Technology, Learning & Education Associate/Full Professor and Director, Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies (55150)

Location:
Gainesville, FL
Open Date:
Nov 5, 2019
Description:

The University of Florida seeks a well-established scholar and leader to serve as Director of the newly forming Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies (IALT), an organization charged by the Florida Legislature with facilitating interdisciplinary collaborative endeavors that will advance scholarship and practices in technology supported learning. IALT will be a multidisciplinary institute within the College of Education. The Director of IALT will join a productive and collegial community of scholars committed to high quality teaching, research, and service and to developing a culturally diverse faculty and student body.

The Institute will be situated in new, custom-renovated space, and is charged with developing, assessing, and disseminating innovative advanced learning technologies for use in educational, workforce, and professional development settings. IALT faculty, including a cluster hire of four assistant/associate professors that is currently in progress, have the opportunity to collaborate with talented colleagues across UF and beyond, including but not limited to: Computer & Information Science & Engineering, Digital Worlds Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Neuroscience, Psychology/Cognitive Sciences, UF’s Online Learning Institute, and UF Online.

Successful applicants for the inaugural IALT Director position will have a strong background in one or more areas that are central to IALT (i.e., advanced and emerging learning technologies, learning and cognitive sciences, learning analytics, and adaptive learning technologies), and the leadership skills to envision and develop successful collaborative research initiatives within UF and beyond. The Director will have the opportunity to build the Institute and associated labs with access to a wide range of intellectual and physical resources associated with one of the nation’s top public universities and colleges of education. The preferred starting date is August 2020. Salary is negotiable, highly competitive, and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Potential areas of expertise and scholarship may include:

• Design, development, and implementation of innovative, technology-enhanced learning systems and environments (e.g., VR, AR, AI, gaming, robotics).
• Learning and cognitive sciences associated with technologies
• Analytics, data science, and evaluation of technology-enhanced learning environments
• Personalized learning and technology-enhanced learning
• Global technology accessibility and universal design

Responsibilities:

• Provide vision and leadership for IALT
• Conduct scholarly activities commensurate with expectations of an advanced associate or full professor at a research-intensive university
• Publish in top-tier refereed scholarly journals
• Vigorously pursue external funding opportunities with the comprehensive support of the College’s Office of Educational Research
• Advise, engage, and mentor graduate students in teaching, research, and outreach activities
• Teach within areas of expertise
• Provide service to the program, school, college, university, and the profession

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• Expertise in a research area or areas relevant to IALT
• Demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary team
• Established and current record of writing, securing, and successfully managing grants
• Established and current record of scholarly productivity commensurate with this position and the rank of an associate or full professor
• Ability to contribute to the national visibility of IALT, the College, and UF
• Strong knowledge of research methodologies
• Doctorate in relevant academic discipline.
• Record of relevant teaching experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Administrative experience related to a Center, grants management, and/or large-scale research projects.
• Commitment to matters concerning equity, inclusion, diversity and/or socially just practices
• Commitment to active engagement with and/or leadership in learning technology professional organizations
• Evidence of commitment to collaboration with faculty and students

Application Instructions:

Applicants for the tenure-track Associate or Full Professor-Rank Faculty/IALT Director position should complete the steps described below, but should reference requisition 55150, position 00034010.

All candidates should submit application materials electronically at https://jobs.ufl.edu. Inquiries about the position can be addressed to James McLeskey, IALT Search Committee Chair, at mcleskey@ufl.edu. Review of applications will begin on November 20, 2019. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the search committee and hiring authority. If you need technical assistance, please contact Interfolio at (877) 997-8807.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE: The College of Education at the University of Florida, founded in 1906, is ranked No. 1 in the nation in Online Graduate Education (U.S. News & World Report), 8th nationally for undergraduate education (USA Today), and 15th nationally among public graduate colleges of education (U.S. News). Three of the College's academic programs occupy top-20 spots in the U.S. News rankings: Counselor Education (3rd), Special Education (7th), and Elementary Teacher Education (16th). The College has added 45 faculty in the past three years. Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and public scholarship—often conducted in partnership with other UF colleges, school districts and communities across the state and nation—are yielding powerful learning systems and models that are helping to transform education in today’s changing world, starting with our youngest learners. The College of Education is immersed in three of UF’s designated priority research areas in UF’s state-funded Preeminence initiative—early childhood studies, precision learning, and analysis of learning analytics. The College has 108 full-time faculty members with distinguished records in teaching, research and service. Faculty researchers last year held more than $128.5 million worth in awards supporting studies and projects addressing education’s most critical issues. Teaching is one of several areas of study from which UF education students can choose. More than 3,729 education students are enrolled on campus and online in 29 bachelor’s and advanced degree programs and concentration areas, within nine academic specialties: K-12 Curriculum and Instruction • Counseling and Counselor Education • Early Childhood Education • Educational Leadership • Higher Education Administration • Research and Evaluation Methods • School Psychology • Special Education • Student Personnel in Higher Education. To sustain the college's innovative edge deep into the 21st century, heightened emphasis on emerging technologies, advanced graduate studies and interdisciplinary research will effectively prepare tomorrow's leaders in all education disciplines. The College's educator preparation programs have been continuously accredited by NCATE and CAEP since 1954. Almost 30,000 UF “EduGator” alumni are located throughout the world. Follow us: @UF_COE (Twitter) and @UF.COE (Facebook)

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Florida, founded in 1853, is a public land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research university and one of the most academically diverse universities in the nation. U.S. News & World Report ranks UF 7th among public universities. National rankings such as 2nd by Kiplinger and 20th in Forbes in their respective lists of “Best Values in Public Colleges” are a result of UF’s commitment to provide the highest quality education at the best value. UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 200 research, service and education centers, bureaus and institutes, and boasts more than 4,000 faculty members, 50,000 students and 415,000 living alumni. Faculty scholars last year generated more than $838 million in research awards. The Florida Legislature designated UF as a “preeminent” state university in 2013. UF recently hired almost 500 new faculty

ABOUT THE AREA: UF is situated in Gainesville in North Central Florida, a progressive college town that blends big-city cultural and athletic offerings with small-town friendliness and charm, along with excellent schools. Gainesville, located about halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, is often recognized as one of America’s best college towns and is easily accessible to three major metropolitan areas (Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa). The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Gainesville as a “Tree City USA” every year since 1982. Add the allure of Florida’s famous sunshine, tropical breezes, and abundant wilderness, springs, rivers and seashores nearby, and it is little wonder that top-caliber faculty and students find our College and University to be the perfect balance of premier academics and a fulfilling lifestyle.

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” and Public Records laws. Search committee meetings and interviews are open to the public, and applications, CVs, and other documents related to the search may be available for public inspection.

Selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).