(15/01/2021) Job Market: University of Connecticut – Assistant Professor in Big Data and Diversity

The Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut welcomes applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in big data and diversity. The position will be based on our Storrs campus and will begin on August 23, 2021. This scholar would have a research focus on big data and its impact on misinformation, stereotyping, and/or political polarization. The appointment will be made jointly with the Africana Studies Institute, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, El Instituto, or the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, depending on area of research interest. Collaborative opportunities may also exist with the Social Media Analytics Command Center (SMACC) in the Department of Digital Media & Design.  

The position is part of an anti-racism and anti-bias cluster of seven new faculty in the Departments of Communication, Journalism, History, Philosophy, Political Science, English, and Literature Cultures and Languages. The cluster hiring initiative of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seeks faculty to join our vibrant collective of Centers, Departments, Institutes, and programs in engaged anti-racism and anti-bias scholarship. We envision such scholarship as rooted in intersectional struggles against dehumanization, denigration, and dispossession and for decolonization and liberation. Anti-racist and anti-bias scholarship thus involves the active work of dismantling systems of oppression, including larger systems of thought, through generating reparative alternatives, modes of justice and healing, and visions of transformative futures.  

We hope insights borne of such struggles will inform the development of a dynamic role for UConn in shaping a contemporary global society conducive to human dignity and planetary well-being. We welcome scholars with expertise in a range of empirical methodologies, though we are especially interested in applicants with expertise in using social media to draw inferences concerning social attitudes and behaviors, and who have an interest in teaching these research skills to both undergraduate and graduate students. A program of research translating social media predictive tools into policy recommendations is also welcome. The successful applicant will have potential for pursuing funding opportunities through NIH and NSF.  

In addition, this candidate will be expected to assist the University in its efforts to broaden participation among members of under-represented groups; to demonstrate through their research, teaching, and/or public engagement the richness of diversity in the learning experience; to integrate multicultural experiences into relevant course content; and to contribute to the development of pedagogical techniques designed to meet the needs of diverse learning styles and intellectual interests.  The Department of Communication has 19 tenure stream faculty members and 5 teaching-focused faculty, and has approximately 35 graduate students and 900 undergraduate majors. UConn is ranked as the top public university in New England, and among the top 25 public universities nationwide. For more information see here.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation.  

Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

– Ph.D. in Communication or related field (or international equivalent) by August 2021 

– Demonstrated potential in establishing a successful research and scholarship program aligned with the description above 

– Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity through academic and research programs 

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

– History of securing extramural funding from the agencies listed above or similar national level grant sponsoring agencies 

– Record of research and scholarship excellence 

– Record of teaching excellence 

– Ability to contribute through research, teaching, and/or public engagement to the diversity and excellence of the learning experience 

– Experience programming in R, Python, or similar language  

APPOINTMENT TERMS:  

This is a 9-month, tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2021.

Teaching load includes two courses per semester.

The successful candidate’s primary appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  

TO APPLY:  

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online

 Submit the following application materials: 

– A cover letter 

– Curriculum vitae 

– Research and scholarship statement (innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.) 

– Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, concepts for new course development, etc.) 

– Equity and Inclusion statement (including broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, etc.)

 – Sample publication