[AISWorld] Job Opening: Join Good Systems, a UT Grand Challenge

[Kenneth Robert Fleischmann]

*School of Journalism and Media*

*Ethics and Media Systems*

 The University of Texas at Austin

The School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin
invites applications for a full-time faculty member to begin in Fall
2021. This is an open-rank search for an individual to be hired as a
tenure-track assistant professor or a tenured associate or full professor.
Early career scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. The School is part
of the top-ranked Moody College of Communication, which includes the Stan
Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations and the Departments of
Radio-Television-Film, Communication Studies, and Speech, Language and
Hearing Sciences. The School, which offers B.J., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees,
is housed in the Belo Center for New Media.

This position is one of three in a cross-campus cluster hire focused on
ethics and technologies. The successful candidate will have expertise in
the ways that evolving technologies and applications such as Internet-based
platforms, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and surveillance
and monitoring technologies interact with journalism and media systems.
Candidates should have teaching and research interests in ethical issues in
media and information settings plus at least one of the following: (1)
AI-driven media flows and circulation within the platform environment; (2)
the role of automated systems in media engagement, circulation,
distribution and use; (3) social justice and equity, trust, choice,
control, democracy and algorithmic justice; (4) surveillance, information
privacy and/or access issues; (5) global frameworks for ethical media
system performance; (6) critical thinking around data rights and data
ethics; (7) the design of ethical technology; (8) the philosophy of ethics
and technology;  and (9) the policy implications of ethical media
technologies.

By the start of the appointment, candidates must have a Ph.D. with a
promising program of research and publication, a commitment to teaching
excellence as well as diversity, equity and inclusion, and interest in
mentoring graduate students and undertaking collaborative research. We will
consider a range of disciplinary, theoretical and methodological expertise.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae,
statements on teaching, research and diversity (each one no more than 500
words) and the names and contact information for three references. Letters
of recommendation will be requested of finalists.



The School of Journalism and Media and the Moody College of Communication
are committed to achieving diversity in our faculty, students, and
curricula, and we welcome applicants who advance these objectives.



Screening of applicants will begin December 15 and will continue until the
position is filled. Applications must be made via Interfolio's ByCommittee
solution. If you do not have a Dossier account with Interfolio, you will be
prompted to create one prior to applying for the position.  If you have
questions about using Interfolio, please email help at interfolio.com or call
(877) 997-8807.



The successful candidate for this position will be joining the UT Austin
faculty as part of the Cluster and Interdisciplinary Hiring Initiative
<https://provost.utexas.edu/cluster-and-interdisciplinary-hiring-initiative>,
designed to supplement departmentally-based hiring practices and norms and
extend collaborative research and scholarship. This new initiative has
authorized 40 new faculty hires whose interdisciplinary areas of knowledge
cross the boundaries of existing academic departments. The selected
candidate will be expected to actively participate alongside faculty
members from the School of Information and the Department of Philosophy as
a core member of an Ethics and Technology cluster affiliated with the
interdisciplinary research group Good Systems, a UT Grand Challenge
<http://goodsystems.utexas.edu/>. Contributions to this research group will
be a facet of the faculty member’s annual performance evaluations and
consideration for promotion/tenure.



One of the Bridging Barriers <http://bridgingbarriers.utexas.edu/> Texas
Grand Challenge initiatives, Good Systems <http://goodsystems.utexas.edu/> aims
to help ensure that artificial intelligence technologies benefit society.
Bringing together faculty from across the University--from the Schools of
Engineering, Information, and Public Affairs, and the Colleges of
Communication, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences, among other units--Good
Systems sponsors research projects aligned with its mission, partners with
the City of Austin on a range of endeavors, and is affiliated with the
NSF-sponsored Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning currently being
organized on campus. Good Systems includes eight research focus areas:
Critical Perspectives on Surveillance, Disinformation, Future of Work,
Public Interest Technology, Racial and Social Justice, Robotics and Machine
Learning, Smart Cities, and Transparent and Explainable AI.



Questions can be directed to the chair of the search committee, Professor
Sharon Strover at sharon.strover at austin.utexas.edu.



Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

*The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative
action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws
regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is
committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital
status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs
and activities, and admissions**.*


*Kenneth R. Fleischmann, Ph.D.* | Professor

Good Systems, a UT Grand Challenge <http://goodsystems.utexas.edu/> |
Founding Chair,
Executive Team

B.A./B.S. in Informatics
<https://catalog.utexas.edu/undergraduate/information/degrees-and-programs/>
| Founding Director of Undergraduate Studies,
School of Information

M.S. in Information Security and Privacy
<https://msisp.ischool.utexas.edu/> | Chair,
Graduate Studies Committee

The University of Texas at Austin | School of Information