A New Hand on the Tiller Yours truly (Jon Weems) plans to retire at the end of June. I will then be exactly two-thirds of a century old and the veteran of thirty-eight years caring for the Arboretum, the last twenty-one years at the helm. I’ve made my planned date of retirement known for a long time to give the University a chance to consider how to replace me. The decision was made to drop my classified staff “Arboretum Specialist” position in favor of a new faculty “Clinical Assistant Professor” post. A national search resulted in the hiring of a Morgantown resident, Zach Fowler, originally from Tyler County, WV. He won awards for scholarship and teaching while earning his PhD in biology under Bill Peterjohn at WVU. Zach’s research field was the biogeochemistry of nitrogen deposition. Many academicians become highly focused on their specialties, but Zach developed substantial knowledge across a broad range of topics in forest ecology. This will be a plus. Also helpful will be Zach’s positive energy, his contagious enthusiasm, his dedication, and his engaging personality. Zach will need all of these assets and a lot of help. He will be responsible for managing and maintaining the Arboretum, plus teaching on a sustained, semester-long basis, plus developing and implementing a new outreach program to increase the Arboretum’s visibility and functionality. He will be busy! To ease the transition, there will be six months of overlap after Zach comes on board and before I step off. If no new “Groundskeeper” position is added once I’m gone, Zach – though no stranger to physical work - will need to rely heavily on some combination of student workers, volunteers, and contractors. His solid academic background should help with his teaching. Zach will inevitably have to perform a lot of time-consuming administrative work himself. Zach’s new job, while presenting challenges, also provides opportunity. The upgrade to a faculty position indicates an exciting new commitment on the part of the Biology Department, the Eberly College, and the University to make the Arboretum a more valued facility fully integrated into academic and community life. Zach considered the position carefully when considering whether to apply. Since deciding, he has been all in. He is well prepared to head the Arboretum on a new course.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 18:34:54 +0000
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