Assistant Professor - Public Policy

Assistant Professor – Politics, Economics and Public Policy
The Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston (UH) seeks to hire a Presidential Frontier Faculty tenure-track faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor of Public Policy to begin in the Fall of 2024. This search is part of a university-wide, multi-year, integrated, visionary hiring campaign, the Presidential Frontier Faculty Program, and seeks to attract top scholars to support the University of Houston’s research focus on building an infrastructure for sustainable and resilient communities. We are interested in applicants who will bring fresh ideas, a commitment to public policy, and an interdisciplinary mindset.
The ideal faculty should demonstrate a technical background in political analysis, state and local politics, regional economics, environmental economics, public economics, urban economics, urban planning or related fields studying issues associated with building sustainable, resilient, and smart cities. As an interdisciplinary school, we welcome applicants from multiple social science disciplines, including economics, political science, public policy, urban planning, sociology and decision sciences. Candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of the institutional environments affecting sustainability and community development, as well as the social, political and economic dynamics that affect these goals, e.g., political representation, government accountability, and socio-economic inequality. Expertise in statistical methods such as data visualization and mapping, local area models or spatial analysis, randomized control trials, policy evaluation, structural and quantitative models, and survey design and analysis is a plus.
In the selection process, the search committee will prioritize collaborative scholars who: (1) engage in nationally-recognized, interdisciplinary work on significant public policy issues, (2) work with diverse populations, communities, and organizations or on questions of equity, (3) demonstrate an eagerness to contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and student success, and (4) pursue grants, awards, and other sources of funding to support research, academic programming, student success, community engagement, and impact. 
We are seeking applicants with a strong research record and developing reputation who can help build our growing program. We are interested in candidates with a background in rigorous research methods that can support the Hobby School's mission to provide training in tools, methods, and analysis.
About the Hobby School 
The Hobby School of Public Affairs was created in 2016 by the University of Houston System. Incoming faculty will have the opportunity to join existing faculty in building and shaping the direction and culture of the school. The Hobby School emphasizes advanced social science methodology, leadership development, and ethical analysis in its teaching, training, and research. It is the home of UH’s Center for Public Policy, Survey Research Institute, and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center for Ethics and Leadership.
The Hobby School offers: (1) a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree, (2) a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, (3) BA and BSc degrees in public policy, (4) Dual Degree programs combining public policy with degrees in other fields—multidisciplinary studies (UH’s Honors College), business, economics, law, psychology, and social work, and (5) Certificate programs in data analytics, energy policy, health care policy, public policy, and public administration. We are in the planning process for launching a PhD program The Hobby School also runs the Institute on the Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) and offers workshops in social science methods under the Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Summer Institute.
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One research institution and is the flagship campus of a state-assisted higher education system that enrolls over 70,000 students. The University of Houston is recognized as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse research institutions in the nation. As such, we welcome candidates whose experience in teaching, research, or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to excellence.
Houston itself is a laboratory for the future. The city reflects what is happening in the United States and around the world in terms of demographic, cultural, political, and economic trends. Moreover, Houston (www.houston.org) boasts a high quality of life with the following attributes: (1) a growing economy, including a vibrant energy sector, robust manufacturing, a bustling port that serves as a hub for international trade, the Johnson Space Center, and the Texas Medical Center—the world’s largest medical center, (b) rich traditions in music, theatre, art, and sports, (c) a diverse population, (d) award-winning restaurants reflective of many cultures, and (e) a relatively low cost of living among large cities.
Application Instructions
Interested individuals should apply at https://jobs.uh.edu and provide: (1) a letter of interest, (2) evidence of teaching effectiveness and commitment to mentoring students, (3) a statement of research specialization and interests, (4) three names and email addresses of prospective writers of letters of recommendation, (5) a curriculum vita, and (6) up to three representative papers. Referees may be contacted to submit letters. Review of applications will begin on December 15 and continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to the search committee chair Donald Foss ([email protected] ).
The University of Houston is responsive to the needs of dual career couples.
The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution and recognizes protected classes of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, religion, age (40 and above), national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or status, and gender expression as required by federal law. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Doctoral Degree required. We are primarily seeking applicants with a strong research record and established reputation that can help build our growing program; Candidates should have a strong background in rigorous research methods to support the Hobby School’s mission to provide training in tools, methods, and analysis.