Boyvey Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows, 2024

The School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for multiple new full-time post-doctoral Boyvey Teaching Fellows to start in August 2024 or January 2025, with the exact start date depending on applicant availability and completion of doctoral studies. The salary for successful candidates will be $60,000 per year, plus a standard package of benefits. These are 12-month positions that can be renewed for a second year contingent upon performance.

The Boyvey Fellows (https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/postdoctoral-fellowships ) will teach primarily in the iSchool’s undergraduate major in Informatics (https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/informatics ), with teaching in the MSIS graduate program (https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/master-science-information-studies ) also possible. These positions are geared primarily toward early career scholars looking to gain more experience with teaching that can help to strengthen their future applications for tenure-track positions within and beyond the UT-Austin iSchool. The Boyvey Fellows will teach a reduced 2-2 teaching load in the first year and 2-3 (or 2-2-1 if teaching in summer) in the second year. One goal of this program is to also allow for time for the scholar to publish their research or carry out other research activities that can further strengthen their record. We will provide up to $2,500 annually for research and professional development such as conference attendance. Fellows can also apply for teaching innovation funding from the Boyvey Fellow fund.

These will normally be two-year, non-renewable positions. The goal of the Boyvey Fellow program is to provide early career scholars the opportunity to benefit from supportive mentoring and two years of classroom experience developing and independently teaching classes that will provide an advantage when pursuing tenure-track positions. These positions are equivalent to what are called Visiting Assistant Professors at some institutions, but that title is not available here.

Applicants should be able to teach courses in one or more of the following concentrations (https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/informatics/curriculum ):

• Cultural Heritage Informatics, which prepares students for careers managing, describing, organizing, preserving, and providing access to data and information in a wide range of technological forms in the cultural sector;
• Health Informatics, which prepares students for careers leveraging data, information, and technology to improve healthcare delivery, healthcare management, and health outcomes;
• Human-Centered Data Science, which prepares students for careers involving the interaction among people and artificial intelligence, machine learning, information retrieval, data curation, and data analysis);
• Social Informatics, which prepares students for careers where they will play a critical role in shaping information policies, improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness, enhancing societal sustainability, and advocating for responsibility and the public interest;
• Social Justice Informatics, which prepares students for careers leveraging data, information, and technology for societal good, helping to ensure a level playing field for everyone in the information age, and using technological tools to help make the world a better and fairer place; and
• User Experience Design, which prepares students for careers in user experience, interaction design, human factors in computing, and web and mobile app design.

We invite applications from scholars from diverse disciplines reflecting those indicated in the concentrations, including but going far beyond the information field. Applicants are encouraged to review the iSchool website, particularly the information about the undergraduate Informatics major. Applicants who are not yet familiar with Information Schools are also encouraged to examine the resources provided at iSchools.org .

Applications will be accepted until available positions are filled, however candidates wishing to ensure consideration should apply before April 10, 2024, when we will begin reviewing applications.

These post-doctoral positions are for academics in the early stages of their career who demonstrate exceptional potential as a scholar. Applicants should either have completed a doctoral degree or be able to convincingly demonstrate that they will complete the degree before they intend to start this post-doctoral fellowship (e.g. by documenting a scheduled viva/final defense). Required materials:

1)     Current CV.

2)     Cover letter (1-2 pages) outlining your suitability for this opportunity.

3)     Teaching statement (2-3 pages) addressing how your teaching can contribute to one or more concentrations in the Informatics major, as well as discussing the courses that you would be able to teach in the Informatics major and (optionally) in the MSIS program.

4)     Research statement (1-2 pages) describing your research plans over the next two years, including how you might advance your research with the $2,500 research funding.

5)     Names and contact details of three references (who we may contact at any stage in the hiring process unless candidate requests otherwise).

Questions about these positions can be sent to [email protected] .

Please apply via Interfolio. If you do not have an account with Interfolio, you will be prompted to create a free account prior to applying for the position.

About the UT Austin iSchool

The UT Austin iSchool is a premier research and education program for the 21st century field of information, where we are changing the future by engaging the present and preserving the past. Research and teaching at the iSchool changes the ways that we interact with information and technology, changes how information can make the world a better and fairer place for everyone, and changes the ways we protect and preserve our collective memory.

The UT Austin iSchool is a founding member of the international iSchools organization (https://ischools.org/ ), and has a long history of interdisciplinary scholarship and research focused on the human, social, cultural, and technical aspects of information. Our program is consistently ranked among the top programs in information internationally. We are a stand-alone school with strong connections across the university and with other institutions nationally and internationally; we are particularly interested in applicants who will further strengthen and extend our collaborative network. We offer an ALA-accredited Master of Science in Information Studies as well as degrees at the undergraduate and PhD levels.  Our Master of Science degree in Information Security and Privacy is offered jointly with the UT Center for Identity . For more details on our current degree offerings, see https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs .

UT Austin has an internationally distinguished faculty making it one of the world’s leading research universities. UT Austin embraces interdisciplinary research and is home to more the 200 dedicated research units, centers, and research grand challenges, including Good Systems: Ethical AI at UT Austin . For more information on UT Austin, see https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/about/about_ut_austin.

Community and Belonging

The University of Texas at Austin School of Information is dedicated to enhancing the iSchool’s community in ways that welcomes all students, staff, faculty, and community members. The University of Texas obtained the Seal of Excelencia for Commitment to Latino Student Success in 2020 and has earned a 7-time Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. The core values of the iSchool include Information Serves Humanity, A People-First Perspective, Technology for Social Good, and An Interdisciplinary Approach.

About Austin

Austin is a city bursting with entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for discovery. Austin has a vibrant, internationally renowned music, film, and art scene, along with a thriving economy that leads the way in the technology, engineering, and health care sectors. It is a city with natural beauty in abundance, with a glittering river that runs through the center of the city, year-round sunshine, and a location in the picturesque Hill Country of central Texas. Austin is a creative center that attracts the best and the brightest from around the world. Often referred to as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin hosts major annual events such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW), which includes Education, Film, Music, and Interactive Festivals. Austin serves as the home for corporate headquarters and research and development centers for many Fortune 500 companies and new startups providing opportunities for collaboration and student placements for internships and careers. It is the capital city of Texas, and home to many cultural heritage institutions and opportunities in the public sector. Austin is a regular among top places to live and work lists, and has many highly rated public schools. More information on Austin can be found at https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/about/about_austin .

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.