Skip to main content

This job has expired

Director - Institute for Policy Research & Public Affairs



West Virginia University (WVU) seeks a visionary and enterprising leader to serve as the inaugural Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs affiliated with Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. School of Policy and Politics. This is a tenured faculty position at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor in the Eberly College. The Director will lead a new initiative to advance public policy and public affairs research and translational activities. This initiative is one of three divisions planned to be established within the Rockefeller School. The other two deal with academic programs and engaged learning and service. In addition to the duties outlined below, the Director would work closely with WVU leadership to help fully establish the Rockefeller School.

As Director, the successful applicant will support faculty and researchers across complementary disciplines to collaboratively build research capacity in public policy. They will strengthen related resources, build on expertise and research capabilities that currently exist across campus, increase externally sponsored research in social and public policy, as well as create partnerships with foundations, industry, government agencies and other universities. As part of this effort, the Director will be expected to recruit Research Fellows to work within the school. In addition to Departments affiliated with the Rockefeller School, Research Fellows may be recruited from within other WVU programs and external institutions and agencies. The Director will connect policy research to the teaching and outreach mission of the Rockefeller School and will report to the office of the Dean of the Eberly College. The Director will have a dedicated administrative assistant as well as support for graduate research students.

WVU is a comprehensive land grant university with approximately 30,000 students and is classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a very high research (R1) Institution. The Rockefeller School of Policy and Politics currently consists of 21 tenured and tenure-track faculty and is affiliated with the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

The University community of Morgantown offers plentiful educational opportunities as well as recreational outlets, is within easy driving distance of Pittsburgh, PA, and is about 200 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

Qualifications :

Qualifications include a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Public Administration, or a closely related field; a sustained record of externally funded research in the area of public policy; a record of multidisciplinary scholarship; ability to translate academic research into information for public dissemination and engagement; a record of successful administrative leadership; ability to work collaboratively in a diverse environment with a range of faculty, students, administrators, and external constituents to reach a common goal; ability to develop partnerships with foundations and industry in support of the Institute's programs; understanding of WVU's mission as a land-grant institution; ability to manage budgets and establish fiscal priorities; strong written and oral communication skills; and an established record of research and teaching that will merit appointment at, or promotion to, the rank of Professor or Associate Professor with a grant of tenure at WVU.

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a description of the applicant's potential to further our progress in building a diverse and inclusive academic community (which will be evaluated without regard to the applicant's personal demographics), and contact information for three references. The cover letter should address the applicant's qualifications for each aspect of the responsibilities listed above. For questions or additional information, contact Prof. Duncan Lorimer via e-mail: duncan.lorimer@mail.wvu.edu. The screening process will begin on March 1, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled.

WVU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The university is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert