Assistant Professor
Job Description:The University of Florida’s STEM Translational Communication Center (STCC), housed at the UF College of Journalism and Communications, invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in science, environmental, risk, or technology communication. This 9-month position includes a reduced teaching load (1-1) and additional summer salary support for the first three years.
The faculty member will be based in the STCC, a research center that builds interdisciplinary collaborations between communication researchers and partners in the STEM disciplines in order to advance clear and effective science and health communication. We are looking for a faculty member who will conduct original research in the areas of science communication, environmental communication, risk communication, or communication issues surrounding emerging technologies; pursue and secure external funding opportunities; teach graduate and undergraduate level courses; advise graduate students; engage in governance and other Department and College service activities; and contribute to the efforts of the College.
Candidates for the position will be evaluated based on their demonstrated record in scholarly research and ability to secure extramural grant funding. An academic appointment will be in one of the four departments (Advertising; Journalism; Media Production, Management, and Technology; or Public Relations) in the College of Journalism and Communications at UF. The appointment can begin in Spring 2025 or Fall 2025.
The successful candidates will benefit from the College’s considerable strengths, including nationally recognized faculty and graduate programs in health and science communication as well as emerging technologies, state-of-the-art facilities and media properties, and established relationships across campus with diverse collaborators, including the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the UF Health Cancer Center, and the University’s communications divisions.
We understand the benefit of having a team that consists of diverse talents, skills, strengths, points of view and experiences. We are committed to creating a working environment where everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions.
About the STEM Translational Communication Center
The STCC at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications strives to make scientific research more accessible, understandable, and usable. The Center creates strategic partnerships among university researchers, community members, and the STEM sector around evidence-based communication, improving messages, techniques and strategies, and enhancing knowledge engagement and behavioral change.
About the College of Journalism and Communications
We are recognized as a national leader in communication scholarship and professional skills development. Be part of an ambitious, progressive, and collaborative program at one of the top public research universities in the United States.
Accredited by ACEJMC, the college has earned its reputation for excellence over the last half-century on the strength of its programs, faculty, students, and alumni; the stories they tell; and the difference they make around the world. With over 70 full-time faculty members and 175 part-time instructors serving in four academic departments—Advertising; Journalism; Media Production, Management, and Technology; and Public Relations—we enroll about 2,500 undergraduates both in-person and on-line. Additionally, more than 700 graduate students are earning master’s and doctoral degrees.
The College of Journalism and Communications offers multiple research and teaching environments, including the Atlas Lab for social media listening; the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology; the STEM Translational Communication Center; the Center for Public Interest Communications; the Media, Effects, and Technology Lab; the Institute for Public Relations; The Agency, a full-service student-run advertising and public relations agency; the Innovation News Center; Division of Media Properties; and more. The College is highly involved in UF’s AI Initiative.
About the University of Florida
Our university ranked in the top 6 among public universities, in the top 28 overall, and in the number 1 in online undergraduate programs by the 2024 U.S. News and World Report. UF continues to expand its faculty ranks and the impact of its research and curriculum. UF faculty annually generate more than $1 billion in research expenditures.
The University of Florida is a member of the Association of American Universities and is categorized in the Carnegie Commission’s top tier of research universities. UF has a student body of more than 60,000 who come from all 50 states in the United States and more than 100 countries. The university and greater Gainesville communities enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.
The University of Florida is located in north central Florida, a region known for its abundant natural beauty. Gainesville is within a two-hour drive of Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico.
UF Benefits
At the University of Florida, you will not only find competitive salaries, but you’ll enjoy elevated benefits and leave options, tuition assistance programs, and stability and support with opportunities for advancement and career growth that only UF can offer. To view the university’s Total Reward benefit package, please click here, https://benefits.hr.ufl.edu.
About Gainesville
As home to Florida's largest and oldest university, Gainesville (http://cityofgainesville.org) is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. Gainesville and the surrounding area is home to about 250,000 people, a robust arts community, several museums, a world-class health care system anchored at UF, a downtown core known for its restaurants and brew pubs, excellent public and private schools, and abundant nature exemplified by clear, natural springs. Additionally, within 2 hours are attractions such as Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and historic St. Augustine. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds.
Expected Salary:Commensurate with experience
Minimum Requirements:Candidates must have a Ph.D. in communication or related field by their start date,
Preferred Qualifications:Candidates must have a Ph.D. in communication or related field by their start date, have a record of high-quality original research, demonstrate the ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, and demonstrate a record of (or potential for) securing extramural funding. We are particularly interested in colleagues who demonstrate a commitment to enhancing and nourishing a culture that supports growth and development of all employees and a climate that allows everyone to do their best work.
Applicants must demonstrate a record of scholarship in science communication, environmental communication, risk communication, or communication issues surrounding emerging technologies, and should have a proven ability to teach graduate or undergraduate courses. Preference will be given to candidates who present evidence of excellence in teaching, evidence of high-quality publication outputs, strong evidence of the ability to secure external funding, supervising student work toward the completion of theses and dissertations, and willingness to collaborate on research and extramural funding with peers within the STCC, College of Journalism and Communications, and other units across UF.
Special Instructions to Applicants:Applications must be submitted online via https://jobs.ufl.edu and include the following:
• A letter of interest that describes research accomplishments; specific interests in science, environmental, risk, or technology communication; and interests in teaching and mentoring
• A complete curriculum vita
• Copies of all teaching evaluations 2022-2024, plus any additional evidence of teaching effectiveness
• Names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references
The search committee may request additional materials at a later time.
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, starting 30 days after the date of the job posting, and review will continue until the position is filled. Those submitted by August 9 will receive the highest consideration.
The search committee consists of Benjamin Johnson (Advertising and STCC), Jay Hmielowski (Public Relations), Seungahn Nah (Journalism), Kun Xu (Media Production, Management, and Technology), Luna Pittet Gonzalez (doctoral student), and Whitney Dotson (search advisor and STCC administrative specialist). Questions should be directed to the search committee chair, Benjamin Johnson, at <benjaminkjohnson@ufl.edu>. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-4621 or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD).
Health Assessment Required: No