Search for Statistics Department Head/ Professor
08-01-2019
Department Head and Professor of Statistics
The College of Science at Purdue University invites nominations and applications for the position of Head of the Department of Statistics. The department seeks a dynamic research leader and innovative educator with creative vision and an outstanding record of achievement, ready to strengthen a key department and build cross-campus linkages in data science and other core statistical areas. The head will work with departmental colleagues and College leadership to build and realize a compelling research vision for the future of the department, and to accelerate the rapid and substantive advancement of its research focus and graduate and undergraduate programs.
Qualifications: The successful candidate will have an exemplary record of scholarly research and teaching achievement along with outstanding leadership potential. It is expected that candidates for this position will have an earned doctorate in statistics or a related field and a level of stature in the field sufficient at a minimum to merit appointment with tenure at the rank of Professor in a leading department. Highly desirable qualities include an understanding of the current needs and future direction of statistics and related areas as an academic discipline, a commitment to diversity and collaboration, and skills in academic leadership, student relations, mentoring, and alumni relations.
The Department and College: The Department has 35 tenured and tenure-track professors, 16 lecturers, 150 graduate students, and over 400 undergraduates. It is integral to Purdue’s newest strategic priority, a campus-wide initiative on data science, with a newly launched undergraduate major connecting across Computer Science, Mathematics, and related disciplines. Opportunities abound for the right leader to make an outsized impact on the University and the profession by substantially growing the Department’s visibility and stature.
The Department's teaching and research activities cover a broad range of topics integral to modern statistics (theoretical, methodological, computational, and applied), probability, and data science, as well as connections to computational finance and actuarial science, machine learning and artificial intelligence, spatial statistics and environmental statistics, and statistical genetics and genomics. For more information, see https://www.stat.purdue.edu/.
Statistics is part of the College of Science, which comprises the computing, physical, and life sciences at Purdue. It is the second-largest college at Purdue with over 350 faculty and more than 6000 students. With multiple commitments of significant investment and strong alignment with Purdue leadership, the College is set to reinvigorate Statistics at Purdue and enhance its scope and impact significantly. Purdue itself is one of the nation’s leading land-grant universities, with an enrollment of over 41,000 students primarily focused on STEM subjects. For more information, see https://www.purdue.edu/purduemoves/initiatives/stem/index.php.
Application Procedure: Confidential nominations and inquiries can be sent to head-search@stat.purdue.edu. Applications need to be submitted to (PurdueSuccessFactors) and need to include (1) a letter of application articulating a vision for the future of statistics (2) a statement of research and teaching, and (3) a complete curriculum vitae with names and email addresses of at least five references. Applications and nominations will be held in strict confidence; review of the same will begin on August 1, 2019, and continue until the position is filled.
A background check will be required for employment in this position. Purdue University’s Department of Statistics is committed to advancing diversity in all areas of faculty effort, including scholarship, instruction, and engagement. Candidates should address at least one of these areas in their cover letter, indicating their past experiences, current interests or activities, and/or future goals to promote a climate that values diversity and inclusion.
Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.