Assistant Professor of Data Science

Title: Assistant Professor of Data Science

Employee Classification: Asst Professor

Campus: University of North Texas

Division: UNT-Provost

SubDivision-Department: UNT-College of Information

Department: UNT-Data Science-133330

Job Location: Denton

Salary: Compensation is competitive and commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and discipline, in accordance with university guidelines and available funding.

FTE: 1.00

Retirement Eligibility: ORP Eligible

About Us - Values Overview

Department Summary

The Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science at the University of North Texas is a rapidly growing research-driven department with strengths in data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering, and applied analytics. The department is home to an active community of core faculty who lead externally funded research, develop innovative curricula, and mentor students across undergraduate and graduate programs. Affiliated faculty from complementary disciplines further enrich the department’s interdisciplinary research environment and collaborative culture. The department offers a B.S. in Data Science, an M.S. in Data Science, and a Ph.D. in Information Science with a concentration in Data Science.

Looking ahead, the department seeks to expand its research footprint and national visibility by recruiting faculty who are eager to build impactful, interdisciplinary research programs, secure external funding, and contribute to the intellectual growth of a diverse student body. Future hires will play a key role in shaping the department’s research directions, fostering collaborations across the university and beyond, and advancing data-driven solutions to real-world societal challenges.

UNT has a highly diverse campus with a wide range of languages spoken in addition to English. We welcome candidates who have experience with HSI/MSIs and/or who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin and other variations), Arabic, Tagalog, Farsi, French, or/and Yoruba.

Position Overview

The Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science at the University of North Texas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Data Science. This position is intended for candidates who seek to develop a high-impact, externally funded research program in a research-intensive (R1) environment while contributing to excellence in teaching and service.

The standard teaching load for this position is two courses per semester during the regular academic year (2–2 load). Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate courses in data science and closely related areas, aligned with the candidate’s research expertise and departmental needs. Faculty are expected to demonstrate teaching effectiveness, mentor students, and contribute to curriculum innovation that integrates research and education.

The successful candidate is expected to establish and sustain a strong, independent research agenda, including the pursuit of external research funding from federal agencies and other sponsors, and the publication of research in high-quality, peer-reviewed venues. Faculty members are expected to actively mentor graduate students, including supervising master’s theses and doctoral dissertations, and to engage in interdisciplinary research collaborations within the department, across the university, and with external partners.

In addition to research and teaching, the candidate will be expected to contribute to departmental, college, and university service, as well as professional service appropriate to the rank. The department values collaborative scholarship, interdisciplinary engagement, and research that addresses impactful, real-world data-driven challenges.

This position offers an opportunity to join a growing, research-oriented department and to contribute to its long-term vision of becoming a nationally recognized leader in data science research and graduate education.

Minimum Qualifications

1. An earned Ph.D. in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a closely related field from an accredited institution by the time of appointment.

2. Demonstrated potential for high-quality scholarly research, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications or strong research in progress in data science, AI or related areas.

3. Demonstrated potential to establish an externally funded research program appropriate for a research-intensive (R1) institution.

4. Demonstrated ability or strong potential to teach effectively at the undergraduate and graduate levels in data science or closely related areas.

5. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, students, and interdisciplinary research teams.

6. Commitment to mentoring students, including undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, consistent with the expectations of a research-focused department.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Research expertise in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and/or Generative AI, including large language models, foundation models, prompt engineering, representation learning, or related areas.

2. Potential to secure external research funding in areas related to NLP, generative AI, or AI-driven data science from federal agencies, industry, or other sponsors.

3. Experience or interest in interdisciplinary research, particularly applications of NLP or generative AI in domains such as health, cybersecurity, education, social sciences, or public policy.

4. Experience mentoring students or collaborating on research projects, including supervision of graduate research or participation in multi-investigator teams.

Required License/Registration/Certifications

Physical Requirements

Communicating with others to exchange information.

Environmental Hazards

No adverse environmental conditions expected.

Work Schedule

varies based on assignment

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

Special Instructions

Applicants must submit a minimum of two professional references as part of their application. If needed, additional references can be added after the application has been submitted. 1. Cover Letter, describing the applicant’s interest in the position, research agenda, teaching philosophy, and how their expertise aligns with the department’s research and instructional mission.

2. Curriculum Vitae (CV), including education, publications, research experience, teaching experience, and any external funding or funding plans.

3. A Teaching Statement (typically 1–2 pages) that addresses the following: 1) Teaching philosophy and pedagogical approach, particularly as it relates to undergraduate and graduate education; 2) Prior teaching experience and/or preparation for teaching at the university level; 3) Experience with or plans for teaching courses relevant to the department’s curriculum.

4. A Research Statement (typically 2–3 pages) that includes: 1) An overview of current and past research accomplishments; 2) A clear and coherent research agenda outlining short-term and long-term research goals. 3) The significance and potential impact of the proposed research. 4) Plans for securing external research funding (e.g., NSF, NIH, DoD, industry).

5. Up to 5 most important research publications

Benefits

For information regarding our Benefits, click here.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit –and takes actions to prevent – discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking), and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices, and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities. UNT System Administration promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. System Administration also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist, or participate in a related investigation or proceeding.