Cybersecurity Associate/Full Professor (Director, Tenure Track) & Research Faculty (Multiple Posns)

Under the leadership of President Brian O. Hemphill, Old Dominion University is initiating an innovative cluster hire for an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research group focused on enhancing the Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation, a regional node of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. The institution seeks an associate/full professor and two research scientists who will conduct research in partnership with researchers from George Mason University. Start date for the positions can be between Spring 2023 and Fall 2023.

Old Dominion is located in the metropolitan Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia, home to the world’s largest natural deepwater port and third largest port on the East Coast, the Atlantic headquarters of NATO, and Naval Station Norfolk, which houses the U.S. Navy and U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The University currently enrolls more than 24,000 students with almost 5,000 graduate students. The institution’s School of Cybersecurity offers multiple certificates and degrees at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

We seek three researchers in any discipline related to cybersecurity to be a part of this initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to foster research, education and outreach on cybersecurity, particularly on topics related to maritime cybersecurity, cybersecurity and the supply chain, cybersecurity in the defense arena, and cybersecurity and transportation. The interdisciplinary initiative currently includes faculty from a range of disciplines including computer science, engineering, psychology, criminal justice, business, information technology, and philosophy. Details about the initiative are available at https://covacci.org. We are especially interested in faculty able to conduct research and teach in an interdisciplinary environment and who hold a security clearance. All three positions will be expected to be fully involved in this initiative.

One of the positions will serve as the institution’s director of the interdisciplinary research effort and will hold the title of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Fellow. The successful applicant for this position will have a national reputation in cybersecurity. The director of the initiative must be able to conduct research and teach in an interdisciplinary environment. The other two positions target research scientists. All successful applicants are expected to have a strong vision for their vibrant research programs, commitments to leadership in the area of cybersecurity, and commitments to excellence and innovation in education.

Applicants should possess an appropriate terminal degree and an academic record commensurate with their time in the field. The director candidates must have academic records that merit a tenured appointment at the rank associate or full professor in one of the academic departments within the University and research expertise in areas related to the initiative’s goals. A successful record in research and grant writing is required for a tenured appointment, as is evidence of leadership and the ability to interact and communicate clearly with internal and external constituencies.  Requirements for candidates for the research scientist positions are the potential for success in research and grant writing and the ability to interact and communicate clearly with internal and external constituencies. The research scientist positions will be limited to 2-3 years, with the expectation that those positions become self-funded after that point.  All positions will be expected to mentor and instruct graduate students in cybersecurity.

About ODU Cybersecurity:

The School of Cybersecurity at ODU houses one of the largest cybersecurity programs in the nation. It represents an interdisciplinary effort bringing together over 40 faculty members with a wide range of expertise in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, information technology, criminal justice, cyber laws, psychology, and philosophy. The interdisciplinary team enables a holistic approach to cybersecurity problems. The School offers a BS in Cybersecurity and MS in Cybersecurity with a total of about one thousand students. It has been designated by NSA as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO). Cybersecurity research is flourishing in the School. A diversity of research projects have been developed by and housed in the School with a total of over $12 million in active research funding from highly competitive programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR), National Security Agency (NSA), the State of Virginia, and industry. The faculty are productive in publication and well recognized by the research community with such honors as the best paper award and professional society fellow. The School works closely with the cybersecurity industry, military units, government agencies, and educational institutions, to promote cybersecurity workforce development and research and innovation.

Major New Investments in Cybersecurity and Computing:

ODU has recently made a substantial investment in this highly demanding area, as evidenced by the establishment of the School of Cybersecurity -- the first of its kind in the country. The School is housed in the Office of Academic Affairs and aims to create a strong education and research program focusing on cybersecurity. The School has recently moved into the Cyber Innovation Park, which occupies 10,000 square feet of newly renovated space for classrooms, student commons, cyber labs, offices, meeting rooms, and a data center. The School operates a unique cybersecurity research and education infrastructure, established in 2017 and enhanced since then by multi-million dollars of cyberinfrastructure grants and state investment. It enables students to carry out hands-on exercises, learn cybersecurity tools and techniques, and conduct cutting-edge cybersecurity research via experimentation inside the lab or remotely through a web interface.

Applications should include a letter of interest that addresses the Initiative's goals, a curriculum vitae, unofficial graduate transcripts, and contact information for three professional references including email addresses and phone numbers. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2022, and the positions will remain open until an appointment is made. Applications and nominations should be submitted electronically to https://jobs.odu.edu/postings/16665.

It is the policy of Old Dominion University to provide equal employment, educational and social opportunities for all persons, without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation or genetic information. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.