Department: Data Science
Rank: Associate Professor
Annual Basis: 9 Month
Application Deadline
October 31, 2025
Required Application Materials
Candidates are asked to apply online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30328 by submitting the following required application materials:
• Cover letter*
• Curriculum Vitae
*A cover letter (3 page max) summarizing your interest in and suitability for the position, including an overview and/or highlights of your a) research program, b) teaching experiences and interests, c) service contributions to science, academia, and the broader public, and d) professional contributions to creating welcoming and supportive scientific and learning spaces for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, with the goal of fostering a strong sense of belonging and mutual respect.
Applicants advancing to a later stage will be asked to submit:
• Research statement
• Teaching statement
• Service statement
• Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses)
Applications will be accepted until October 31st or until the post has been filled. If you are unable to use this online resource, please contact datascience@uoregon.edu to arrange alternate means of submitting application materials. Applicants who advance to subsequent rounds will be asked to provide a research statement, teaching statement, service statement, and references.
Position Announcement
We enthusiastically invite established interdisciplinary scholars to apply to join and collaboratively develop our Department of Data Science. We invite applications from researchers working in Data Science, broadly defined, including those who contribute to data analysis methodology for applied domain(s), as well as those whose research focuses directly on the methodology itself (e.g., computer science, statistics, or applied math). We are building a Data Science department that promotes social good and enhances belonging in the field. Strong faculty candidates will therefore have demonstrated impactful contributions to both inclusive education and broader societal impact. We encourage applications from candidates with a history of collaboration with domain experts.
The colleague we hire will join an engaged and collaborative faculty to co-create a supportive department that makes positive and impactful contributions to the University, to the public of Oregon, and to the globe. To do so, the colleague will contribute to identification of strategic opportunities for our growing department that guide future faculty hiring, foster and support the department's faculty in research excellence, co-create a constructive department culture and continue to expand our educational mission at the undergraduate and graduate level. Some current efforts of the department are to improve outreach to underserved student populations to bolster admissions, and to develop internship and other programs to aid graduates in career placement.
Strong candidates will have demonstrated their ability and vision for building positively engaged spaces, programs, or organizations. Strong candidates will also have a history of excellent research scholarship; as befits an interdisciplinary department, we are open to various metrics of research success beyond grants, citations, and publications (including policy impact, community engagement in research, collaborative projects, etc.). Strong candidates will also have demonstrated excellence in and commitment to teaching, translation of knowledge, or advising/mentoring of students (including out-of-classroom education). We are excited to grow a mutually supportive culture of impactful teaching and research in our new department. We welcome candidates who understand the barriers facing members of groups who have been historically excluded from data science and higher education (as evidenced by life experiences and educational background), and who have experience in improving belonging with respect to teaching, mentoring, outreach, life experiences, or service. We seek to hire an established scholar (appointable to associate or full professor), which includes faculty currently going through the tenure process and researchers with careers in federal agencies.
More information about the Data Science department can be found at https://scds.uoregon.edu/ds. Particular strengths of collaborative research at UO include astronomy, biomedical data science, climate science and modeling, cell and developmental biology, data ethics, earth science, ecology, education, environmental science, evolution, linguistics, neuroscience, physics, spatial information sciences and sport and wellness, although we welcome applicants from other disciplines.
Department or Program Summary
Data Science is a new department that has grown out of a long-standing initiative to increase scholarship and education in quantitative methodology at the University of Oregon. We envision the Data Science Department to be a hub of ethical methodological data science research, with strong connections to domain areas of application, overall facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. Current faculty and affiliates reflect strengths in machine learning, biological modeling, data ethics, data sovereignty, computer science, environmental data science, climate change policy and modeling, evolutionary genetics, and forensic genetics. The University of Oregon is a public university committed to exceptional teaching, discovery, and service, with a mission to foster the next generation of transformational leaders and informed participants in the global community. The department offers a rapidly growing Data Science undergraduate program, offered for the first time in Fall 2020 and projected to have > 700 undergraduate majors in 2027.
This program aims to help students learn the technical data science skills to do socially/environmentally-connected interdisciplinary work with real world impact. Faculty in the department of Data Science can work with PhD students and integrate in specialized research communities through affiliations with world-class research Institutes on campus (e.g., the Institute of Neuroscience; the Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Center for the Study of Women in Society).
Minimum Requirements
• PhD in discipline related to data science (ex: statistics, computer science, applied mathematics, or a domain field with strong involvement in data science methodology applied in that field)
• Appointable to the rank of Associate or Full Professor upon initiation of the position
Preferred Qualifications
• Demonstrated success in collaboratively co-organizing spaces that prioritize belonging
• Exemplary evidence of impact beyond academia through research, teaching, and/or service
• Demonstrated experience leading a productive and impactful research program aligned with the goals of the department
About the University
The University of Oregon is building a faculty committed to meeting the needs of our changing student body and creating essential knowledge for society. We encourage applications from individuals who want to join an institution committed to addressing complex problems at all scales, and critical thinking and cross-disciplinary dialogue. We believe the way to create the faculty we need is to develop the most inclusive applicant pool. Goal 03 of our new (2024) strategic plan, titled Oregon Rising, is to create a flourishing community. As outlined in Oregon Rising, “Flourishing is the holistic development and thriving of every individual in our diverse community achieved through growth, well-being, resilience, trust, belonging, robust connection, and sense of purpose. A flourishing community is built on collective experience and is made stronger by our shared commitment to one another.
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit our website.
The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please email us or call 541-346-5112.
UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.
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