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Steven Hausman, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Government Service ExecutiveMeet a real Government Service Executive, Steven Hausman
1. I chose this career because...
2. My typical workday involves...
3. What I like best/least about my work...
4. My career goals are...
5. When I'm not working, I like to...
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1. I chose this career because...
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Steven Hausman gives a lecture at the National Institutes of Health.
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I chose to become a health science administrator when I began my career at the National Institutes of Health. This first opportunity began the career path that eventually led me to my current position as the Deputy Directory (or a Government Services Executive) of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. I have long had an interest in science that began in elementary school. One of my elementary school teachers fostered that interest. I still remember receiving an “A” on a paper I wrote on weather patterns. My interest in science continued throughout my education. At the University of Pennsylvania, one of my biology professors was an inspiring teacher and researcher. I eventually worked in his laboratory as an undergraduate and stayed at the University of Pennsylvania to get my master’s and Ph.D. degrees.
From Graduate School to Current Job
In graduate school, I began to develop an interest in science administration. After obtaining my Ph.D., I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Then I began work at the NIH as a staff fellow for the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, I applied for the Grants Associate Program (no longer in existence), which was designed to train research scientists to become administrators. I was not accepted into the program because of my relatively junior academic status; however, my application caught the attention of several senior administrators at the NIH. Subsequently, I was offered a position as a scientist administrator with the (then-named) National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases. Several years and promotions later, I became the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Master of Science, Insect Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Doctor of Philosophy, Immunogenetics, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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2. My typical workday involves...
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Steven Hausman collaborates with his Executive Assistant.
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My typical workday is never really the same but usually includes:
- Responding to the ubiquity of e-mail I receive
- Attending various meetings
- Giving presentations – either to NIH staff or other individuals from organizations that are interested in the diseases for which NIAMS has a mandate to study.
For example, today I:
- Presented the opening remarks at the NIAMS kickoff for the Combined Federal Campaign (a campaign to raise funds through federal payroll deductions for charities)
- Interviewed a consultant who is working on a strategic plan for NIAMS
- Consulted our budget office about plans for the next fiscal year
- Worked on two presentations for NIH staff on advanced technology
- Answered inquiries about financial disclosure as a part of my ethics duties
Additional Roles
In addition to my main duties as NIAMS’s Deputy Director, I also serve as Deputy Ethics Counselor. In this role, I act as a consultant to the institute on all ethics issues. Likewise, as the NIH advocate for advanced technologies, I try to keep abreast of new technologies that might be useful in facilitating business at the NIH, and inform others. You can check out my Advanced Technologies Special Interest Group Web site at: http://tango01.cit.nih.gov/sig/home.taf?_function=main&SIGInfo_SIGID=128. Recently, I began a three-year term as a member of the NIH Diversity Council. The council is an advisory group that examines and provides guidance on policies and programs pertaining to diversity management in the work place.
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3. What I like best/least about my work...
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Steven Hausman answers e-mail at his desk.
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What I like best about my work is the variety. No two days are the same, and it keeps life interesting. I often get the opportunity to work on some exciting projects. For example, in February, 2001, as part of an NIH Electronic Research Administration (eRA) effort, I volunteered to lead the changeover from paper grant applications to electronic ones. My team and I completed the preliminary studies and pilot projects in record time. So beginning in January 2002, all paper applications arriving at the NIH began to be converted to electronic images. Some of the goals and accomplishments of this project are described at: http://era.nih.gov/areas/scan/index.cfm.
What I like least about my work is the volume of e-mail – about 150-175 messages a day. It requires constant attention to keep from being overwhelmed.
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4. My career goals are...
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My career goals include becoming more involved in ethics issues at the national level. Also, I would like to develop additional electronic resources for advanced technologies, including a more comprehensive Web site that could be a reference for NIH staff.
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5. When I'm not working, I like to...
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Steven Hausman enjoys cooking; it is one of his favorite pastimes.
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When I’m not working, I like to workout at least a couple of times a week by swimming and lifting weights. I sing bass with a choral group that I have belonged to for about 15 years. On weekends, I like to spend at least some time cooking. Photography and reading are interests that I would like to pursue more, but never seem to have sufficient time available.
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