Professor of Digital Studies

The Department of Communication Arts is seeking excellent candidates for a tenured associate professor position in the area of digital communication. The selected candidate will mount a vigorous research program while making significant contributions to the department's teaching mission by developing courses in digital studies. The candidate will also partner with the UW-Madison Libraries to provide leadership for the Digital Scholarship Hub that will offer digital tools and services to students, faculty, and other clients across campus. Possible areas of research focus include but are not limited to: digital humanities, digital media studies, digital media design, deployments of artificial intelligence in communication, digital rhetoric, data analytics and visualizations, or digital content creation. The successful candidate will advance the educational mission of the College of Letters & Science, that values, prioritizes, and actualizes evidence-based and student-centered teaching and (undergraduate student) mentoring. They will contribute to an environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for faculty, staff, students and members of the broader community.

Successful applicants will teach graduate and undergraduate classes, mentor students, conduct scholarly research, and provide service to the department, the libraries, college, university, and academic community (nationally or internationally).

As director of the Digital Scholarship Hub, the successful applicant will be able to set a vision for developing specialized technology environments (including computing coding, data visualization, gaming, and VR), cultivating workshop spaces, supporting undergraduate learning and research. A successful candidate will look for opportunities for collaboration and consultancy across campus. They will also form partnerships with library technologists and central IT services among others to gain library and campus infrastructures in support of the digital scholarship program. Important aspects of the position include advocacy, relationship building with stakeholders, resource development including grants and fundraising, and building community for digital humanists.

The candidate will develop and teach courses on digital communication in the Department of Communication Arts each semester. These courses will also serve the Digital Studies certificate program administered by Communication Arts while making direct use of the resources of the Digital Scholarship Hub. The general teaching load in Communication Arts is 4 courses per year. However, the successful candidate will be released from teaching one class per year while serving as Director of the Digital Scholarship Hub. One month of summer salary support will be available for responsibilities during summer months while serving as Director of the Digital Scholarship Hub.

The successful candidate, as a member of the College of L&S, will proactively contribute to, support, and advance the college's commitment to excellence among all aspects of their teaching, mentoring, research, and service.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Required
PhD in Communication or similar by start of appointment.

The ideal candidates should demonstrate:
* evidence of excellence in teaching and scholarly research,
* a record of the ability to develop and publish research on digital communication at the most advanced levels,
* an ability to provide evidence of excellence in the classroom as an instructor on topics related to contemporary digital communication,
* an ability to work with data, data analytics, data visualization, social media, and/or other digital forms,
* an ability to design and propose new courses that enhance the mission of Communication Arts and Digital Studies.

In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate experience in developing digital tools and services that can support all members of the campus community. This will include a strong understanding of the role of libraries in digital scholarship. The ideal candidate will also be able to provide evidence of their ability to develop and lead a program - particularly their ability to do so while working with students and faculty in different disciplines. Applications should show evidence of the ability to build intellectual communities across these boundaries.

Full Time: 100%

It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Ongoing/Renewable

AUGUST 18, 2025

Negotiable
ACADEMIC (9 months)

Founded in 1848, UW-Madison is the flagship institution within the University of Wisconsin System, and a major land-grant research university committed to excellence in research, teaching, and public service. It consistently ranks among the world's top research universities. The institution manages revenues of over $3 billion annually, has a student body of approximately 49,000 representing 116 countries, and has more than 24,000 employees, including about 2,200 faculty and 12,500 staff, plus 5,000 graduate assistants and 7,000 student employees.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked highly in communication programs (https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/communication-media-studies). Our department is multidisciplinary and has a highly collegial environment. Students and faculty in the Department of Communication Arts analyze the production and consumption of communication in all its forms: its influence and effects, its history and industry structures, the uses to which it is put, its characteristic forms and texts, and the technologies through which it is made, distributed, and used. Communication Arts offers graduate programs in Communication Science, Film, Media and Cultural Studies, or Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture. Communication is one of the fastest-growing fields in the humanities and social sciences today.

In the College of Letters & Science, we provide a liberal arts education that is both broad and deep through excellent, empathic teaching. We hire faculty who are interested in pursuing difficult questions, making new discoveries, and making an impact in their field. We reward excellent teaching and classroom innovation, and we are committed to shared governance. Learn more about the L&S mission on our webpage https://ls.wisc.edu/about/mission.

The UW-Madison Libraries reflect the breadth and comprehensiveness of our world-renowned schools, colleges, departments, divisions, centers, and institutes, and are highly valued partners in teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. The Libraries leverage international, national, and state partnerships to deliver extraordinary services and programs to support the university's research enterprise.

Madison is the state's capitol city and is well known for offering a small town feel in a medium-sized city. It is a great place to raise a family and offers an ideal combination of natural beauty, stimulating cultural events, excellent healthcare, and outstanding schools and outdoor recreation. Madison is regularly listed at the top of best places to live in the United States.

Apply online at "Jobs at UW" (http://jobs.wisc.edu) under job number 310067. Applications must be received through UW-Madison's online application system. Applications submitted outside of this system will not be considered. Click the "Apply Now" button to start the application process. Applicants should submit the following 5 items:

1. A letter of application,
2. Curriculum vitae,
3. A teaching and mentoring statement with evidence of teaching effectiveness,
4. An administrative philosophy statement related to creating digital media services,
5. Three representative publications and/or papers.

In addition, you will be asked to provide the names and contact information for three references. These references will not be contacted unless the candidate advances in the process, at which time the candidate will be contacted prior to reaching out to the reference. For full consideration, all materials must be received no later than 11:59pm on March 2, 2025. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Please note that applicants will be evaluated based upon submitted application materials and therefore should speak to and include evidence of their qualifications. Application materials must clearly demonstrate the applicant's dedication to excellence in student-centered teaching and mentoring. Additionally, materials should showcase the applicant's ability to purposefully plan their teaching practices, evidenced through goals, action plans, reflection, and related documentation. This portion of the application materials must be created by the applicant and may include supporting letters. It cannot be only in the form of letters and testimony by others.

Employment will require an institutional reference check regarding any misconduct. To be considered, applicants must upload a signed 'Authorization to Release Information' form as part of the application. The authorization form and a definition of 'misconduct' can be found here: https://hr.wisc.edu/institutional-reference-check/

Robert Howard
rghoward2@wisc.edu
608-262-2543
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Professor(FA020) or Associate Professor(FA030)

A48-COL OF LETTERS & SCIENCE/COMMUN ARTS/COMM ART

Faculty

310067-FA