About University at Albany:
Established in 1844 and designated a University Center of the State University of New York in 1962, the University at Albany's broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research, and public service engages a diverse student body of approximately 17,000 students in nine schools and colleges across three campuses.
Located in Albany, New York, New York State's capital, the University is convenient to Boston, New York City, and the Adirondacks.
UAlbany has recently received $75 million from New York State for the Albany Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Initiative (Albany AI). Through our signature strengths in cybersecurity, climate science, health sciences, and emergency preparedness, UAlbany is uniquely positioned to leverage this computing power to tackle some of society's biggest challenges.
Job Description:
The Department of Information Sciences and Technology in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) invites applications for the position of Associate or Assistant Professor in the growing field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Game Design and Development. Candidates should be able to take an integrative approach in working with faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds within and outside the college. Candidates should be committed to pursuing challenging, real-world applications of AI gaming technology in various contexts, such as business, education, cybersecurity, and government. CEHC has a goal of creating a dedicated team of educators and researchers capable of enabling our students to successfully explore and interpret the rich array of disciplines and perspectives contained within Informatics.
We are becoming an increasingly connected society. Smart devices, virtual reality headsets, eGaming, social media, the cloud, cellphones, pet trackers, heart rate monitors, air quality sensors, and self-driving cars, it's hard to find a single area of our lives that is not impacted by the "Internet of Things" and artificial intelligence. At the undergraduate level, the Department of Information Sciences and Technology prepares the next generation of leaders to confront these grand challenges of the 21st century through interdisciplinary understandings of information and information technologies in society and in organizations. Students can earn a B.S. in one of our concentrations, such as Game Design and Development, Data Analytics, and Software Development.
At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Science in Information Science (M.S.I.S.) and a Master of Science in Information Science, School Library (M.S.S.L.), accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). The College also offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Information Science, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science. A combined B.A./M.S.I.S. or B.S./M.S.I.S. permits highly qualified students to begin work on the master's degree while still an undergraduate. The Department of Information Sciences and Technology offers programs that specifically explore the creation, dissemination, presentation, and use of data.
Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), the successful candidate is an integral part of Department's instructional team. Assistant and Associate Professors deliver undergraduate and graduate-level instruction, conduct research, and partake in advisement responsibilities. Each semester, the tenure-track and tenured faculty generally teach two courses. While we welcome candidates from a range of specializations and methodologies, we especially encourage candidates whose scholarly work critically engages with diverse ways of understanding issues in technology and society. This could include scholarship in topics such as theoretical or applied game design; educational game development; virtual and augmented reality in education, entertainment, and/or industry; and gaming pedagogy. The successful candidate will also be expected to participate in College and Department activities, serve on committees, attend faculty meetings and retreats, participate in end-of session activities along with graduation and other meetings that arise, in addition to developing curriculum.
The IST department within CEHC is committed to increasing diversity in the related fields that have traditionally been underrepresented by minority and women's participation. The successful candidate will join a department with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence and will be expected to contribute actively to these efforts. The Assistant or Associate Professor will play an integral part in developing and offering classes that foster a sense of welcoming to traditional, diverse, and non-traditional students. There are opportunities for collaboration across university departments, particularly with the interdisciplinary nature of gaming. Partner departments include English, Education, Business, Art, Music, and Communication.
The College
The mission of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC) and its constituent departments is to make a difference in the world by providing high-quality academic programs, blending an interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial spirit, fostering enthusiasm for learning and teaching, promoting operational application of knowledge, and leading cutting-edge research initiatives that bring together people, technology, and knowledge to address the challenges of the 21st century. As the first college of its kind in the nation, CEHC is growing rapidly as it has recently established both undergraduate and graduate academic programs in Cybersecurity, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security, in addition to the already established Information Science and Informatics programs. One of the hallmarks of the College and its departments is the crosscutting nature of the education and research efforts across these fields. UAlbany and the State of New York are committed to seeing the College become a global leader in education and research in these fields and are providing significant support to the establishment and planned growth of the unit. CEHC is a participating iSchool.
Like the University, the College and the departments are committed to increased diversity in all its activities. Faculty and students are encouraged to engage with relevant communities in research and teaching, and the Department has a strong record of such engagement both locally and abroad. We wish to hire a colleague whose scholarship and teaching fosters transformation toward a more just society and involves meaningful partnership with community-based organizations. We value diverse lived experiences that inform research, teaching, and mentoring.
The University
UAlbany is a nationally recognized leader in security and preparedness training, research, and education, and has longstanding partnerships with key security agencies across the State and the nation. The University has received tens of millions of dollars in federal, state, and private sector support to its schools, colleges and research centers based on this expertise. The recent New York State funding of UAlbany's $75 million Artificial Intelligence Institute offers additional multi-disciplinary research and educational opportunities. Partnerships with government agencies, private industry and not-for-profit organizations provide opportunities to contribute to highly applied research, and access to a wealth of resources in these organizations and agencies. In addition, UAlbany takes pride in being a very diverse R1 University and is committed to diversity in its teaching/learning and research endeavors.
UAlbany is home to Project SAGES, an NSF ADVANCE funded project to provide pilot funding to encourage diverse collaborative teams in STEM and maximize the success of women faculty members in STEM fields.
Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:
- A PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Information Science, Informatics, Data Science, Game Design, Computer Science, Computational Science, Statistics, or a related field from a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education or internationally recognized accrediting organization by 8/31/2024. Candidates who will not hold the degree by this date will not be considered.
- Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community.
- Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role.
- Applicants for Assistant Professor must address their plan and ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in game design & development, in varying modalities (in-person, online, and/or hybrid) and contribute to the core curriculum in the GDD major and minor. Applicants for Associate Professor must have experience teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses in game design & development, in varying modalities (in-person, online, and/or hybrid) and address their plan to contribute to the core curriculum in the GDD major and minor.
- Applicants for Associate Professor must demonstrate a record of innovative, meaningful research and published scholarship on topics in the field of Artificial Intelligence, requisite for an appointment as Associate Professor in the field of A.I., using a mixed qualitative/quantitative approach, that can contribute to the department's academic programs at all levels, with a focus on topics such as machine learning; gaming; virtual and augmented reality, and/or closely related subjects. Applicants for Assistant Professor must provide evidence of Artificial Intelligence in their existing research program, with a focus on topics such as machine learning; gaming; virtual and augmented reality, and/or closely related subjects.
- 1-4+ years of experience within the game design and game programming field, including technical, managerial, and artistic advances.
- Experience in designing, prototyping, and building interactive experiences, with knowledge of programming, scripting, and creating tools and engines for 3D and 2D games, and working knowledge of programming languages (e.g., Python, C#, C++).
- Applicants must address in their teaching statement their ability to mentor students from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds and to work collaboratively with a diverse group of faculty and stakeholders, internal and external.
- Applicants for Associate Professor must have experience in applying for and obtaining external funding for their research. Applicants for Assistant Professor must have a demonstrated potential for obtaining external funding for their research.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 1-5+ years of professional experience in developing the design of a released digital or analog game.
- Experience in teaching and developing classes in the subfields of informatics.
- Experience in developing or managing an academic program or collaboration effort is also desired.
Additional Information:
Professional Rank and Salary Range: Associate Professor 10 Months, A4
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml
Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at [email protected] .
THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER
Please apply online via http://albany.interviewexchange.com/candapply.jsp?JOBID=166948
Application Instructions:
Applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research Statement
- Teaching Statement
- A statement of commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, teaching, and service
- Cover letter stating all the required minimum qualifications and any of the applicable preferred qualifications
- Contact information for three references
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A review of applications will start on November 1, 2023, and the search will remain open until the position is filled.