Inaugural Chair of Department of Statistics and Data Science

Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis is pleased to announce the search for an inaugural chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science and has appointed a search committee with representation from a wide array of campus partners. We are searching for a dynamic and innovative leader with a strong record in grant funding, research, and education; a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and a strategic vision for the new department.

The inaugural chair will lead the effort to build a world-class department with outstanding data scientists who will transform the university intellectual community not only through their own activities and achievements but also through synergistic collaborations with existing faculty and departments across Arts & Sciences, as well as the McKelvey School of Engineering and the world-renowned School of Medicine.

The initiative to form a new department is the outcome of the most recent Arts & Sciences strategic plan and intersects significantly with emerging priorities from the university strategic planning process. The new department will provide a foundation for ambitious and innovative work informed by rigorous data analytics across a range of disciplinary areas, filling a vital niche in the current academic landscape that leverages the emerging opportunities of computational and data science as well as Washington University’s deep strength in the social sciences.

The ideal candidate will be a distinguished scholar with a compelling intellectual vision to create a department for the 21st century and with the international profile to attract and persuade the most innovative thinkers of the day to join in the co-creation of this new venture. The candidate will have experience in leading, building, or developing a successful academic unit or initiative.

Candidates must possess a record of success advancing interdisciplinary research, a clear commitment to pedagogical innovation, demonstrated leadership skills, and the ability to recruit outstanding faculty, staff, and students. A PhD in statistics, data science, or related discipline, and a record of teaching, research, and scholarship commensurate with the rank of a tenured full professor is required.

Duties during the term as chair include fiscal responsibility for budgets and planning, leadership for research and education, and supervision of faculty and administrative staff. Regular faculty duties as a professor also include teaching courses, conducting research, writing for publication, advising students, participating in department governance, and university service.

Applicants should include a cover letter addressing their vision for leading a modern department of statistics and data science, including aspects relating to research and teaching as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, they should provide their CV, a description of their research program, and a list of at least three references. These references will not be contacted without the permission of the applicant. Applications should be submitted online using the Interfolio website: apply.interfolio.com/113238. Review of applications will begin December 5, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. For inquiries, please contact Andrew Brown, Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs, at sds-search@wustl.edu.

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or genetic information.

Diversity and inclusion are core values at Washington University, and we seek to create inclusive environments in which a diverse array of students can learn and thrive.

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For additional information, please see the full job description.