Position Description

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut (UConn) invites applications for two tenure-track positions. To strengthen the areas of focus identified in the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan (https://clas.uconn.edu/strategic-plan/) of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn, we seek candidates in emerging areas of statistical machine learning and statistical computing.

(1) Tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, in statistical machine learning. The rationale for prioritizing this position is based on the increasing importance of addressing robustness, fairness, and ethics in large-scale statistical modeling, machine learning, and AI. Leveraging rigorous statistical inference methods holds great promise in guiding and enhancing “black-box” machine learning methods to result in interpretable and actionable knowledge. 

(2) Tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, in modern statistical computing. The rationale for prioritizing this position is based on the need to address modern statistical computing challenges in areas such as bioinformatics, social networks, online computation, scan statistics, transfer/federated/distributed learning, and quantum computing.

These hires will support the Department of Statistics' strategic goals of advancing large-scale statistical learning and data science and strengthen our ability to compete for large external grants that often benefit from in-house computational expertise.

These positions will involve conducting high-quality research, teaching undergraduate and graduate-level courses, advising students, contributing to the growth of statistics and data science, and securing external funding.

The Department of Statistics at UConn (https://statistics.uconn.edu/) is a highly active center of research, education, and service with regional, national, and international prestige. It is a founding member of the New England Statistical Society, for which it houses the administration. In recent years, the department has continued to grow and blossom in all aspects. As of Fall 2023, we have 24 full-time faculty members.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Ph.D. in statistics or a closely related quantitative discipline.
• Demonstrated research potential in statistics, with a focus on statistical machine learning and modern statistical computing.
• Ability to teach core statistics courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Ability to excel in research, teaching, and public engagement, with a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion through research, teaching, and/or service.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• For candidates in the direction of statistical machine learning at the rank of Associate Professor, an established reputation in scholarly or professional achievements and a robust record of publication and funding.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Postdoctoral academic, government, or industrial experience in statistics or a closely related quantitative discipline.
• Experience and leadership potential in tackling challenging statistical problems in modern applications.
• Experience with state-of-the-art computational and visualization methods.
• A strong potential for securing external funding.
• Research/teaching interests in interdisciplinary data analytics and/or emerging areas of probability/statistics.
• For the statistical machine learning emphasis, demonstrated experience or interest in the themes of robustness, fairness, and ethics in machine learning, for example, in relation to health policy and health/social disparity research.
• For the modern statistical computing emphasis, demonstrated skills in advanced computational techniques and software, for example, in relation to bioinformatics, social networks, online statistical learning, scan statistics, distributed statistical learning, stochastic optimization, and/or quantum computing.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

These are full-time, 9-month, tenure-track positions. Salary will be competitive and salary and rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. If an applicant is not a US citizen or permanent resident, tenure can only be granted when a permanent resident card has been received. The successful candidate's academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Faculty may also be asked to teach at one of UConn's regional campuses as part of their ordinary load. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25973 and submit the following application materials:

• A cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Research statement
• Teaching statement
• A transcript
• Commitment to diversity statement
• Sample journal articles or books
• 3 letters of reference

In the cover letter, the candidate should clearly state their emphasis as “statistical machine learning,” “modern statistical computing,” or both, and for the first emphasis, specify the rank as either Assistant or Associate Professor. Inquiries can be addressed to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Kun Chen, at kun.chen@uconn.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately. Full consideration will be given to applications completed and received before December 1, 2023.

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

These positions will be filled subject to budgetary approval.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.

The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce.  The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner.  This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all.  We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer.