The Department of Statistics at Rice University in the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, located in the heart of Houston, TX, invites applications for one faculty position at either the tenure-track Assistant Professor level or the tenured Associate Professor level. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2026.

We welcome applicants whose research interests lie broadly in the areas of statistics and data science, including but not limited to statistical computation, statistical learning, statistical foundations of AI innovation, methodologies for complex data structures. We encourage all applicants whose work includes, and is not limited to, data-rich applications of computing to specific domain questions in any fields of science and engineering.

The selected candidate will be expected to teach and develop undergraduate and graduate courses within their expertise; perform high-quality research in their specialized area and present findings from their research in first-tier peer-reviewed publications and conferences; establish a strong research program supported by extramural funding; be involved in service to the university and broader scientific community; and collaborate with faculty in diverse disciplines. The successful candidate will be required to have a strong commitment to teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds. The successful candidate will be expected to supervise the dissertation research for one or more Ph.D. students in the department at any given time. Candidates with strengths in curriculum development related to statistical computing and modern statistical learning, including academic research in statistics education on these topics, will be especially encouraged. Candidates are also encouraged to consider their potential roles in the School's strategic research specialities: Engineering & Medicine, Molecular Nanotechnology & Materials, Cities of the Future, Future Computing, and Energy and the Environment (https://engineering.rice.edu/about/strategic-plan).

The Department of Statistics at Rice University is dedicated to the advancement of the scientific discipline of statistics, the innovative application of statistical science to meet modern scientific, engineering and societal challenges, the expert education of students in statistics and other disciplines, and leadership in the statistical sciences, at the local, national and international levels. 

Rice Statistics has strengths in Bayesian statistics, machine learning, multivariate analysis, dependent data, data science, applied probability and stochastic processes, and modeling. The faculty also have significant expertise in many application areas. Of special interest is the biomedical domain as we are located across the street from the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. This includes biostatistics, bioinformatics, systems biology, mathematical oncology, human health sciences, neuroscience, and environmental health. Other major application areas are urban analytics, environmental science, materials, quantitative finance, economics, astronomy, agronomy, ecology, physics and social sciences. The Department is a center for academic excellence, offering a full spectrum of programs, including BS and BA majors in Statistics, specialized minors in Statistics, Data Science, and Financial Computation and Modeling, as well as MS and PhD degrees in Statistics. The department co-hosts an inter-institutional Biostatistics PhD program with MD Anderson, Texas Children's Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, and oversees the Data to Knowledge (D2K) lab. More information is available at https://statistics.rice.edu.

Rice University's George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing is a top-ranked program that empowers the next generation of leaders with strong technical and communication skills, creative problem solving and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams. 

Rice University is a private, comprehensive research university located in the heart of Houston’s dynamic Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center.  It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across eight schools and has a student body of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students. Rice consistently ranks among the top 20 national universities and the top 10 in undergraduate teaching (US News & World Report); its endowment ranks among the top 20 of US universities. Houston is the fourth largest urban area in the US, and is the most ethnically diverse major US city, known for its welcoming Southern culture. Houston is consistently ranked as the most affordable major US city in terms of cost-of-living index. The economy of Houston is diverse, robust, and growing. 

 

 

 

All candidates must have a Ph.D. degree in statistics or a related field conferred by November 1 of the year that employment will commence. All applicants should demonstrate excellence in scholarship, teaching, and collegial service.

Review of applications will commence on November 17, 2025. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled.  

To apply, please submit the following materials through Interfolio: (1) cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) research statement (up to 5 pages), (4) statement of teaching philosophy (up to 2 pages), and (5) a statement describing how you would contribute to the development of a broadly inclusive learning community at Rice through your teaching, research, and/or service (up to 2 pages).

In addition, candidates will be asked to provide the names and contact information for three to five references, who will be solicited for letters of recommendation at the time of application. Applicants may not include more than five reference names or fewer than three.

Prospective applicants with questions about the position may contact the Department Chair Prof. Huixia Judy Wang (judy.wang@rice.edu), or the co-chair of the search committee, Prof. Frederi Viens (viens@rice.edu), by email.