Chair Position

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks a dynamic, visionary, and personable Chair of the Department of Computer Science (CS) to work with and lead the department. In addition to CS degrees at the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. levels, the Department hosts the Masters of Information Technology (MIT) program and is an integral part of the Computational Science M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The department has 13 tenured/tenure-track faculty and approximately 200 undergraduate, 100 Master's (50 MS and 50 MIT), and 30 Ph.D. students. Our strengths include research funding, innovative teaching, and involvement of undergraduates in research. UTEP has the second-highest federal research funding in the University of Texas System, and in 2007 CS led the College of Engineering (http://engineering.utep.edu) in research at UTEP, with over $7.3M in research funding. UTEP is home of the Cyber-ShARE Center-an NSF-funded center that is dedicated to sharing resources through Cyberinfrastructure to advance research and education. The Center supports multi-disciplinary projects with a focus in the following areas: geoscience, environmental science, and computer science. The department's research strengths center on software engineering, computer systems, interactive systems, and computing theory for useful applications, including security (see http://www.cs.utep.edu/DeptCS/research/). UTEP's potential for CS projects in the areas of border security and defense are enhanced by both our unique location on the U.S.-Mexico border and the wide range of border-related research and educational programs on our campus and in the region, including the newly established DHS-funded National Center for Border Security and the White Sands Missile Range facility, funded by the Army, Navy, Air Force, DoD, and NASA.

The successful candidate will have a proven record of leadership in professional, research, or service environments; a strong research record; administrative experience; and an understanding and appreciation of curricular development including assessment, educational objectives, and the impacts of the maturation of the field. Responsibilities include leading the undergraduate and graduate Computer Science programs, improving program enrollments by engaging in and supporting outreach, recruitment, and retention; supporting research activities in the department and in the multidisciplinary research efforts across campus; and representing the Department both internally (within the college and university) and externally.

About El Paso & UTEP

El Paso is a great place to live. Our city is bi-cultural community of 700,000 people located at the very western point of Texas, tucked between New Mexico and Mexico. From the campus we can see both states and both countries. Housing is remarkably affordable. El Paso is the second-safest major city, after San Jose, CA, in the entire U.S. We're closer to San Diego than to Houston, both physically and culturally. Our climate is one of the best in the nation, which makes it easy to enjoy the outdoor activities that abound here, including hiking in the Franklin Mountains, which rise to over 7,000 feet inside the city limits. You can find an objective brief overview of El Paso at http://www.desertusa.com/Cities/tx/tx_elpaso.html. A detailed, unblinking examination of El Paso's pros and cons from the "El Paso Scene" monthly can be viewed at http://www.cs.utep.edu/novick/ElPasoEval.htm. To get a more vivid picture of life in El Paso, view the video at http://www.cs.utep.edu/DeptCS/movies/elpaso_landofthesun.wmv.

UTEP is a major doctoral-intensive urban research university in the heart of a thriving international metroplex. We are experiencing unprecedented growth-record enrollment of more than 20,000 students and a $180-million building boom. With new labs and classrooms to support our rapidly expanding academic and research programs, UTEP is positioned to become the next top-tier research university in Texas. Already we rank second in federal research spending among all UT system academic institutions. UTEP is also changing the face of higher education. We rank second in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanics. As the country's only doctoral research-intensive university with a student body that is mostly Mexican-American, we are committed to providing access and excellence in higher education. We take pride in our beautiful campus, which features a distinctive architectural style derived from the buildings in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. You can take a virtual tour of our campus at http://www.utep.edu/tour/.

Life as a faculty member at UTEP means teaming with one's colleagues in both research and education. Our faculty (http://www.cs.utep.edu/DeptCS/people/facultyList.html) has an internationally distinguished record of research and national leadership in professional organizations. The department is a member of the Computing Research Association, the top-level organization responsible for coordinating and promoting computer science research in North America. Our teaching program is a nationally recognized model of excellence. Department faculty received an NSF grant to disseminate the Affinity Research Group model (http://www.research.utep.edu/seal). Our doctoral graduates are teaching at schools including New Mexico State University, Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University, and Tec de Monterrey.

The department is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, meaning that the undergraduate program meets the highest standards. Only some 230 CS departments nationwide are accredited at this level. You can find other details about the department at http://www.cs.utep.edu/DeptCS/factsheet.html.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science or closely related field and have held progressively greater leadership roles. It is expected that the applicant will qualify for a position at the level of Full Professor with tenure.

Preferred Qualifications

It is desirable that applicants have an established record of successful collaboration and networking in a professional context and a willingness to support the student-oriented culture of the department.

Application Procedure

Review of applications will begin October 15, 2008. Applications will be accepted and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Anticipated appointment date is fall 2009. Applications must be submitted via e-mail in a single PDF file to CSChairSearch@utep.edu. Include "Faculty Position Application: YOUR NAME" in the "Subject" block in your e-mail submittal. Applicants must submit a letter of interest, curriculum vita, research, teaching, and vision statement, as well as the names and contact information of five references.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in employment or the provision of services.

this announcement in pdf