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Open Rank Search in Social Sciences - Department of African and African Diaspora Studies

Employer
The University of Texas at Austin
Location
Texas, United States
Salary
Salary Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Oct 22, 2021

Position Description

The African and African Diaspora Studies Department at The University of Texas at Austin is conducting an Open Rank search in the Social Sciences area, to begin in the Fall semester of academic year 2022-23. Applicants of any rank working within Social Sciences are invited to apply, and we especially welcome applications at the rank of Associate or Full Professor for additional consideration to serve as Director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA). The selected candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses; maintain a strong and productive research program; obtain external grant funds; direct graduate research; exhibit a commitment to service to the department, college, and university; and demonstrate a willingness to collaborate with colleagues in the department, college, and university.

For tenured candidates whose research would grow the department’s Social Science Cluster and who are also invited to serve as IUPRA director, this will be an administrative faculty position providing leadership to a staff of six full-time employees, including an Associate Director, Assistant Director for Policy Research, Research Associate, Grants and Contracts Specialist, Multimedia Communications Specialist, and Administrative Associate, as well as one or more Postdoctoral Fellows. The IUPRA director will be expected to teach one undergraduate or graduate course each fall and spring semester. 

The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA), created in 2010, is one of four campus units comprising Black Studies at UT, an academic cluster also including the African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS), the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies (WCAAAS), and Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS). IUPRA conducts and promotes the production of policy-relevant research with the aim of redressing the multiple structural inequalities that impact the lives of African Americans (and other Black diasporic communities). The Director reports to the AADS Chair and collaborates with the other Black Studies units.

The director of IUPRA will work with various legislative officials, organizations, and community stakeholders to identify issues of importance, as well as to provide research and analysis to inform public policy. The director will be charged with: 1. articulating a vision and strategic plan for the Institute by which a strong partnership can be fostered between those in leadership positions across the state of Texas, The University of Texas, and the national academic and policy communities; 2. identifying and obtaining external sources of funding, including government and foundation-sponsored grants and contracts; 3. overseeing and coordinating the work of the Institute’s permanent staff, including research associates and administrators; and 4. working with Department and affiliated faculty and fellows to create curriculum and degree tracks, cultivate a social-science track to train graduate students and affiliates to produce policy-relevant research and publications to inform the work of policy makers and advocates.

The University of Texas at Austin, the flagship institution of The University of Texas System, is one of the nation’s premier public research universities, a member of the AAU, and home to countless renowned departments, institutes, and centers. One of the original eight Public Ivy institutions, UT Austin also enjoys the good fortune of being situated in the center of the capital of Texas and a quarter mile from the Texas State Capitol. Austin is rated as one of the most attractive cities in which to work and live. 

Qualifications

The selected candidate must have a doctoral degree or terminal degree in their field and an established record of scholarship and teaching in any of the disciplines appropriate for a tenure-track, tenured associate, or full professor in the College of Liberal Arts, as well as demonstrated commitments to policy engagement and cross-field collaboration. 

For candidates interested in directing the Institute, a strong record of policy research should be demonstrated especially related to African Americans and African-American communities in the United States; that agenda may attend to racial inequalities and disparities in health, education, political participation, economics, law, criminal justice and/or environmental justice. 

Individuals from disciplines within the Social Sciences, Education or Public Policy or representing professions such as Law, Social Work, Medicine, or Psychology are encouraged to apply. 

We are interested in candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research and service.

Application Instructions

Applications should consist of a letter of interest; curriculum vitae; two representative scholarly publications; a concise statement on administration, research, and teaching; and names and contact information for five references (all in PDF format). Applicants are also encouraged to discuss in their cover letter or a separate statement their past or potential contributions to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research and service.

Applications should be submitted online via the following link: https://faculty.utexas.edu/career/84932

Review of applications will begin immediately and will be accepted until the position is filled.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Position funding is subject to budget availability.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to Dr. Cherise Smith, Search Committee Chair and AADS Department Chair at cherise_smith@austin.utexas.edu.

The University of Texas at Austin is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

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