Senior Instructional Professor

Description

The Division of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago invites applications for appointment as Senior Instructional Professor (SIP) in the Master of Arts Program in Computational Social Science (https://macss.uchicago.edu/). This is a full-time, career-track teaching position. The initial three-year appointment will begin in Academic Year 2022-23 and is renewable with an opportunity for promotion. Appointment at rank Assistant, Associate, and full Senior Instructional Professor will be considered based on the candidate’s experience.

The Master of Arts in Computational Social Science (MACSS) is a two-year MA program that trains students in the theory and methods of algorithmic and statistical research using large datasets to enhance their understanding of political, economic, and social behavior. The MACSS curriculum provides opportunities to apply computational methods to fields across the social sciences, including economics, psychology, political science, sociology, anthropology, and history. Approximately 20% of our graduates go on for a Ph.D., while 80% seek research-oriented positions in industry, government, consulting, and a variety of think tanks.

This is a leadership position and the appointee will also hold the title of Assistant or Associate Director in MACSS.

The SIP will annually teach four courses, including 2-3 in our MACSS curriculum (some combination of machine learning, modeling, simulation, data visualization, social network analysis, NLP, high-performance computing, application development, or introductions to important programming languages) and 1-2 computational social science electives. In addition, the SIP will be the first point of contact for all resuming students, serving as the primary reader for their MACSS theses and steering them to program completion, and oversee a limited number of MA theses from current students, for a combined total of approximately 10 MA theses per year.

In their administrative leadership, the appointee will, in consultation with the Faculty Director(s) of MACSS, provide leadership in vision, planning, and promotion of MACSS within and beyond the University; develop, implement, and oversee curricular and co-curricular programs to advance student learning; directly supervise and evaluate other teaching personnel and manage their reappointments; develop new programming and conduct one-on-one meetings to assist in the pedagogical training of all MACSS instructors; coordinate all MACSS course offerings, recommending which should be directed to MA students and which to the College; serve as the first point of contact for students who run into difficulty with MACSS curricular policy; devise, collect, and analyze periodic surveys and make recommendations on how best to improve program operations; lead our PhD placement team, organizing meetings with interested students, training the academic staff, and compiling individualized placement data; and contribute to program admissions, staff hiring, student recruitment, and alumni engagement.

During the term of appointment, the Senior Lecturer will also have the opportunity to teach one or two courses as part of the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods for additional compensation.

The position includes support for professional development.

Qualifications

Candidates must have the Ph.D. in hand before the start date, a demonstrated record of designing and teaching courses at the undergraduate or graduate level as a degreed professional, demonstrated experience in research and practice related to Computational Social Science, and promise of future achievement in the performance of all leadership, management, and supervisory responsibilities to a high standard of excellence.

Application Instructions

The following materials must be submitted through Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/106171: (1) a cover letter, outlining the applicant’s prior training and research experience in their discipline, their prior teaching or mentoring experience, and their suggested course offerings; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) at least one-course syllabus; (4) an article-length writing sample employing a computational research design; (5) course evaluations or other evidence of past excellence in teaching or mentoring; and (6) the names and contact information for three recommenders.

 The review of applications will begin on May 27th and will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-1032 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.