Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education is in need of improved teaching methods to increase learning for all students. Faculty professional development programs are a widespread strategy for fostering this improvement. Studies of faculty development programs have focused on program design and the impact of surrounding context, including both social supports for learning and institutional context. I reviewed these approaches, as well as work that focused on the faculty experience, and suggest that a larger perspective that encompasses learning over time and the interactions between disciplinary and institutional learning opportunities is important. This leads to both new design considerations and new research questions that focus on increasing faculty skill in learning about teaching and applying the results, as well as improving the impact of professional development beyond the immediate participants.