Department Head of Data Science - University of Oregon

Department: Department of Data Science
Rank: Professor
Annual Basis: 9 Month

Application Deadline

December 31, 2024; position open until filled (updated)

Required Application Materials

Apply online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27838 

In Academic Jobs Online (AJO), please include the following materials:
• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Research statement
• Teaching statement
• Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (JDEI) statement*
• Leadership statement**
• Names and contact information for at least three references

*In your JDEI statement, outline how, through research, teaching, extension, mentoring and/or service you will advance JDEI.

**In your Leadership statement, outline your vision for (i) building a Data Science department, and (ii) addressing challenges and finding practical solutions working collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and the broader University.

Position Announcement

We enthusiastically seek an established interdisciplinary scholar to work with us in building and guiding our newly established Department of Data Science, as Department Head. We invite applications from researchers working in Data Science, broadly defined, including those who contribute to data analysis methodology for applied domain(s), as well as those whose research focuses directly on the methodology itself (e.g., computer science, statistics, or applied math). We are building the Data Science department to center justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JDEI), in our department's research, teaching, and organization. Strong faculty candidates will therefore have demonstrated impactful contributions to JDEI. We encourage applications from candidates with a history of collaboration with domain experts.

The department head will work with an engaged and collaborative faculty to build a supportive department that makes positive and impactful contributions to the University, to the public of Oregon, and to the globe. To do so, the head will identify strategic opportunities for our growing department that guide future faculty hiring, foster and support the department's faculty in research excellence, and continues to expand our educational mission at the undergraduate and graduate level. The head will also work with the Executive Director of the newly formed School of Computer and Data Science on active outreach to diversify admissions, and to develop internship and other programs to aid graduates in career placement. The joint administrative and academic position is based at the University of Oregon’s main campus in Eugene, Oregon, and will be appointed as a tenured full professor in the Department of Data Science. The standard term of Department Head is three years, with possibility of renewal.

Strong candidates will have demonstrated their ability and vision for building positively engaged spaces, programs, or organizations. Strong candidates will also have a history of excellent research scholarship; as befits an inclusive, interdisciplinary department, we are open to various metrics of research success beyond grants, citations, and publications (including policy impact, community engagement in research, collaborative projects, et cetera). Strong candidates will also have demonstrated excellence in and commitment to teaching, translation of knowledge, or advising/mentoring of students (including out-of-classroom education). We are excited to grow a mutually supportive culture of impactful teaching and research in our new department. We welcome candidates who understand the barriers facing members of groups who have been historically excluded from data science and higher education (as evidenced by life experiences and educational background), and who have experience in JDEI with respect to teaching, mentoring, research, outreach, life experiences, or service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment.

More information about the Data Science department can be found at https://scds.uoregon.edu/ds. Particular strengths of collaborative research at UO include astronomy, biomedical data science, cell and developmental biology, data ethics, earth science, ecology, education, environmental science, evolution, linguistics, neuroscience, physics, spatial information sciences and sport and wellness, although we welcome applicants from other disciplines.

Department or Program Summary

Data Science is a new department that has grown out of a long-standing initiative to increase scholarship and education in quantitative methodology at the University of Oregon. We envision the Data Science Department to be a hub of ethical methodological data science research, with strong connections to domain areas of application, overall facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. Current faculty and affiliates reflect strengths in machine learning, biological modeling, data ethics, data sovereignty, computer science, environmental data science, climate change policy and modeling, evolutionary genetics, and forensic genetics. The University of Oregon is a public university committed to exceptional teaching, discovery, and service, with a mission to foster the next generation of transformational leaders and informed participants in the global community. The department offers a rapidly growing Data Science undergraduate program, offered for the first time in Fall 2020 and projected to have >700 undergraduate majors in 2027. This program aims to help students learn the technical data science skills to do socially/environmentally-connected interdisciplinary work with real world impact.

Faculty in the Department of Data Science can work with PhD students and integrate in specialized research communities through affiliations with world-class research Institutes on campus (e.g., the Institute of Neuroscience; the Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Center for the Study of Women in Society).

Junior faculty in Data Science will be supported through the transition to tenure, including reduced service expectations, access to training in teaching through the Teaching Engagement Program, and faculty mentors to support building a research program. The Data Science department invests in the success of each new member and seeks to support faculty in successful and impactful careers while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Minimum Requirements

• PhD in a discipline related to data science (ex: statistics, computer science, applied mathematics, or a domain field with strong involvement in data science methodology applied in that field)
• Evidence of strong leadership service
• Appointable to the rank of Full Professor upon initiation of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in collaboratively building organized spaces of inclusive excellence
• Exemplary evidence of a commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through research, teaching, and service
• Demonstrated experience leading a productive and impactful research program aligned with the goals of the department.

About the University

The University of Oregon is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. The Department of Data Science aims to be a feminist and anti-racist organization centering JDEI and research excellence, for instance as reflected in our faculty review criteria. All faculty are expected to deeply understand the barriers faced by members of groups which have been historically excluded from data science and/or academia. We strongly encourage applications from scholars from historically excluded or targeted groups, including historically excluded racial or ethnic groups; women, transgender, and non-binary scholars; scholars with disabilities; and LGBTQAI+ scholars.

The University of Oregon is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities and holds the distinction of a "very high research activity" ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students representing all 50 states and nearly 100 countries. The UO's 295-acre campus features state-of-the art facilities in an arboretum-like setting within the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya people in the Willamette river valley. The UO is located in Eugene, a vibrant city of over 175,000 within easy driving distance of the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and Portland.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.