University’s Cluster Hire Initiative Draws Top Researchers to Whitman

The Whitman School continues to make strides as part of Syracuse University’s research cluster-hire initiative, which aims to strengthen research activity, enhance faculty diversity and develop new opportunities for student research and learning by recruiting and retaining recognized innovators and educators with interdisciplinary research interests.

In 2018, 10 areas—or clusters—that represent existing research strengths, niche areas and groundbreaking topics were identified for their potential to have a transformative impact on the competitiveness and reputation of Syracuse University as a whole. Faculty research hires that fall within these clusters are intended not only to foster collaboration between colleges and schools but also to leverage support for extramural grants and contracts, generate significant scholarship and create the potential for scientific, economic, environmental and social impact as part of the University’s overall Strategic Plan.

The Whitman School has committed to pursuing top talent in four of the University’s research clusters and has been working diligently for the past few years to attract top talent, according to Michel Benaroch, associate dean for research and Ph.D. programs.

“Our cluster hires will enhance what is already an outstanding faculty at the Whitman School. These experts will bring specific strengths that will allow us to become more highly regarded in certain areas of research, while also creating unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with other schools at the University,” says Benaroch.

Whitman recently welcomed two new faculty members under the cluster hire initiative. Hyoruyng (Hannah) Nam joined the marketing department in 2020 as part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship cluster, and Rachel Goodwin joined the management department under the Social Differences, Social Justice cluster this fall. Another individual is slated to join the management department in fall 2022 as part of the Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, Human-Technology Frontier cluster. Two more searches are ongoing in the finance department under the Big Data and Data Analytics cluster—one for business analytics and the other in the area of financial technology.