Preparing Future Faculty (PFF)
The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program is an ongoing national initiative designed to better prepare graduate students and postdocs for the multiple roles they may be asked to assume as future faculty members in a variety of academic institutions. Duke University Graduate School, led by former Associate Dean, Dr. A. Leigh DeNeef, was involved in the 1990-92 pilot phase of this initiative, which was launched in 1993 as the Preparing Future Faculty Program by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). At present, Duke is one of 43 doctoral degree-granting universities that collaborate with nearly 300 partner institutions in the U.S. to form PFF clusters. More information about the national PFF initiative can be found at their website: http://www.preparing-faculty.org. While the external funding has expired, Duke Graduate School has continued to support and enhance this annual program with an active Advisory Board, a pool of supportive faculty mentors at nearby institutions, group site visits to our partner institutions, and administrative leadership by Dr. Doug James in the Graduate School. Research on PFF alumni/ae indicates they have better knowledge about institutional expectations of new faculty, make an easier transition from graduate student to new faculty member, are better teachers and mentors, and are on a faster track to obtain tenure. We are building a database of our PFF alumni/ae and expect to publish a summary of their placement information in the coming year. Finally, several PFF Fellows have also been chosen to receive the Dean's Awards for Excellence in Teaching. A list of award recipients since 1998 with website links to their current career positions can be found here.
Contact for inquiries, applications, and questions
Douglas L. James, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs & PFF Coordinator
The Graduate School
2127 Campus Drive, Box 90065
Durham, NC 27708
Phone: 919-681-3251
Fax: 919-684-2277
Email: douglas.james@duke.edu