News / Senior Scholar in Cyberscholarship Position Open

04/02/2008

THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE SEARCH FOR A SENIOR SCHOLAR IN CYBERSCHOLARSHIP

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking applications for a senior scholar in areas of data-rich scholarly communication and education. This senior faculty position builds on an expectation of continuing challenge, opportunity, and promise resulting from the sustained and rapid growth of information. 

While the individual selected for this position will define the research agenda, the School anticipates a focus on driving questions such as:

  • How are academic disciplines re-examining their scholarly priorities, reshaping their methodologies, and redefining evidence bases in light of new media and new tools?
  • Given the likely long-term nature of deep and sustained disciplinary transformation, what do information professionals need to know about individual disciplines, and specifically their use and management of information, in order to be more effective partners in the scholarly process of advancing knowledge?

The resulting program will investigate the future of scholarly communication, particularly in light of advances in cyberinfrastructure and new media. 

We anticipate that the scholar recruited to this position will hold the rank of tenured full professor and will have first-hand experience in transformative, data-driven scholarship, either within a discipline or at the tools and infrastructure level, with a passion for extending this work to other disciplines.

Opportunities available to the scholar accepting this position include:

  • Research on digitally-enabled scholarly communication, in collaboration with (and supported by the infrastructure of) the University Library System (ULS),
  • Teaching doctoral seminars cutting across the School’s programs in library, information, archival, and telecommunications studies,
  • Experimental internships engaging information school students in other disciplines to develop informatics strategies,
  • Informatics workshops, including online offerings, in collaboration with target disciplines,
  • Instrumented pilot projects between libraries, archives, museums and disciplinary scholars to test cyberscholarship hypotheses,
  • Coordination with institutions and agencies who are shaping the future of scholarly communication, including but not limited to federal agencies such as NSF, IMLS, NIH, and NEH, international organizations such as JISC and SURF, and private foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Getty Trust, and
  • Collaboration with the intellectual leadership of cyberinfrastructure programs in the sciences and humanities.

Candidates applying for the position are expected to demonstrate: 

  • visionary leadership to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the profession;
  • an exemplary record of scholarship and publication and a commitment to reach a wider public through colloquia and publishing;
  • experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research;
  • an earned doctorate in the natural sciences, social sciences or humanities, communications, library or information sciences, engineering, economics, public policy, or other relevant discipline; and
  • a record of substantial achievement in research design and funding.

The candidate will be expected to teach and to direct doctoral research and to take a leadership role in building a strong research and publications program within the School.

As a leading educator of information professionals, the School of Information Sciences is prepared to support a scholar with such interests and qualities.  The individual selected will have the opportunity to work with established research centers such as the Visual Information Systems Center, developing research centers, including the Center for National Preparedness, and to work with new educational ventures, such as the Sara Fine Institute for Interpersonal Behavior and Technology.  The School is home to leading scholars and educators in archives and records management, library science, information science and telecommunications, providing the successful candidate with a strong cadre of colleagues for collaborative research and teaching.

Applications should be sent to:                                         Electronic applications to:

Dean Ronald Larsen                                               mellonappt@sis.pitt.edu
School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
135 N. Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260.

The position will remain open until filled, although candidates are encouraged to submit their applications by June 30, 2008; earlier applications are strongly encouraged, with the potential of appointing an individual as early as January 2009.  Individuals applying should provide:

  • a statement describing their research and teaching interests,
  • a statement of how they envision these complementing the School and the University,
  • a current curriculum vitae, and
  • the names and addresses of at least six references.

 

The University of Pittsburgh is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages women and minority candidates to apply.

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