Assistant Professor - Computer Science

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Davidson College invites applications for a tenure-track appointment in Computer Science at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning July 1, 2021. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Computer Science or a closely related field by Fall 2021. The department is also searching for a tenure-track position at the intersection of Mathematics and Computer Science at the rank of Assistant Professor.  Candidates who are interested in both positions must apply for each position separately. 

We seek candidates with a strong commitment to improving access to computer science for all students, enthusiasm for teaching all levels of undergraduate students, and a research program that can involve undergraduate researchers. The department is most interested in an area of expertise that can broaden our curriculum, including, but not limited to, programming languages, architecture, software engineering, security, human-computer interaction, networking, database systems, operating systems, or scientific computing.

Davidson is an undergraduate-only institution, boasting small class sizes and direct student-faculty interaction, and is consistently ranked among the nation's top liberal arts colleges. Our computer science major is relatively new, flexible for students, and adaptable to faculty interests and expertise. Faculty teach four courses in the first year and five courses per year thereafter; the department plans course schedules collaboratively and often finds opportunities to reduce workload through repeated courses or teaching multiple sections of the same course in one semester. Many of our faculty members teach special topics or independent study courses that support their research and help recruit summer research students.  The department encourages faculty to develop and teach courses with an emphasis on social justice, including those that satisfy the College’s Justice, Equality, and Community requirement. Several department faculty have received course releases from the ongoing FIRST program to develop or redesign courses to enhance inclusivity.

The computer science program has seen rapid growth and diversification since the major was established in 2016. We graduate a higher proportion of women computer science majors than the national average and the proportion of majors from underrepresented backgrounds is on the rise. The department has initiated a social justice speaker series, sponsors students to attend Tapia and Grace Hopper, and supports affinity groups for underrepresented students. A candidate's diversity statement should address their potential to contribute to ongoing equity and anti-racism efforts.

Faculty have active research programs: several receive external funding (NSF, DOE), including an NSF CAREER award, collaborate with partners at R1 institutions and national research laboratories, and serve on international conference program committees. Students are actively engaged in these research activities and publish, present, and receive awards at top-rated computer science research conferences. There is generous funding for student research (https://www.davidson.edu/academics/research/undergraduate-research), with additional opportunities at the Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (http://hurthub.davidson.edu/about-the-hub/). We value faculty engagement with the professional and wider community. 

Applications must be submitted online at https://employment.davidson.edu and must include a cover letter addressing professional interests and aspirations pertaining to teaching and research, a diversity statement addressing potential to contribute to our commitment to equity and anti-racism, a curriculum vitae, a research statement, a teaching statement, (unofficial) graduate transcripts, and contact information for three references. Reference submission instructions will be sent to the email addresses provided by the applicant. At least one reference letter must specifically and substantially address the applicant's teaching.

Applications completed by October 12, 2020, will receive full consideration.

Davidson College is a highly selective, residential, four-year liberal arts college, located 20 miles from Charlotte, NC that is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Davidson faculty members enjoy a low faculty-student ratio, emphasis on and appreciation of excellence in teaching, and outstanding facilities. A collegial, respectful atmosphere honors academic achievement and integrity, upholds educational excellence, encourages student-faculty collaborative research, and prioritizes inclusive pedagogy.

At Davidson College, we believe the college grows stronger by recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff committed to building an inclusive community. In order to achieve and sustain educational excellence, we seek to hire talented faculty and staff across the intersections of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, political perspectives, abilities, cultures, and national origin.