You have got to be kidding me!
Commiserations. And good luck.
Insanity! I was just talking with my father a few weeks ago about how sure fire a bet I assumed you would have to be.
They are truly losing a great scientist. I love your stuff (Spacetime and Geometry especially), and I wish you the best of luck with the moving.
NM
Sorry to hear about the tenure. What's truly tragic is, you've contributed far more to public understanding of cosmology than 99% of your colleagues. I wonder if they considered that?
Very sorry to hear that, Sean. The tenure system is definitely crazy in just the way you describe. Best of luck getting a job elsewhere.
I'm sorry to hear this, but I'm sure you're going to bounce right back from it.
That really, really sucks. Best of luck.
I'm very sorry to hear that- it seems like you and your work would be a major selling point for people looking at the department. I see on the astro rumor mill that Stanford has a "theory search underway..." Good luck.
This is horrible news. As a Chicago alumn, I'm very disappointed. You're a great resource to the blogosphere, and I'm sure you'll bounce back even stronger, and I know my alma mater is weaker without you.
Sean, sorry to hear this. Having just been out of work for 4 months, with 2 kids under the age of 5, I know how it feels.
Looking on the bright side--does this mean you could end up in Boston/Cambridge?
Here's your answer Sean:
http://www.insidehighered.com/ne.../05/03/
incident
You just have to strip naked and climb the ivy covered walls in the quad (although you might want to wait a few weeks to make sure the ivy is healthy and strong).
Seriously though, I can't imagine what they could be thinking not giving you tenure. If you get rejected what hope is there for the rest of us....
Anon Astro Grad
Sean,
I don't like your politics, but I do like your cosmology. As a graduate student long ago (actually not so long ago), I remember getting my first taste of lambda from your 1992 ARAA masterpiece.
You should do what I always do whenever I get screwed: pour yourself a tall glass of vodka, turn up the heavy metal, and, like Napoleon on Elbe, start plotting your comeback.
At least you can rest assured that the probability of your getting a comparable position (with tenure) is nearly unity.
Conservatively and cosmologically yours,
Zero
Sean,
as you said, "doing well is the best revenge." Maybe, they thought that you deserve more than the complacent Chicago position.
Sean,
You're one of the most intelligent, articulate, young men in academia. What could they be thinking? It has to be case of jealousy. You're just too darn good and some are obviously envious of your popularity.
Sean,
Thanks for letting me know early. But I would like to just add my voice here to say that I am very confident that you'll be bouncing right back. Your detractors will be eating their words soon.
That's too bad. I understand that academia cares little about your weblog (sadly so, in these times of ignorance about science), but that's how I got to hear about you and your work, and I learnt a lot from your writings.
Sean,
I'm completely astounded. I'm not sure what to say besides echoing others' sentiments that you'll land on your feet after this.
Tom
Sean,
Come to Santa Barbara.
-David
Not much to add. Here's another 'good luck', not that I really think you'll need it.
Sean, listen to David. I'll come to visit you. You know how I feel about the situation - I think you are one of the best theoretical cosmologists out there. My friends at the Center for Astrophysics who have come to your talks, on 2 aspects of your research (entropy and the arrow of time, does w=-1?) agree with me - not only a great speaker who does more than his share of outreach activities, but a great scientist. I don't know what more a top university could want.
Jennifer
p.s. plus a smartypants, plus your joke at your last colloquium was so damn good, Bob Wald was laughing a lot and the joke was on his book and your book...ok, maybe they don't care that you've written great papers, but who tells jokes like that?? Come on...
ouch. i sorta know the feeeling, in a crude way. im graduating soon, and will probably spend my grad school years somewhere else--in some small town--away from the chicago.
keep your chin up tho.
The stunning part is how much of a surprise it was. How can one's peers sit in judgment on one's accomplishments without giving any intimations that they are not satisfied? Isn't the collegial approach one where the candidate for tenure receives regular interim evaluations wherein he or she is judged as being on track or not? For it to come as a complete surprise is just nasty back-stabbing.
Ooof. Been there, buddy...and in rather short time my life became better than I ever would have guessed. I got my revenge ("living well", "publishing well", too). And you're going to get yours as well.
Make them wail and gnash their teeth at their dumb decision. You're the fittest--now go survive!
Go Sean!
Speechless, just speechless. Expecting any moment the hoax will be exposed.
Sometimes justice just is not served, but I wish it hadn't happened to you, Sean.
But I don't doubt you'll make them wish they'd done otherwise; in fact I'm pretty confident many people at Chicago regret it already.
Go West, Young Man!
(Or rather....Come West, Young Man.) Paradise awaits.... why fight it?
-cvj
Sorry man, academics always get high scores for covering their tenured a**ets.
The dead and worm eaten tenured wood in the department probably can't afford their 70s style apartments anymore and are freaking out.
There's a big happy world out there outside that university, and its tenured desperadoes, congrats!
Dude, you should have seen it coming. You spent too much time on education and this blog. You needed to appear to the senior faculty as Prof. Research and Grants. Every moment on this blog was percieved as one moment less being the Top of Your Field. Same old story, junior faculty never learn.
Sorry to hear that. Given Chicago's emphasis on education, I am surprised that your contributions to furthering the understanding of relativity and cosmology apparently did not weigh strongly in your favor.
For what it's worth, I think you're a superb writer and lecturer. I learnt what little I know of general relativity from your textbook when it was still an arXiv preprint and thought it was one of the most clearly-written textbooks I had ever read. I also really enjoyed the colloquium you gave in UIUC last October; it made the subject of cosmology and dark matter really accessible to a first-year like me.
Sean -- If there is a bright side to this news it is for the lucky institution that will be able to add you to its faculty, and for the department that will gain you as a colleague. I'd love to find a way to bring you to Santa Cruz. --Steve
Sorry to hear this. I dont really know you or your work, but if your research is as good as your writing, I bet they are making a big mistake. Good luck at the job market and will miss your regular blogging.
I am really sorry to hear you were denied tenure. I love your blog and your text on General Relativity. I wish you the best in your career. Damn.
Sean--
We're just slack-jawed and stunned. Shame on Chicago for not realizing what talent they have. We enjoy your politics and your physics ;-). As others have said, we're confident you'll have your revenge of bouncing back w/success. Boston or California sound quite cool...we don't know much, but it sounds like D.Gross' invitation could be good... Foley wishes you well too....
more later, J & C.
Look on the bright side- this will postpone the inevitable brain death that typically comes with tenure!
What a loss for the UofC. You have a special place among many a physics concentrator here.
Interestingly, the only other organization that seems to have a nasty tenure system is the Mafia: "The Bosses" decide whether you will become a "Made Guy" or else "Get Whacked". I am sure better things are in store for you so keep your spirits up, plan and look forward. Wishing you the best.
Perhaps the University of Chicago should now be called Preposterous University?
Sorry to see you go. I attended your colloquim at the U of C and thought it was brilliant.
What a bummer. Shows what's gone wrong with the tenure system. "It's not about you."
"Preposterous Universe"--I love the phrase. They ought to give you tenure just for voicing it. But maybe that was reason it was was denied you.
When I ran into the dark matter concept years ago, I could not believe it. I thought somehow we could learn from the mistakes of the past. The dark matter had such obvious analogy to the ether concept which, like the dark matter, served
to prop up an established theory that was in serious trouble. (And now we have the dark energy concept which is even larger than the dark matter)
But I like a fool started voicing my thoughts on the dark matter. And like an even greater fool I
changed careers and devoted the rest of my life to try to do something about it.
And that has gotten me 25 years of stony silence. But I keep telling myself, "At least I am true to myself"
Literally just yesterday, somebody was saying to me, "Sean Carroll....how come he's still just an assistant prof? What's wrong with Chicago?" Wait till he hears this....
What's the lesson here? What did SC do "wrong"? Write a textbook when he should have been publishing? Giving too many seminars away from Chicago? Or what? I think his citation record [a favourite excuse for tenure denials] is very good. Not publishing regularly enough? Working on things that were not boring and technical? That may be it: publishing a paper about the arrow of time instead of a paper with 500 equations about some boring technical aspect of cosmological perturbation theory. Sad, but also pathetic. Dear Chicago tenure gang: you just flunked, flunked bad.
How come universities never reward pedagogical brilliancy? I think you are the best, Sean! Have you ever thought about spending some time in europe? I'm missing someone like you here.
"Have you ever thought about spending some time in europe? "
There's a tenure track job in theoretical cosmology open now at the ICTP.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Lubos laughing with delight
Sean,
These things happen in academics. Don't let it bother you for one moment. You have done more for your subject of study than most of your tenured colleagues ever will. I wish you the best, and will speak to my friends at Columbia about you. You will be snatched up in no time, I am sure!
No need to feel down.
Also Sean, as Mark has said:
"Sean says blogging will be a lower priority for a while. I understand this, as I'm sure we all do. However, I think it's worth encouraging him to continue to post quite regularly. Just because Chicago has chosen to lose a world-class young cosmologist doesn't mean we should lose one of our most eloquent and prolific commentators on science and society."
I couldn't agree more. You have taught us much about physics, now you have a chance to teach us about how to deal with disappointment. Please keep posting.
Bloddy hell! If Sean didn't get tenure, then things look really bad for the rest of us struggling academics.
It's politics, astroboy. Mediocrity is the new excellence.
Best of luck, Sean. We all love you. Platonically. Right.
Please do keep blogging! If not just to share your wit, at least to keep us up to date. I always look forward to reading your latest post.
Chicago will be an empty place without Sean Carroll in it.
Good luck to you!
Good luck to you! The disappointment must be intense, but really it is U.Chicago's loss.
Sorry to hear that, Sean, and I wish you all the best! As Hund said, if you have ever thought about Europe, ICTP would be a nice place (and surely it would be fantastic to have you around). Shame on UofC...
I wonder whether people who made the decision understand at least a fraction of your work.
Sean,
I am REALLY REALLY sad and SHOCKED to hear this news.
You are valuable not just for your research, but also for your exceptional pedagogical skills (like your text and lecture notes on GR), and MOST IMPORTANTLY for your outreach activities, i.e., communicating to the lay public about the wonders of the universe and the beauty of modern physics. Lest the faculty forget, it is the taxpayers who fund their research, not fellow faculty members. I really cannot think of very many other physics professors with such an impressive combination of talents.
I would be even more shocked if you did not get offers from other universities.
Please keep up the excellent work and don't lose heart.
How incredibly annoying. I envy the university that will be able to win you in the next round.
I'm very sorry to hear that. As a non-scientist who wants to understand the world he lives in, I've found your weblog and links to your talks extremely valuable. I'm sure you'll land on your feet. Good luck.
Very sorry to hear that. As a Chicago graduate and science enthusiast, it is not good to see my former University making such poor decisions. Best of luck to you, and I'll be looking forward to whatever contributions you can make on the blog in the future.
Equal measures of sympathy and outrage: to a non-American non-academic who has followed your take on the universe for some while now this is incomprehensible. Just hang on in there Sean; things will sort out, and for the better.
Best wishes
That's ridiculous, I'm really sorry to hear that. I must tell you than when I came to visit U Chicago's open house, I had a very positive impression of the department, and this was due mostly to you.
Wow. That's unbelievable. I'm sorry to hear this. I'm sure you'll find something rapidly. Their loss will surely be somebody else's gain.
Outrageous. I took Phys264 the first time you taught it, and a classmate and I were so impressed that we nominated you for the Quantrell Award. The naysayers don't realize what the UofC (and especially its students) will be missing.
I can't help feeling partly responsible.
Not long after I started reading Darn Tootin' Rob's daughter was diagnosed with a serious congenital brain disorder. One of my other favorites, Hugh Cook was diagnosed with a non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the brain a few months ago.
And now this!
Of course, better a tenure denial than a brain tumor, so it could have been worse.
(I believe that Carl Sagan was denied tenure too, so you're in good company.)
Sean,
It's a scandal!
I am sure that you will get a better position in no time. Good luck!
Demian
Sean,
Whomever is responsible for this should be ashamed. I have no doubt this is a result of petty jealousy.
I am also convinced that the decision is clearly flawed, and I would vote otherwise.
Incidentally, Sean, Santa Barbara is not a bad place ;-).
These comments, of course, don't reduce the fact that your political positions are insane. But politics is something very different than cosmology, and the excited relation to cosmology (and other things).
This is ridiculous Sean. I'm really sorry for you. How on earth does UofC hope to attract the next bright young thing when they treat people like this?
Dude. Outrageous!
Sorry to hear this Sean. However, you'll find that it will work out just fine for you, but not for UC.
BTW, I admire your courage in opening up a thread for alternative cosmology fans. You could walk away for several months now and find that one still going.
Not only is this a stupid mistake on U. Chicago's part, but also another example of the absurd devaluation in academia. Come to Emory!
I learned GR from your classic "bootlegged" notes a decade ago. They are a model of clarity.
Look on the bright side: I've always thought Chicago has the worst, most extreme weather on the planet, unbearably hot and humid in the summer and blisteringly cold in the winter. Certainly you can find a better climate than that.
insanity.
And I thought the universe couldn't get any more preposterous. I look forward to your revenge.
It is sunny and warming after several days of outrageous weather so to come here, open ye auld computer and learn this news leaves me chilled to the damn bones. And disbelieving, too. You mean a lot to many of us Sean, as is clear by the posts above. May the wind be at your back as you continue on elsewhere in what looks to me as a brilliant teaching and research career. Take care.
Having been a fellow at U. of C. for a while and presently having a sister who was to become faculty at U. of C. but may now be forced to leave after a political row decimated her section, I feel your pain. (This is particularly true because I'm up for tenure next academic year, although not at U. of C., obviously.) U. of C. has one of the most cut-throat malignant institutional atmospheres of any university I've ever worked at (although, oddly enough, the people I worked with in my immediate circle of fellows, faculties, and collaborators were, by and large, wonderful people). The University underpays its faculty and then makes it ridiculously difficult to achieve tenure. As a friend of mine likes to put it, U. of C. is a great place to be from.
I realize it's a cliche and that you're extremely disappointed right now, but you may look back on this in 10 years and decide that they actually did you a favor in not granting you tenure.
Wow, everyone. Thanks for the support, it's truly appreciated. I should have been denied tenure long ago! (Okay, no, not really.)
We'll see what happens next. I won't go away.
So sorry to hear that! They sUCk!
When you secured tenure, soon hopefully, we will enjoy your return to blogging.
Damn, Sean, I'm sorry to hear about this. I am completely dumbstruck that this would happen.
Grrr. That sucks, Sean. Clearly UofC neither knows nor deserves what it has...
What a surprise!! Really. Your ability to relate to students, actually teach well and facilitate the understanding of cosmology to the outside world were obviously overlooked. What a bunch of goofballs on your tenure committee. Have no fear though, you will do well wherever you go.
May you look back on this in ten years and be grateful. Maybe, just maybe everything happens for a reason (err... maybe not). But Santa Barbara is a great place, and you can still use your health club membership there :-) You have options. Good luck!
As you should know by now, Sean, there are people who know you, and people who feel that they know you through reading this blog. I think we all feel the same. And I think orac is right, almost by definition. If you were rejected, it's not a place you want to be. It's kind of the opposite of Groucho's "I wouldn't belong to a club that would have me as a member."
I look forward to hearing good news, and I look forward to reading your blog for a long time to come.
I am sorry to hear this news. I have appreciated reading your work, you make it accessible (even to me, I also enjoy your blog and your politics. The UofC should be so lucky as to have you on their staff.
I have always seen UofC as a conservative institution (maybe just in the economics field, although my ultra-liberal mother and UofC alum disagrees). I hope politics did not enter into their decision.
I look forward to following your work in the years to come as the mysteries of the universe continue to come into focus. I hope you do not give up "teaching" through these alternative forums.
If you want to come to Oregon, and are into mundane engineering, I'll hire you. Best of luck.
Sean:
So you did not get tenure... So what? What's the big deal? Why are the 70+ respondents feeling sorry?
99.99999... % of people do not have tenures, i.e. life-long guarnteed employment. Indeed, be a true scientist: voice your views and live the bloody consequences. If you do, that's admirable.
Herhor
Dear Sean,
It is their loss, and perhaps it will feel good to be at an institution where your colleagues respect your work.
Thank you for your blog entries and good luck finding a post you are happy with.
All the best,
Paul
All the best to you! Your writing is wonderfully lucid, amusing, and inspiring. I do hope you'll be able to keep the blog going through the job search--and that you'll find an institution that values your unique contributions.
In the sixties, I was a Chicago graduate student in English, and I understand your love of the city.
Good luck!
Amazing.
You and I competed for this job, so in
hindsight, I think I'm lucky I didn't get it...
;-)
Sean,
I agree with David--
Deborah
The old fogeys are playing dice with the Universe ...
Dear Sean -
sorry to hear about the bad news, Chicago is a wonderful city. I've met you at MIT around '97 and think you're a very nice person, not at least a very good physicist - your lecture notes on GR are just outstanding!
Best wishes, Kasper
I am shocked and amazed.
I wish you the best of luck on the job market and would be estatic if Steve could get you here.
This is absurd, since both your research and outreach skills are world class. If you don't deserve tenure, who does??
I hope you continue your blog though, its fun and actually makes sense sometimes.
Switching a UC for a UC would not be a step down in anyway at all; of the ten Santa Barbara is certainly the geographic gem. As the 3 Mustaphas' dictum reiterates--move forward in all directions.
I hope the Chairman and/or Dean had the courtesy of telling you in person themselves, rather than relegating it to a letter put in a box. Of course in the letter, they can spin all the usual BS about how great an academic you are, and how good your research record has been, and that your written contributions are superb, BUT at this time the University is planning on taking the Department in another direction, seeking a specialty in this or that field (listing as many or few as they need to avoid yours)--yada yada blah blah blah.
A chance to start over should never be squandered by wallowing in recrimination or grief. Best of luck with all the new possbilities--and thanks ever so much for opening such an inclusive blogsphere.
Wow... that's absurd. I graduated from UC a year ago, and I have to say that your "spacetime and black holes" class was easily the highlight of my undergraduate career.
While it's not in the best region of the world and doesn't have the best politics in the world, take a look at Texas A&M. They've been hiring like mad, and I know that they are almost always looking for good cosmologists. The department has high ambitions and has already snagged some UC people.
Another U of C alum voicing shock and incredulity. Best of luck wherever you go next.
Well, that settles that. I'm just gonna have to buy the book to show my admiration.
Jesus, Sean. That sucks. Best of luck on the search for a replacement position.
I am sorry about the bad news and I
hope you will be able to continue
updating your blog.
Best wishes!
I'm shocked and appalled too. Good luck getting your next position. For you, my condolences. For UC, my outrage.
I only know your work from your textbook (and the blog), but it sure looks to me like UC made a bad mistake.
:'(
Come to U of M! The weather is almost better here! ;)
Good luck!
no!! im so sorry! *hugs*
there. feel better. like david is suggesting at his blog, move over to MIT.
though i can't empathize, i do know how it feels with my father switching jobs every year or so. but my father is not a professor.
look at it this way: the sheer amount of comments you're getting for this post shows how many people care. so, there is an anomalously high concentration of "them" among your own colleagues. but there are also an anomalously high concentration of people here that wish to send you condolences. which is more important?
-demie
Hey - good luck.
I went through something like that 20 years ago - it was so political that I gave up, went into Bell Labs and had a great two decade run until that mostly went under ... but the 20 year run I had was as good - probabably better -than I could have had at a University.
Since people are justifiably curious about jobs apparently being offered via blog comments, you should know that the comment above from "david gross" is a hoax. I didn't delete it, just because other comments are refering to it.
Sean, this is really unfortunate.
But I am sure you already have plenty of offers in your mailbox, already.
Best of luck.
Well, my "Go (Come) West, Young Man" comment was not a hoax. Get in touch. Soon. -cvj
Hi Sean,
I've already spoken with you, but just to add my epsilon to this outpouring of support: the UofC will be kicking themselves (if this is possible having already shot themselves in the foot). My best theory as to why -- you're detrimental to our "where fun comes to die" image. Can't have that.
Go where it doesn't snow in May, and please help me get a job there too.
All the best,
Jennie
Outrageous. I am (was) coming to Chicago next year for gradschool, but I'm reconsidering. Any department that would throw away a teacher of that caliber is not a place I necessarily want to be.
I'm anonymous because I'm afriad that somebody who reads this now will remember and deny me tenure when I'm up for it in 20 years.
If anybody involved in denying tenure is reading this, you should be ashamed. Not for disliking his research--that is your prerogative, and in some cases I degree--but for disregarding the importance of teaching and outreach. It is a sad world.
Hi Sean,
This is terribly disappointing, and kinda confirms my jaundiced view of many faculty people at UofC. I work at Argonne, and occassionally visit the campus. Since I started reading your blog, I've wanted to have an excuse to stop by your office and tell you how very much I enjoy it.
David's invitation to consider ITP is great, though - I'd take ITP over UofC any day.
All the best, whatever you decide. But please keep blogging!
I was talking with one of my former students about blogs I read, and when I mentioned one at U of C from a physicist, he said "Is that Sean Carroll? He's FANTASTIC. I loved his class." And more after that. This from one of the sharpest kids I've ever taught. That speaks very well to me of your work with students there.
Chicago screwed up.
I'm sorry you have to go job hunting. I wish you the best of luck, but According to JW, you won't need much!
CS
Hi,
Just another one of your former (2004) Spacetime & Black Holes students here to say that you were an excellent professor and that you will be very much missed among the undergrads here. I'm glad I had the chance to take your class, and every one of my classmates whom I've talked to has felt the same way.
--Alex
By the way, I had a look here:
http://physics.uchicago.edu/fac_dir.html
and I have to say that I was thoroughly taken aback at the number of total non-entities they have there. Of course they have about a dozen well-known people, but there are many more nobodies.
Hi Sean : why don't you come to India ? This is a good excuse to visit a great country and a person like you can give tremendous boost to Indian science ! You'll Love it I promise you.
Dear Prof.Carroll:
Really very very shocked to learn that. I am a frequent reader of your blog but this is the first time I leave a comment.
I felt really very sorry for a long time after I withdraw the application to Chicago. But now I was totally released from that feeling. Without you, UC means nothing to me.
I must say thanks to you because your works and blogs have influenced me very very greatly.
Wish you find a great position soon. Moreover, maybe you can have a look at this:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/
phy...ultysearch.html
I wish I can enjoy physics with you in the near future.
Peng
Lemme add that you can continue the same quality of research (or who knows, probably can do even better) in India !! Can write another top class book - say everything on Cosmology!
Come to UPenn? Please?
As a big fan of your 'Preposterous Universe' and articles concerning preposterous universe in your homepage, I'm very sorry to hear this bad news. I believe, as other bloggers here, that other best places are to welcome you.
All the best.
Good luck Sean, given your record and the popularity theoretical cosmology enjoys these days, I am sure this is a blessing in disguise (certainly a pretty ugly disguise).
Sean,
As an avid reader of Preposterous Universe, I was sorry to hear about the decision. But let me be the first to suggest moving to Europe. The salaries are lower and the taxes are higher, but the long term prospects for research funding look better here than in the U.S. Besides, Chicago might be a great city, but it is not Paris (or London, Amsterdam, Stockholm etc.)
So you did not get tenure... So what? What's the big deal? Why are the 70+ respondents feeling sorry?
99.99999... % of people do not have tenures, i.e. life-long guarnteed employment. Indeed, be a true scientist: voice your views and live the bloody consequences. If you do, that's admirable.
Herhor,
The man has just been fired. I think he deserves some sympathy. Debate the merits of tenure somewhere else. The fact is, this is the way the system works, and not getting tenure means looking for a new job. Sean is luck in that the search is apt to be short. It's still no fun to leave your home and your friends.
Ethan
I am shocked! What is Chicago thinking!?! Unbelievable!
Hopefully you'll consider New York... :)
"University of Chicago receives $1.8 million to study connections between religious beliefs and health"
As an athiest, why would you want to work at this crazy place? Didn't you realize all that athiest stuff would get you in trouble?
I am sad to hear you were denied tenure. I hope a smarter institution snaps you up soon.
This is one of the few blogs I read regularly. I hope you will keep it up.
I consider myself quite lucky to have taken your GR class. Also, given your talents, I have no doubt you will be a huge success. It's UC's loss, not yours. good luck!
Sean, just wrote a letter to the dept. chastising them for their incompetent decision. This is tantamount to the Twins cutting David Ortiz (which they did, before he went to the Red Sox!). Look how that turned out.
Know that you are pretty much universally recognized as the very best teacher on our faculty.
Try to go to Columbia!
"This is tantamount to the Twins cutting David Ortiz (which they did, before he went to the Red Sox!). Look how that turned out."
I would dispute this at least to the extent that the Twins were at the time of Ortiz's release working under budgetary constraints that U. of C. presumably doesn't have. :-)
I see my smily-face got shaved in two. Curse this lack of preview!!
As a recent alum of the U of C, I'm as confused as I am horrified by this decision. I had to take half a dozen or so classes from the Physics Department and yours (which was fantastic) was the only one taught with anything approaching competence.
I'm sorry for you (because of the uprooting soon to come), and I am very sorry for your graduate students and postdocs, who are not as certain to land on their feet. And I am ashamed for my alma mater. To hire someone, knowing full well the type of research that he does, then to deny him tenure for his pursuit of that research is not only illogical, it is borderline unethical. Perhaps you should have studied strings, or sand. They seem to be popular around the RI.
I'm sorry and disappointed to hear the news. Sure that there will be other offers and good ones - but it bites.
I heard about this today, and couldn't believe it until I actually saw it on the blog. I'm shocked; I don't believe someone as prominent as you can fail to get tenure. Best of luck with your next move.
I believe it, because I'm convinced tenure has nothing to do with talent anymore. There's a tenure case at MIT right now that is also shocking and quite similar... new prof doing groundbreaking, solid work and who is popular among students denied tenure.
If anything, new young profs who do well are threatening to established profs who decide tenure case outcomes.
Best wishes Sean; you know you deserve better.
Bad day for U Chicago. Best wishes for the future.
If the southeast has any appeal for you, think about the Georgia Tech. It could use a boost like you in the physics dept. I'm sure a local venue will serve martinis the way you like them.
Suzanne,
Why would younger professors be a threat to the older tenured professors who are the very people making the decision to confer tenure? Aren't they secure in their jobs? What need they fear?
It's called jealousy. Do you want to be the specialist on your block, or do you want some hot-shot young bright kid to steal the limelight?
Sean, I'm very sorry to hear that news. You are obviously somebody of enormous range, though, and will land well.
Sean,
Let me too join the others in wishing you all the best.
Cheers.
As an incoming U of C grad student (astro), I am both very sorry for Sean's bad news, as well as mildly depressed to learn that I won't have the opportunity to take his GR class. Booo, Chicago. Not the way I would have liked things to start out.
WHOA! I'm a bit late but wow, I'm shocked--and very sorry. What a silly decision on their part.
Best of luck. And let me buy you a drink when I'm in town in a couple of weeks, ok?
As a physics Ph.D. alum (not posting under my real name), I have to say I am not really surprised. Enjoy your freedom away from the unpleasantness that is the University of Chicago Dept. of Physics.
I feel better and better that I still haven't given the UofC a red cent since I graduated.
Well... what can one add?
I hope we can retain you in the Chicago area. As you know there are other universities with friendlier people and in much nicer neighborhoods!
Oh well, if that's how the University of Chicago values you, then you are best out of it.It's not a question of 'sour grapes', but finding a place that is more in tune with the Internet world of the 21st century and recognising your outstanding talents both as a scientist and communicator. Please don't neglect your blogging too much, it's my first port of call on the web.
Congratulations, Sean!!! Move on from this depressing building and department...(you can even switch gears all around and do something absolutely not physics related)...try New York...UofC has been having issues with physics tenures long before you came on board although the ones I know of come from '98 and '99...So, I think you will be celebrating your 80th birthday somewhere else...just don't forget to invite me...
ooops...forgot to add that you and Mark Trodden are my all time favorite people in the science world...and if I still like physics today it is enirely due to learning from the two of you...you have great stories to tell, so maybe you should stick with physics after all...plus one day when you are very very famous I can brag to my kids that I know you...yea, you should stay in physics...
I admire the way your blog went back to normal right after this message. Zero complaining or self-pity! You'll end up at some great university, and probably a warmer one!
Sean,
Most of what I know in Cosmology today is because of you and Wayne. And so it is very sad to see Chicago treat my Guru this way.
You will get it at a university warmer and better than this, I am sure, and that too, soon. My best wishes
Siddharth
Freaking UofC. My brief experience with that place and the people who unfortunately somehow did get tenure there has taught me to avoid it, and your experience only confirms my impression.
What? Heck, come to Columbia!
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