Fixed-term Assistant Professor
Positions
MSU Dept. of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering
Position Summary: The Michigan
State University Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and
Engineering (CMSE) invites applications for several Fixed-term Assistant
Professor positions with a starting date of August 15, 2024. These positions
provide a postdoctoral research experience in an interdisciplinary environment
that focuses on the development of algorithms for computational modeling and
data science and their application to a wide variety of scientific and
engineering applications, as well as experience teaching in innovative ways in
that environment and professional development related to faculty careers.
Instructional courses taught in CMSE focus on computational modeling and/or
data science. Successful candidates will receive training in research-based teaching
pedagogy, will have the opportunity to perform research in collaboration with
CMSE faculty members, contribute to the writing of grant proposals, and mentor
students, as well as participate in related training opportunities. These
positions are potentially renewable on an annual basis for three years,
contingent upon satisfactory performance and availability of funding.
Fixed-term
Assistant Professor positions will teach two course sections per semester (four
total per year) in CMSE’s multi-section service courses in computational
modeling, data analysis, data science, and linear algebra. Successful
candidates will be paired with one or more faculty mentors with whom they have
compatible research interests and will engage in CMSE’s instructional training
and mentoring program. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to potential
faculty collaborators prior to the deadline to discuss research opportunities -
a directory of CMSE faculty members can be found at this link. Candidates
will be evaluated on their potential to excel in teaching and research and in
their ability to contribute to a diverse departmental environment. In the event
that a research collaboration is established with a faculty member, additional
financial support may be negotiated, including course buyouts (to a minimum of
1 course/semester). The base salary for this position is $69,911, and the
position also includes the full complement of benefits available to MSU
academic staff, including a retirement plan (with MSU match) and a variety of
health care options that are primarily paid for by MSU.
Minimum Qualifications: Candidates
are required to have a Ph.D. in any STEM, curriculum development, or
discipline-based education research-related field by August 15, 2024, as well
as have substantial overlap in research interests with at least one member of
the CMSE faculty (which may include computational science, data science, the
development of numerical algorithms or their application to a particular field
of study, or computing education research). Applicants are expected to have a
demonstrated interest in teaching and/or a commitment to excellence in
teaching, as well as commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion
in supporting populations that are historically under-represented in their
disciplines. Applicants are also expected to be able to program using Python,
R, or a sufficiently similar language.
Desired qualifications: Previous
teaching experience (either as a TA or instructor) is desired, as is knowledge
of or experience with research-based teaching methods.
How to apply: The position
is listed as job #913334 at https://careers.msu.edu/ (direct link). Required
materials include a cover letter of up to two pages in length summarizing
qualifications, a CV, two separate vision statements for teaching and research
(of roughly 2-3 pages in length), and contact information for three people who
can provide letters of reference. The cover letter and research statement
should address the candidate’s overlap of research interests with members of
the department and identify faculty members with whom the applicant might
collaborate. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to faculty prior to and
during the application process to discuss possible areas of research
collaboration. The cover letter and teaching statement should address the
candidate’s teaching and/or mentoring experiences, teaching-related training
(particularly as it applies to research-informed teaching methods), and
interests relating to future teaching opportunities. In addition, in both the
teaching and research statements the candidate should explain how their efforts
in teaching and research have supported the success of students from
backgrounds that are historically marginalized in their academic fields.
Applicants who have not yet had the opportunity for such experience should
explain how their future efforts could further MSU’s commitment to diversity,
equity, and inclusion. Positions include standard MSU benefits, which includes
medical insurance. A background check is required for employment.
Review
of applications will begin on January 17, 2024. Applications will be reviewed
on a continuing basis thereafter until the position is filled. Nominations or
questions are welcome by contacting the search committee chair, Brian O’Shea,
via email at oshea@msu.edu. The
positions will start August 15, 2024.
