Assistant Professor Tenure-Track in Human-Computer Interaction

Position Overview

School / Campus / College: Information School

Organization: Information School

Title: Assistant Professor Tenure-Track in Human-Computer Interaction

Position Details

Position Description

The Information School of the University of Washington seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to teach and engage in research dedicated to designing, building, and/or studying interactive technologies for the good of people, organizations, society, or the environment. We encourage applicants from all disciplines in HCI, including information, computing, engineering, social and behavioral science, and design. As a highly multidisciplinary academic unit, the UW Information School houses and welcomes HCI researchers from all relevant methodological backgrounds. We are particularly interested in applicants whose work has relevance to pressing social issues, including strengthening democracy, improving the environment, promoting human health and well-being, or furthering racial justice, reconciliation, and repair.

Competitive applicants will have evidence of demonstrated research excellence and effective and engaging teaching. The successful applicant will be expected to engage in service for their department and the broader HCI field. The successful applicant will also be expected to conduct research that not only furthers possibilities for human-computer interaction, but also shows an understanding of the ways that technology can and has been used to exclude, marginalize, privilege, and even harm people, societies, and the environment (e.g., via inaccessible user interfaces, exclusionary data schemas, misleading data visualizations, selective data collection practices, biased training data or algorithms, unobtainable technologies for learning, inadequate Internet access in rural communities, inscrutable face and image classifiers, deep fakes, and many other ways). The Assistant Professor will be expected to excel in their work while also understanding its possible social limitations and harms, and who appreciate the larger ramifications surrounding interactive technologies, especially concerning matters of social justice.

The UW Information School brings together faculty and students in HCI and many other disciplines. Current HCI faculty and students are world-class leaders in accessible computing, computing education, digital youth, health and wellness informatics, crisis informatics, ICT4D, information ethics, social computing, and value sensitive design, to name a few. We welcome applications from researchers investigating HCI topics that will deepen and/or extend our strengths in HCI.

The UW Information School is also a founding member unit of the DUB Group (design: use: build:), an inclusive cross-campus alliance of faculty and students pursuing research in HCI and Design. DUB also includes industry affiliates who complement the dozens of active faculty and students on campus. Applicants to this position within The Information School are expected to participate in the larger DUB community and engage with HCI and Design faculty across the UW campus.

The UW Information School is dedicated to hiring faculty that will enhance diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their research, teaching, and service. As information systems and institutions serve increasingly diverse and global constituencies, it is vital to understand the ways in which differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, national origin, worldview, intellectual origin, and other identities can both divide us and offer us better ways of thinking and working. The Information School faculty are committed to preparing professionals who work in an increasingly diverse and global society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals, actively working to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination.

Our new colleague will join a broad-based, inclusive information school, whose faculty members pursue their scholarship, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs. The University of Washington is an institution that encourages inclusive research and community outreach, situated between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, in the city of Seattle, on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Seattle is a rapidly growing, dynamic, and diverse metropolitan area with a leading technology sector and vibrant civic sector.

This job is a full-time 9-month tenure track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2021. All University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research, and service.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) by date of appointment.

Instructions

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Preference will be given to applications submitted by December 15, 2020. Selected candidates will be invited for campus visits, if possible, or for virtual visits if necessary, subject to federal, state, and local guidelines. Application packages should include a cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching statement, two selected publications, a diversity statement (see below), and 3-4 letters of reference.

iSchool Diversity Statement Guidelines

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of The Information School. The Diversity Statement provides an opportunity for applicants to communicate how their approach to research, teaching, and/or service examines, identifies, and contributes to positive social change, especially along the lines of gender, class, race, ethnicity, ability, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, and other identities. For your reference please consult: http://ischool.uw.edu/about/diversity/statement

Please describe your experiences with diversity, including in your research, teaching, and service, and your potential to enhance diversity as a value in The Information School. In addition, please discuss your potential to mentor and educate students who will serve diverse populations.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information,
gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.