Computer Science - Hydrology and Hydroinformatics Research - Assistant Professor - 530733

Job Description

Job Description:Department/Organization 214241 - Computer ScienceRank Assistant ProfessorPosition Summary The Department of Computer Science (CS) and the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering at The University of Alabama invite applications for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels in areas related specifically to water research. Applicants applying to this particular posting should be seeking to apply for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Candidates with appropriate experience and a strong record of scholarly productivity and impact who would seek appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor are also encouraged to apply through related postings at those other positional levels. This position seeks applicants with demonstrated excellence innovating new artificial intelligence and heterogenous computing approaches for large-scale hydrologic observation and modeling applications. We are interested in applicants with research interests and expertise bridging computer science, data-driven modeling, and process-based modeling of hydrologic systems for improving the monitoring, modeling, prediction, and forecasting of streamflow, floods, drought, and water quality. Candidates of particular interest will have demonstrated research strength in extreme data management, visualization, and analytics of high dimensional data, and high-performance and cloud computing.Detailed Position Information The Department of Computer Science (CS) and the Styslinger College of Engineering at The University of Alabama invite applications for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at all ranks, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels, rank in areas related specifically to water research. Applicants applying to this particular posting should be seeking to apply for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Candidates with appropriate experience and a strong record of scholarly productivity and impact who would seek appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor are also encouraged to apply through related postings at those other positional levels. The University of Alabama has positioned itself as an international leader in the broad spectrum of critical water challenges and issues facing society today and well into the future. UA is the home to a variety of organizations and units that focus on water-related research including the Alabama Water Institute, the National Water Center, the Global Water Security Center, and the NOAA Cooperative Institute on Research to Operations in Hydrology. While all of these water-related institutes and research centers engage faculty from across The University of Alabama, the UA College of Engineering and its departments and faculty play a central and pivotal role in virtually all aspects of this expansive water research enterprise. As a result, there are tremendous opportunities at The University of Alabama in its various engineering departments and programs for new and established faculty members to join our constantly growing efforts in this exciting, impactful, and critical area. Of particular interest in this search are candidates with research interests in computer and data science, and particularly those with an emphasis in areas such as artificial intelligence and high performance computing, that can positively impact the expansive research work occurring across UA in hydrology and water resources engineering that is closely aligned with the Alabama Water Institute (AWI) and the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) ( To best align with CIROH and its mission ( candidates are sought who possess expertise in developing new computational approaches, edge computing techniques, and artificial intelligence applications that can positively impact water research at UA and who have experience working in cooperation with federal agencies (e.g., NOAA, USGS) and the private sector. Candidates who approach water research challenges from the perspective of advancing computer and data science research as it applies to the following two thematic topics are also strongly encouraged to apply: (1) large-scale hydrologic modeling, hydroinformatics, hydrologic information systems, artificial intelligence in hydrologic forecasting, water data science and analytics, remote sensing and water observing technologies, and applications of hydrologic forecasting in planning, design, and operations and/or (2) hydroinformatics, including advancement of geospatial data management, visualization, and analytics, web app tools, and open-source geospatial technologies for applied hydrology and water resources engineering applications. The CS department and College consider teaching, research, and service as the three critical and complimentary portions of their overall mission. Candidates must demonstrate a clear potential to successfully develop, lead, mentor, and extramurally fund a highly productive research group with significant scholarly impact in a focus area with long term potential to further build upon the rapid rise and great success of the CS department and the College. An ability to collaborate with existing faculty in the key focus areas both within the CS department and the College, as well as potential colleagues across the campus, is also highly desirable. See for more information. The department, college and university are notable for the collegial, welcoming and supportive spirit we demonstrate to our students, faculty, and staff; thus candidates must demonstrate an ability to support this aspect of our community. The CS department and College also pride themselves on the outstanding educational experience provided to their students, and thus faculty candidates must demonstrate an ability to develop and teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise as well as to teach courses that support the delivery and accreditation of the CS department’s core degree programs. At the undergraduate level, the department offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Cyber Security, with undergraduate student enrollments in the department consistently being maintained at approximately 1000 students. The department also offers minors in computer science and computing technology and applications. At the graduate level, the department offers the Master of Science in Computer Science and the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, and graduate enrollments in the department are currently on the order of 100 students and growing quickly as the research programs in the department continue to rapidly grow. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.Minimum Qualifications Ph.D. in Computer Science or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution. Demonstrated record of prior research work and a record of impactful scholarly publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings, and similarly impactful venues. Demonstrated interest and/or record in computer science education and professional service in area(s) of specialization. Effective verbal and written communication skills. Show the potential to construct and sustain a quality research program. Exhibit the potential for excellent teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.Preferred Qualifications Demonstrated a record of high-quality research and scholarly publications that is recognized nationally and/or internationally. Significant record of scholarship in an computer science or closely related department with both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Post-doctoral experience or other similar post-graduate experience. Exceptional collegial, interpersonal, and mentoring skills.Instructions and Required Materials for Application Required application documents include a: (1) cover letter that includes the department name, the rank of position for which the candidate is applying (i.e. Assistant Professor in this case), a statement that the candidate is applying for a position related to the water research cluster hire, and a brief description of the area(s) of specialization for the candidate in topics related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and/or closely related areas and how their future research will support water-related research at UA, (2) a resume/curriculum vitae, (3) a three to six page statement of research interests and plans, (4) a one to two page statement of three teaching interests and plans, and (5) the names and contact information for at least four professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately. Candidates from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.About the Division/College/School As the premier flagship university for the state of Alabama and as one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering instruction, The University of Alabama (UA) has more than 175 years of proud engineering history. UA’s Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering is committed to conducting cutting-edge research that advances the frontiers of science and engineering, translating such fundamental advancements through applied research and technology commercialization into impactful solutions which improve the human condition and address the challenges facing humankind, and using that immersive research environment to provide unparalleled educational experiences and opportunities for our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a College, we pride ourselves on educating and preparing the next generation of engineering and computer science scholars and professionals who will positively shape the future around us. Through our educational, research, and service activities that support our overall vision to be one of the most impactful engineering programs in the nation, our College continues to provide leadership in the many professional disciplines represented by our College and to the community, state, and nation as we advance our professions, the economy, and the lives of all those whom we serve. The College is comprised of seven departments: Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics; Chemical and Biological Engineering; Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. These departments currently deliver 14 different undergraduate and 17 different graduate degree programs. Overall, the College enrolls approximately 6,000 students, making it one of the largest colleges out of the more than 40,000 students on UA’s campus. While the university has been on a constant mission to advance in every aspect of its operations since its inception, UA has in particular seen transformative growth in its research enterprise and impact over the past decade. Through the efforts of The University, UA Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), the Styslinger College of Engineering and its’ centers, departments, and faculty, UA’s research enterprise has surged dramatically higher in the last five to ten years. This recent and continuing steep growth rate of research has positioned UA as one of the fastest growing research institutions in the nation. More specifically, the College has seen annual research awards and expenditures grow at an average of more than 25% per year for more than the last 5 years, now surpassing $100 million annually in new research awards. By more than doubling research over the past 5 to 7 years, the size of the graduate programs across the College have more than doubled as well. The continued ambitious growth of research programs amongst our existing faculty and research centers combined with the recent significant additions of a large number of new tenure-track and tenured faculty, particularly the addition of more than 80 such new highly research active faculty over the past four years, has positioned the College for maintaining this steep trajectory of research growth and impact well into the future. The educational activities of the Styslinger College of Engineering and its constantly increasing volume of impactful research are enabled and supported by a tremendous combination of amazing faculty and staff, an outstanding array of modern new facilities that are the envy of its peers, and a world-class student body at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College currently has more than 185 faculty members, which includes the significant infusion of both young and experienced faculty talent over the past four years that was mentioned earlier. This year again there are plans to add yet another new cohort of tenure-track and tenured faculty to the College across all of its departments. In terms of facilities, the College has one of the largest overall footprints of any college at UA, currently occupying all or significant portions of 17 different facilities across campus. Some of the most recent additions to that space are the state-of-the-art facilities provided for many of the College’s departments in the recently completed Shelby Science and Engineering Quad that was built at a cost approaching $400 million. In addition to the traditional engineering departments and their facilities, there are also more than 10 different major research centers housed within the College that span and support a wide-ranging set of research thrust areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, additive manufacturing, advanced materials, functional polymers and soft matter, water resources and water technology, advanced transportation and vehicle technology, and more. These centers bring together faculty from across the College and the University to capitalize on emerging technological opportunities and to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the planet both today and well into the future. In addition to these College research centers, a number of university-level research institutes and centers, including the Alabama Water Institute, the Alabama Transportation Institute, and the Alabama Mobility and Power Center, also provide support and infrastructure to an array of research thrusts and projects that engage faculty from across the College and University. This synergistic combination of outstanding people, facilities, and resources will continue to fuel the Styslinger College of Engineering’s advancement and growth in education and research well into the future. Overall, with its award-winning faculty and staff, outstanding and growing student body, tremendous