Mason: Deep respect for education resonates at Iowa

	Sally Mason became The University of Iowa's 20th president on Aug. 1. Photo by Tom Jorgensen.

Sally Mason became The University of Iowa’s 20th president Aug. 1. The daughter of an immigrant family and their first to attend college, Mason earned a BA in zoology from the University of Kentucky in 1972, an MS from Purdue University in 1974, and a PhD in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology from the University of Arizona in 1978.

She spent 21 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Kansas, then in 2001 became provost at Purdue University. There she won accolades for increasing diversity, recruiting top faculty, expanding research and public engagement, and helping develop Discovery Park, an interdisciplinary research incubator.

fyi spoke with President Mason about her impressions of Iowa, her goals, and issues facing higher education.

What are some of the things that have impressed you about The University of Iowa?

First, how wonderfully open and warm the people are—everyone from students, staff, and faculty, to the people I’ve met throughout Iowa City. I’ve felt so welcome. I’m also struck by how much the people of Iowa value education. Once I was offered the job, one of my first phone calls was from Governor Chet Culver, who talked about his commitment to higher education and education more broadly. It’s clear that deep respect for education resonates throughout the University and the state.

Are there particular items you’d like to accomplish during your first year?

This is a great university, and I’m glad we have so few areas that need immediate attention. That said, I talk every day with people about the issues they would like to see addressed, and my top priority is to continue those conversations. I intend to get out and meet as many people as I can, on campus and off, and I want to set a tone that’s positive and forward thinking. We can certainly learn from our history, but we need to be focused on moving ahead.

Faculty retention is a concern at many universities, but are there challenges to retention that seem particularly significant at Iowa?

Our faculty salaries really need to be more competitive. As provost at Purdue, I was able to recruit two very good people from Iowa—which I now regret, of course—and salary was a factor for at least one of them. Top talent can go anywhere, and that’s always a dilemma. Fortunately, Iowa City is a wonderful place to live, and our University offers excellent career opportunities for faculty, but that’s not always enough.

What are your thoughts on the traditional tenure system and any suggestions that it should be modified?

In my six years at Purdue, I saw the system change in some departments. Many of our scientists and engineers valued the opportunity to develop intellectual property, and some promotion and tenure committees began to consider patents and licenses, involvement in startup companies, and other efforts. Other committees began paying greater attention to interdisciplinary research, which we’d talked about for years but had struggled to reward. Overall, we sought to be responsive to disciplines moving in these directions, recognizing that there’s not a single, perfect model for faculty in all fields.

Public universities are increasingly called on to support economic development. How can we best meet this goal in a way that’s consistent with our teaching, research, and service roles?

We can define economic development broadly as giving people the resources they need to nurture ideas with commercial potential, whether they take the form of books, patents, or startup businesses. Developing intellectual property is one element of our basic enterprise—fostering knowledge and creativity to benefit individuals and society. I think faculty, staff, and students should be encouraged to participate in economic development when it makes sense, but such participation should never be viewed as a requirement.

Today we’re seeing a drive to make the commercialization of intellectual property more intentional and strategic. Again, not everyone has to pursue these projects, but we ought to help those who want to do this interesting, innovative, and often interdisciplinary work.

How do you think a university like ours can best achieve its diversity goals?

First, diversity has to be woven into your institutional fabric. It has to be part of who you are, and you have to be willing to share that belief, which can be risky. It’s also hard work that demands asking tough questions. In my previous job, one of the first questions I asked of deans was how many women and underrepresented minorities they’d hired in the previous year. When they realized I was going to ask that again and again, it became important for them to have something to report. I’ll be asking these same kinds of questions here at Iowa, because they send a message. When it comes to advancing diversity, you have to be vocal, determined, and patient. Patience can be the hardest part.

What drew you to an academic career?

As a college freshman, I hadn’t a clue about what an academic career might entail, but I was very lucky to have an advisor who guided and encouraged me. He told me I should consider going to graduate school and becoming a professor. Now, he never said anything about becoming a university president, but he had the other part exactly right.

If you hadn’t taken that route, what might you be doing instead?

I might be teaching high school. Or I might have gone to work for a private company, probably gravitating toward management. I suspect my passion for helping others realize their goals would push me in that direction.

Do you have any advice for young faculty who may be interested in administration?

Don’t do it too soon. As academics, we tend to respect other academics first and foremost. If you don’t invest the time it takes to become a serious scholar, it can be an impediment should you become more involved in administration. Frankly, I think you’re more credible and you understand the issues better if you’ve built a strong academic foundation.