Tenured Professor and Head, Department of Computer Science - College of Engineering

Hiring Department: Computer Science

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1027699

Posting Close Date: 11/23/24

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) invites applications, nominations, and inquiries as it seeks an experienced and visionary leader with a deep commitment to both access and academic excellence to serve as the next Head of the Department of Computer Science (CS) in the College of Engineering. UIC, the largest and only public research university in Chicago, is a Carnegie-classification R1 institution and federally designated minority-serving university. In FY2023, UIC received over $500M in sponsored research awards. UIC is among the most diverse research universities in the country, is highly rated for its impact on social mobility, and is ranked among the highest-value colleges in the U.S.

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

The College of Engineering
The mission of the College of Engineering is to provide access to excellence and success: the College educates students to innovate and to lead. It aims to expand global knowledge of engineering and computer science fields through distinction in original research and, as a public institution, to prioritize its relationship with the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. UIC Engineering also aims to foster strong local partnerships, provide crucial engineering expertise and facilities, and serve as a major economic driver for the city. The College has six departments: Biomedical Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Driven by the combination of accessibility and excellence, student enrollment at the College has skyrocketed: with over 57% enrollment growth over the last decade, the College now has over 6,200 students, approximately half of which are CS students.

The Department of Computer Science
The CS department seeks to conduct outstanding research, provide an excellent computing education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and continue to further the diversity of its student body and faculty. The Department has been very successful in research, with csrankings.org consistently placing UIC CS in the 40s overall and around 20 to 25 for Artificial Intelligence, with some subfields of AI ranking in the top 20.

The CS department has seen explosive growth in the last decade. From fall 2013 to fall 2023, undergraduate enrollment grew from just under 500 to over 2,100, and graduate enrollment increased more than 70% from 252 to 432. By January 2025, the CS department will have over 80 faculty members, compared with 29 in 2014. To accommodate the growth, a new state-of-the-art five-story computer science building is currently under construction, scheduled for occupancy in early 2025.

In recent years, the CS department has created two new undergraduate majors, one in Data Science and one in CS + Design, and has partnered with UIC’s Liberal Arts and Sciences College on a CS + Linguistics major. The CS department is starting its fifth year running Break Through Tech Chicago, funded by one of the largest grants in the history of the UIC College of Engineering, received from Pivotal Ventures, Melinda French Gates’s social good organization, and directed towards undergraduate gender diversity efforts in computer science at UIC. Since the grant started, the CS department has seen significant growth in the percentage of women in the department’s majors, increasing from 19 to 26 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2023, representing an absolute increase of about 310 additional women among the department’s majors.

Chicago
Chicago is the most populous city in Illinois and the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in the United States. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S., and the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, which is home to 9.6 million residents.

UIC is located nearby two Department of Energy’s national labs, the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), and the rapidly growing Quantum Park, offering unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and architecture, such as the Chicago School, the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper.

Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports by passenger traffic, and the region is also the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) of any urban region in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. Chicago's economy is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce.

Description:

Position Summary
The successful candidate is expected to establish and sustain an outstanding research program, as well as be strongly committed to student success both at graduate and undergraduate levels. They will be an innovative thinker with the necessary leadership skills to guide and promote the CS department to a higher level of excellence and impact. The candidate should be able to articulate and communicate the impact the CS department has already made and a collective vision for the future of the CS department's education and research missions to a large constituency that includes current faculty, the university, the broader academic community, government, industry, non-profits, and alumni.

Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of a Department Head are as outlined in the University of Illinois Statutes, Article IV, Section 3.

Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in Computer Science, or closely related disciplines
• Proven track record of scholarly achievement that merits tenured appointment
• Proven track record in administrative leadership in academia, industry, or government

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated innovative thinking and leadership skills to elevate the department's excellence and impact.
• Proven ability to create and promote a collective vision for the future of the department's education and research missions.
• Experience engaging and collaborating with a broad constituency, including faculty, the university, the academic community, government, industry, non-profits, and alumni.
• Strong commitment to fostering student success at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
• Track record of establishing and sustaining an outstanding research program.
  

For fullest consideration, please submit your CV, letter of intent, and names of three references by October 15, 2024

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

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