Career Center

Assistant Professor, Computational Social Science

Tenure-Eligible

The Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University seeks to hire an Assistant Professor in the area of computational social science with an appointment beginning September 1, 2023. The successful candidate will be expected to publish innovative research, contribute directly to undergraduate and graduate instruction in the department, and perform some professional service. We are interested in applicants researching communication from a broad range of potential disciplinary backgrounds. Candidates with a Ph.D. or equivalent in Communication or related fields (e.g., Computer Science, Information Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Cognitive Science, or Sociology) are encouraged to apply. Applicants must show exceptional promise as researchers, scholars, teachers, and mentors. A Ph.D. or equivalent is required by date of hire.

We are seeking candidates with expertise in computational social science that includes, but is not limited to, the study of communication and information networks, platforms, and audiences; application to the discovery, understanding and communication of (mis)information; data visualization and communication design; artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and text analytics; gathering and analysis of digital trace data, and advanced computational techniques applied to media and organizing. We are also interested in candidates who complement the department’s existing expertise in human-computer interaction, social media, social computing, organizations and ways of organizing, networks, collective intelligence, and computational modeling. We encourage candidates to demonstrate how their research contributes toward social justice and equity, diversity and inclusion, understanding global or marginalized populations, sustainability, or ethical access to information.

Preferred Start Date:  September 1, 2023

Salary:   Competitive, depending on qualifications and experience.

Application procedure: Applications and supporting documents will be accepted only by online submission here. Materials should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and article- or chapter-length writing sample, and the names of three references who may submit confidential letters of recommendation. Applicants are invited to submit an additional statement addressing their past and/or potential contributions to enhancing diversity, equity, and/or inclusion through research, teaching, and/or service. Inquiries about the search may be sent to the Search Chair, Professor Erik Nisbet at erik.nisbet@northwestern.edu.

Application Deadline:  December 1, 2022. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by the deadline, but review of applications may continue until the position is filled.

The Department:

The Department of Communication Studies has a highly collaborative, lab-based culture. It offers a popular undergraduate major and multiple professional master’s and cross-school PhD programs that are joint with the McCormick School of Engineering, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and the Medill School of Journalism. Through special resources for research support and scholarly event programming, the department offers rich opportunities for scholarly development. The Department of Communication Studies hosts several leading research centers and faculty labs with a full list available at https://communication.northwestern.edu/research. For computationally intensive tasks, all Communication Studies faculty have access to NU’s computing cluster with 4008 64-bit cores running at 2.26GHZ each and 48GB of memory per node. NU’s computing cluster is listed in the Top 500 List of supercomputer sites. School of Communication faculty also can have opportunities during their career at Northwestern to teach and conduct research at the Northwestern University campus in Doha, Qatar.

The School: The School of Communication has five departments and offers a suite of interdisciplinary undergraduate, professional, and graduate programs. The departments span the communication arts and sciences including the Department of Radio-Television-Film, the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Department of Communication Studies, the Department of Performance Studies, and the Department of Theatre (which includes music theatre and dance). The faculty of over 180 includes 99 tenure-eligible faculty. The school offers instruction to roughly 1000 undergraduate majors and 650 graduate and professional students. Founded over 144 years ago, the School has been a leader in developing the communication disciplines and professions, and continues to be a center of excellence in the communication arts and sciences. Our current Dean is E. Patrick Johnson.

The University: Northwestern University is one of the nation’s largest private research universities. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, the main campus is in Evanston and the medical campus is 12 miles south in downtown Chicago. There is continuing expansion of University facilities and programs, particularly in the sciences and medicine. Diverse cultural, social, and recreational activities abound on and near each campus.

Department: SoC Communication Studies

Please read ALL instructions and make preparations before proceeding to the application page:

• Applications will only be accepted via online submission (see link below).
• Please prepare all documents in advance as Adobe PDF files, and please be sure all information is entered correctly and accurately (especially names and email addresses), as there will be no opportunity for online revision after your application has been submitted.
• Please also prepare a list of names and email addresses for your external academic references; your references will be contacted directly by the online system and invited to upload their letters on your behalf.
• All required fields in the application form are marked with an asterisk and must be filled before clicking the “Submit” button.
• Be aware that incomplete applications cannot be saved.

Applications accepted here: Apply for Job


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About Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a major private research university with 12 academic divisions located on three campuses in Evanston, Chicago, and Education City in Doha, Qatar. We have approximately 2,500 full-time faculty members, 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students, and over 5,700 full and part-time staff. Northwestern University combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment. It provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth.

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