Fred and June Kummer Endowed Department Chair of Mathematics and Statistics

Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T) invites applications for the position of the Fred and June Kummer Endowed Department Chair of Mathematics and Statistics. The position will preferably start with the academic year 2021-2022.

The Kummer Institute for Student Success, Research and Economic Development was established in October 2020 through a gift of $300 million from June and Fred Kummer, longtime benefactors of Missouri University of Science and Technology. The Institute will transform Missouri S&T and the south-central Missouri region by cultivating leadership and technological innovation; nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset; fostering expansion of academic-industry partnerships to directly address emerging needs of industry; and creating economic growth for the region. The academic arm of the Institute is the new Kummer School of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. The Kummer School will emphasize student success and research in innovation and entrepreneurship. A Kummer Endowed Chair will have access to generous endowment funds to further a range of activities related to helping both the department and the Kummer Institute to flourish and meet the challenge of growing expenditures and developing graduate programs at a level commensurate with a Carnegie R1 University. Learn more at kummerinstitute.mst.edu.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Mathematics or Statistics or a closely related discipline and hold the rank of full professor or be qualified for tenure and appointment to the rank of full professor at the time of appointment. They should have an outstanding record of scholarship evidenced by a strong record of publication and related funding as well as a clear and demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring of students at all levels.

The department seeks exceptionally qualified candidates to provide leadership and vision in the department and in the Kummer Institute. The Kummer Endowed Chair will initiate and sustain collaborations between Mathematics & Statistics and the other units connected to the Kummer Institute. As department chair, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellent leadership in the following areas:

• Providing a clear and consistent vision of future development for the department that is well-integrated into the applied science and engineering research focus of Missouri S&T
• Providing leadership and vision related to excellence in STEM education initiatives
• Helping to raise the visibility of the department both on campus and nationally/internationally
• Establishing a strong and sustainable relationship between the new Kummer Institute and the work of the department
• Maintaining a collegial atmosphere conducive to the development and productivity of faculty
• Recruiting and retaining excellent faculty and students
• Promoting student success as well as enrollment growth in department majors
• Advocating for the needs of the department to campus administration, and effectively communicating campus issues to the department

Applicants should highlight evidence of or potential for success in any of these categories.

Interested candidates can find details of the application process at the web address http://hraadi.mst.edu/hr/employment/faculty and must submit all applications through this site. Applications should consist of:

• Cover letter
• Current curriculum vitae
• A statement describing the candidate’s leadership philosophy and vision for the department, particularly in the areas of research, teaching, and diversity
• Complete contact information for at least five references.

Review of applications will begin on January 30, 2021.  For full consideration, applications should be received by February 14, 2021.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics consists of 16 tenured and tenure-track faculty and 5 ranked non-tenure-track faculty. The research interests of the faculty range over many areas, including statistics, computational and applied mathematics, analysis and differential equations, and others. The department plays an important role on the engineering-focused campus of Missouri S&T, both in terms of interdisciplinary interactions with other departments and in the training of a large number of undergraduate students in fundamental areas such as calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and statistics. The department has B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. programs, with about 40 graduate students (the majority being doctoral students) and about one hundred undergraduate majors.  The Ph.D. program has three emphasis areas: mathematics, computational and applied mathematics, and statistics. Additional details about the department can be found at the department website: http://math.mst.edu/.

Missouri University of Science & Technology is one of the nation’s leading technological research universities.  One of four campuses of the University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T is a U.S. News & World Report top-100 public national university. With its reputation as one of the leading engineering campuses in the country and its emphasis on applied science, Missouri S&T attracts high quality students from across the nation with over 7,600 students, including over 1,550 master’s and Ph.D. students. Home to many outstanding researchers in engineering and science and several interdisciplinary research centers, the University provides an abundance of opportunities for collaborative research. With the creation of the Kummer Institute and Kummer School of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Missouri S&T is planning to expand its degree offerings and establish additional interdisciplinary research centers. Located about 100 miles southwest of St. Louis in the multicultural community of Rolla, Missouri S&T is an accessible, safe and friendly campus surrounded by Ozarks scenery.

Missouri S&T is an AA/EEO institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law.  Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  Missouri S&T seeks to meet the needs of dual-career families.  Missouri S&T participates in E-Verify; for more information, please contact DHS at: 1-888-464-4218.