literally unifying Department (which existed as three ‘groups’ that Department (which existed as three ‘groups’ that had never met together for 15 years)..had never met together for 15 years)..

Leukemia for 20+ years (but swam .5 to 1.0 Leukemia for 20+ years (but swam .5 to 1.0 miles/day)miles/day)

Many of you used his design and analysis Many of you used his design and analysis ‘handbook’‘handbook’

WOGDOP!WOGDOP!

I fly back at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow to conduct his I fly back at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow to conduct his memorial service on campusmemorial service on campus