Assistant Professor in Health Informatics, 2024

Assistant Professor in Health Informatics, 2024

College/School/Unit: School of Information
Department:
Posted: Sep 18, 2023
Apply By: Open until filled

Description

The School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for up to two tenure-track Assistant Professor positions to start in Fall 2024. Candidates will be expected to conduct innovative and impactful research and to teach at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in Health Informatics, one of the six concentrations in our new undergraduate informatics degree program which has synergies with other concentrations, such as Human-Centered Data Science, User Experience Design, and Social Informatics. We are particularly interested in outstanding scholars who have expertise that spans more than one concentration or focuses on the intersections of these concentrations with a specific focus on healthcare. Successful candidates will address the human and/or societal implications of information and technology on healthcare.

Successful candidates will be expected to expand on one or more established and emerging areas related to Health Informatics within the school, including but not limited to and in no particular order:

• Human-centered data science approaches to observe, understand, and predict health-related risks
• AI fairness to address bias in AI in Healthcare, enhancing algorithmic transparency by providing contextualized explanations for different user cases
• Ethical issues related to utilizing advanced technologies in healthcare, and trust between users and technologies
• Design, Usability, and Human-Computer Interaction concentrated on healthcare, especially addressing data privacy and security, developing novel data visualization methods to enhance diverse communications in healthcare, designing interfaces for health-related software or devices
• Social and societal impacts of healthcare, such as health disparities, inequities, and/or public policy.

A range of methodological, disciplinary, and theoretical approaches are relevant to study of complex Health Informatics phenomena. We thus invite applications from scholars from diverse disciplines including but not limited to information studies, data science, psychology, population health, nursing, human factors, communication, anthropology, political science, sociology, and computer science. Our intent is to recruit scholars with compelling human-centric research agendas that fit with the mission of the iSchool regardless of disciplinary background. Applicants, especially those unfamiliar with Information Schools, are welcome to contact us via the email below prior to submitting their application to discuss how their research agenda connects to our school, as well as examining resources provided at www.ischools.org. For more information, please feel free to contact the search committee chair, Prof. Ying Ding, at ying.ding@ischool.utexas.edu.

Successful candidates will address the intersection of health, information, and technology, including a focus on relevant stakeholders including but not limited to patients, medical providers, allied health professionals, and care givers. Candidates focused on human-centered design and use of information technology for human benefit, social good, and/or social justice in local and global contexts, including critical theory and perspectives, will fit well within the culture of our school and are particularly encouraged to apply.

Tenure-track faculty at the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin normally have a 2/1 teaching load. Salaries are competitive.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in a field that is relevant to their area of research and teaching or be able to convincingly demonstrate that they will complete the degree before starting (e.g., by documenting a scheduled viva/defense).

We seek candidates with excellent research, teaching, service, and leadership abilities and a commitment to shaping the future of the UT Austin iSchool and the field of information science/studies more broadly. Candidates who currently or will potentially make outstanding contributions to broadening their scholarly fields and/or institutions of higher education are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications should make a compelling case for the intellectual contribution and merit of their research agenda. Candidates are encouraged to identify the research communities in which they are developing membership and to which their research trajectory will contribute. In addition to scholarly publications, the school values research contributions via artifacts (e.g., datasets, software, exhibits, standards); candidates with these contributions are encouraged to highlight the artifacts created and the intellectual contributions made by this work. Similarly, the school values direct impact via translational research; candidates with these contributions are encouraged to highlight the communities with which they work and the potential broader impacts of the work.

Application Instructions

Applications received by Monday, October 16, 2023 will get prioritized consideration, and applications will continue to be reviewed until the position(s) is/are filled.

Required materials include:

1) Current CV,

2) A cover letter (suggestion 1 page),

3) A statement of your research plans (suggestion 2-4 pages),

4) A single sample of your writing, such as a chapter of your dissertation or a paper on which you were a lead author,

5) A teaching statement (suggestion 1-2 pages),

6) Names and contact details of 3 references who have agreed to provide a reference letter (we will solicit reference letters, if needed, later in the process).

Questions about these positions may be sent to facultysearch@ischool.utexas.edu.

All faculty positions are subject to final budget approval, and are based in Austin, Texas. Successful candidates residing outside of the Austin area will be expected to relocate.

Please apply via Interfolio's Faculty Search solution. If you do not have a Dossier account with Interfolio, you will be prompted to create a free account prior to applying for the position.

About the UT Austin iSchool

The UT Austin iSchool is a premier research and education program for the 21st century field of information, where we are changing the future by engaging the present and preserving the past. Research and teaching at the iSchool changes the ways that we interact with information and technology, changes how information can make the world a better and fairer place for everyone, and changes the ways we protect and preserve our collective memory.

The UT Austin iSchool is a founding member of the international iSchools organization (https://ischools.org/), and has a long history of interdisciplinary scholarship and research focused on the human, social, cultural, and technical aspects of information. Our program is consistently ranked among the top programs in information internationally. We are a stand-alone school with strong connections across the university and with other institutions nationally and internationally; we are particularly interested in applicants who will further strengthen and extend our collaborative network. We offer an ALA-accredited Master of Science in Information Studies as well as degrees at the undergraduate and PhD levels. Our Master of Science degree in Information Security and Privacy is offered jointly with the UT Center for Identity. For more details on our current degree offerings, see https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs.

UT Austin has an internationally distinguished faculty making it one of the world's leading research universities. UT Austin embraces interdisciplinary research and is home to more the 200 dedicated research units, centers, and research grand challenges, including Good Systems: Ethical AI at UT Austin. For more information on UT Austin, see https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/about/about_ut_austin.

Community and Belonging

The University of Texas at Austin School of Information is dedicated to enhancing the iSchool's community in ways that welcomes all students, staff, faculty, and community members. The University of Texas obtained the Seal of Excelencia for Commitment to Latino Student Success in 2020, and has earned a 7-time Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. The core values of the iSchool include Information Serves Humanity, A People-First Perspective, Technology for Social Good, and An Interdisciplinary Approach.

About Austin

Austin is a city bursting with entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for discovery. Austin has a vibrant, internationally renowned music, film, and art scene, along with a thriving economy that leads the way in the technology, engineering, and health care sectors. It is a city with natural beauty in abundance, with a glittering river that runs through the center of the city, year-round sunshine, and a location in the picturesque Hill Country of central Texas. Austin is a creative center that attracts the best and the brightest from around the world. Often referred to as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin hosts major annual events such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW), which includes Education, Film, Music, and Interactive Festivals. Austin serves as the home for corporate headquarters and research and development centers for many Fortune 500 companies and new startups providing opportunities for collaboration and student placements for internships and careers. It is the capital city of Texas, and home to many cultural heritage institutions and opportunities in the public sector. Austin is a regular among top places to live and work lists, and has many highly rated public schools. More information on Austin can be found at https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/about/about_austin.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.


To apply, visit https://faculty.utexas.edu/career/124000



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