This interesting paper is true to its title, although it deals with faculty positions at SUNY at Buffalo specifically. The author categorizes the salient demographic factors of those who applied for a tenure-track position at the university.

The paper begins with the gender of the applicants; the author notes that, “although women make up only 10% of the applicants, their average quality was far higher than that of the men.”

Most of the applicants who qualified for the “invitable list” were 1994 Ph.Ds. The applicants’ countries of birth are listed in tally form. The US was the most common entry for the applicants, and was the birthplace of the lion’s share of the finalists. A hundred and fifty-one countries were represented.

Among the 20 candidates rated highest, 18 were from the 30 top computer science departments, and for the most part they were evenly distributed among those departments.

The author spends considerable space discussing the challenges of the “two-body” problem, that is, an applicant and spouse both desiring or requiring meaningful positions. He does not offer any encouraging solution.

The paper continues with the author’s suggestions for more effective recruiting. He offers suggestions for both the interviewing departments and the applicants. The suggestions, though hardly novel, are worth noting.

The author finishes with his thoughts on the problems of the overproduction of computer science Ph.Ds and some of the consequences of that overproduction.