As a component of the university’s Strategic Investment Initiative, the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University is hiring up to three tenure-line, open-rank faculty members with a research and teaching focus in science, health, and/or environmental communication. We seek applicants with a broad range of disciplinary training, research expertise, and professional experience in communicating scientific, health, and/or environmental information to public audiences. In line with our college’s focus for the university’s Strategic Investment Initiative, we are especially seeking applicants who can contribute to interdisciplinary collaborative projects related to scientific misinformation. The faculty members hired through this initiative will form a team with specific expectations to contribute to research and external funding efforts related to one or more of the university’s strategic research themes: Climate Resilience, Powering Our Future, Advancing One Health, and Thrive! Rural America. In line with the Strategic Investment Initiative’s goals, we are especially interested in applicants who have a strong track record of collaborative interdisciplinary research and a record of successful external funding.
This opportunity is for up to two full-time, 9-month tenure-track positions at the rank of advanced assistant professor and one at the rank of associate professor. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2024, with faculty expected on duty in mid-August 2024, although opportunities for an earlier or later start may be available. Texas Tech provides support for H1B application processes. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP70.38.php for more information.
Candidates must be able to teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Media & Communication related to their research and/or professional expertise. These are open-area positions, meaning candidates could be appointed in any of our five departments, depending on areas of teaching and research expertise. Departments in the college include Advertising & Brand Strategy, Communication Studies, Journalism & Creative Media Industries, Professional Communication, or Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management. Successful candidates will advise and mentor highly motivated master’s and doctoral students; engage in governance; perform service at the department, college, university, and professional levels; and have access to state-of-the-art facilities in the CoMC Center for Communication Research. Service to the department, college, and university is expected and may include program building and outreach. Engaged scholarship is also encouraged for those whose research and teaching are conducive. The standard teaching load is four courses per academic year, typically a 2-2 load, with opportunities to teach in summer for additional compensation, if desired. Candidates hired through this strategic investment opportunity will receive a competitive three-year start-up package to support their research goals.
Required Qualifications:
In line with TTU’s strategic priorities to engage and empower a diverse student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants must have experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service. Additional required qualifications are:
1.Ph.D. in media and communication or a related area
2.Record of active research productivity that explores the communication of health, science, and/or environmental information to public audiences
3.Strong record of scholarship supported by extramural funding or demonstrated potential to bring externally sponsored research to Texas Tech University
4.Demonstrated record of teaching excellence
5.Academic qualifications that merit appointment at the level of advanced assistant or associate professor at Texas Tech University
Preferred Qualifications:In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:
1.Professional experience in science, health, and/or environmental communication
2.Experience mentoring and/or collaborating with undergraduate and/or graduate students
3.A track record of success with interdisciplinary research collaborations
4.Expertise in cutting-edge methodologies and areas pertinent to the study of scientific misinformation, such as computational methods, infodemiology, social network analysis, psychophysiology, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and other methodologies that complement the existing strengths of our faculty. About the University, College, and Department/School/AreaEstablished in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
The College of Media & Communication (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/) at Texas Tech University serves approximately 2500 students across its undergraduate majors and graduate programs. The college’s enrollment and credit hours have grown consistently for the last seven years; the number of full-time faculty has almost tripled; and the area for facilities has increased more than 40%. CoMC is the #1 rated research unit in the TTU System per the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking). Its private and state grants initiatives have skyrocketed in recent years, achieving its 2025 grants goals in fall 2020. The CoMC Center for Communication Research (CCR) is the country’s premier academic research facility for the study of communication, media processing, and effects. The CCR features labs useful for audience testing, content analysis, surveys, eye-tracking, focus group, and psychophysiology. These research facilities provide a great environment for further advancing an exciting and productive research agenda.
The college maintains high standards for teaching, even as its reputation as a media research center expands. College metrics for student retention and graduation rates are near the top at Texas Tech in many categories. Research strengths among college faculty include Hispanic and international, strategic, science/health, gaming/AI, leadership, interpersonal/organizational, and political communication, as well as social scientific research methods. Affiliates of the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication engage in teaching, research and community outreach related to Hispanic and international/intercultural communication (comc.ttu.edu/research/hihic).
Please visit the college’s website for more information: www.depts.ttu.edu/comc.About LubbockReferred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories. Equal Opportunity StatementAll qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.
To Apply for this Position
Please include the following documents in your application:
1.Curriculum vitae
2.Application letter (4-page maximum) that includes a statement of research trajectory and outlines how this trajectory aligns with Texas Tech’s Strategic Investment Initiative3.Names and contact information for three professional references
Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Amy Koerber, Search Committee Chair at amy.koerber@ttu.edu. If you need assistance with the application process, contact Human Resources, Talent Acquisition at hrs.recruiting@ttu.edu or 806-742-3851. Applicants with questions about university sponsorship of visa applications may contact Ms. Dawn Cepica, Senior Administrator for Faculty and Staff Immigration Services (dawn.cepica@ttu.edu).
Application ProcessReview of applications will begin on January 15, 2024. To ensure full consideration, please complete an online application. Requisition # 35198BR.