Endowed by the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, the two-year Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization opens the way for promising, non-tenured professors to undertake marine-related research that will further innovative uses of the ocean's resources. There are no restrictions on the area of research, and any aspect of marine use and/or management may be addressed, whether social, political, environmental, economic or technical.

The person appointed to the chair will receive $25,000 per year for two years, beginning July 1, 2010.

In 2009, the award went to Pierre Lermusiaux, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering's Center for Ocean Engineering. His Doherty-funded project, Adaptive Sampling Using Swarms of Smart Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, will have applications in a variety of fields, including ocean energy, ecosystem-based management, undersea surveillance, homeland security and harbor protection, and monitoring both climate and pollution.

Department heads may submit one nomination every year. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 6, 2009. Final selection will be made by a committee that includes the Vice President and Dean for Research, the Dean of Engineering, the Dean of Science, the Chairman of the Sea Grant Committee and the Director of the MIT Sea Grant College Program, following a review and recommendation from the full Sea Grant Committee. The Vice President and Dean for Research will announce the new Doherty Professor in early 2010. While serving as the Doherty Assistant or Associate Professor of Ocean Utilization, the incumbent cannot hold another MIT-funded chair.

Anyone wishing to be nominated should contact his or her department head for procedures and selection criteria. Please contact Kathy de Zengotita for more information, E38-330, 617-253-7042, kdez@mit.edu.
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