Assistant Professor of Computer Science

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• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Assistant Professor position is a Tenure-Track faculty position within the Computer Science department at Penn State Harrisburg. We are seeking two enthusiastic and dedicated individuals who share our commitment to teaching, research, and service. The successful candidate will contribute to our efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for students, foster robust, collaborative research, and engage in service activities supporting institutional goals.

Anticipated Start Date: August 2025

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Teaching Professor/Lecturer in Computer Science include the following:

Teaching: Tenure-track and tenured faculty are expected to teach 9 credit hours per semester. For the first two years, this teaching load is reduced by 3 credits per semester. The preferred candidate will be able to offer introductory computer science courses, as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in the following areas: algorithms, theoretical computer science, bioinformatics, computer security, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, or databases.

Faculty will be expected to teach in both the residential BS and MS degree programs, as well as the upcoming online master’s program. Faculty also will be expected to participate in recruitment and retention activities, advise both undergraduate and graduate students, participate in supervising capstone and honor’s projects, and supervise graduate student culminating experiences.

Research/Scholarship/Creative Accomplishments: The ideal candidate should have expertise and/or interest in one or more of the following areas:

• Algorithms,

• Theoretical computer science,

• Bioinformatics,

• Computer security,

• Artificial intelligence,

• Machine learning,

• Natural language processing and large language models,

• Data science, or

• Databases.

Depending on the successful candidate’s background, this would provide opportunities for collaboration within the program, in addition to collaborating with faculty in other programs in the School and College. Penn State also has an Institute for Computational and Data Sciences that can facilitate collaborations and offer seed grants.

Service: Faculty are expected to serve on committees at the department, school, and college level so that the mission of the college and university are advanced. Faculty are also expected to actively promote and advance the school’s steadfast commitment to education and improving the diversity of voices in STEM to their professional and the regional community of south-central Pennsylvania.

Qualifications: To be considered for the Assistant Professor of Computer Science, candidates should possess the following qualifications:

Education: Candidates must have a doctoral degree in computer science or a closely related field.

Expertise: The successful candidate will have a background in algorithms, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or data science.

DEIB Commitment: SSET faculty are committed to diversifying the voices in the STEM professions. To that end, the successful candidate will be expected to incorporate teaching methods that promote learning among diverse populations and will create a learning environmental that genuinely supports, respects, and addresses the diverse needs of student populations at Penn State Harrisburg. The College has a Center for Teaching Excellence with instructional designers that will assist faculty in developing course materials that promote learning for all students. The School is hiring a research professor with a specific focus on reducing DFW rates in lower-level math and science courses.

Experience: Preference will be given to candidates who have prior teaching experience.

Application Process: To apply for the Assistant Professor of Computer Science, please visit Penn State’s Human Resources website hr.psu.edu/careers and submit the following documents:  

• Cover Letter: The cover letter should include the candidate's interest in the position, a brief summary of their qualifications, and their commitment to diversifying the voices in STEM and how they have incorporated DEIB in their educational experiences

• Curriculum Vitae: The curriculum vitae should highlight the following: the candidate's education, teaching, professional experience, research, and service to their prior educational institutions, their communities, and the profession.

• Teaching Philosophy: Candidates must submit a statement of teaching philosophy that highlights past experience and future plans for their teaching and that addresses their strategies for promoting diverse voices in the classroom.

• Research Philosophy: Candidates must submit a statement of research philosophy that highlights past experience and future plans for growing an externally-funded research program.

• The statement should include strategies for incorporating undergraduate and graduate students in their research.

• Professional References: Candidates must submit a list of three professional references with contact information.

•   Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

• For additional questions, please contact: Dr. Sukmoon Chang, Search Chair, at [email protected].

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Likewise, the School of Science, Computer Science, is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. We believe diversity benefits and enriches students, staff, and faculty within our school. We are dedicated to building and sustaining an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming teaching and learning environment where cultural diversity is valued and celebrated.

About Penn State/The College/ The School:

Penn State Harrisburg is a campus of the Pennsylvania State University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s land-grant institution, serving more than 85,000 students. Penn State Harrisburg, the Capital College, enrolls 4,600 students in residential instruction and an additional 1,000 students in programs delivered online via the University’s World Campus. Penn State Harrisburg offers two associate, 35 baccalaureate, 25 Master's, and three doctoral degrees. The college also offers the first two years of study leading to more than 275 baccalaureate majors available throughout Penn State. Additionally, the campus participates in nine online degree offerings (six graduate and three undergraduate) through Penn State World Campus, and offers accelerated undergraduate/graduate programs, joint degrees in collaboration with Penn State Dickinson Law and the Penn State College of Medicine, and continuing education opportunities.

The School of Computer Science is the largest school at Penn State Harrisburg. The School offers undergraduate degrees in computer science, engineering (civil, mechanical, and electrical), mathematical sciences, biology, and integrated sciences, as well as degrees in engineering technology in the areas of electrical, mechanical, and structural design and construction engineering technology. We also offer residential master’s degrees in computer science, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering and an online master’s professional degree in electrical engineering. The computer science, and the civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering programs have accelerated undergraduate/graduate degrees leading to both the BS and MS in 5 years. In Fall 2023, the School launched a PhD program in Computer Science and will be participating in a university-wide online computer science program launching in Fall 2025. The successful candidate will be joining a faculty of approximately 85 full-time faculty and 12 full-time staff. SSET is committed to the University’s and College’s goals of increasing the diversity of voices in STEM. Faculty and staff are members of various professionally oriented organizations and actively serve on education committees focusing on DEIB in their fields. The School is hiring a research faculty specifically focused on improving passing rates for all students in STEM classes. The School has a DEIB committee and student chapters of organizations such as the Society for Women Engineers, National Society for Black Engineers, and Women in Technology, in addition to the Computing and AI Club.

For more information about Penn State Harrisburg, please visit the college’s website at harrisburg.psu.edu.

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