Description

The Department of Advertising & Public Relations, housed in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama, invites applications for a nine-month tenure track-assistant professor in digital communication specializing in strategy, analysis and/or      content production, to begin in August 2024.

This area has been identified as a high-impact, strategically relevant domain with significant potential to enhance the national and international reputation of the unit and college via cutting-edge research, external funding, and high-demand courses, engaging with and leveraging existing faculty expertise across these contributions. The ideal candidate will develop a robust research agenda around the application of digital technology to advertising and/or public relations contexts, with a focus on one or more areas among strategy, analysis, and/or content production. This includes but is not limited to the intersection of advertising and PR with topics such as the following:

 Artificial intelligence

• Machine learning
• Cybersecurity and/or data privacy
• Biometrics
• Extended reality (VR/AR/MR)
• E-gaming and/or video games
• Smart/connected devices
• Social media monitoring
• Data mining
• Web 3.0
• Computer vision
• User-facing bots
• Large language models
• Image and video generation
• Blockchain, ad verification, and/or smart contracts
• Software development
• Emerging content production tools and platforms
• Multicultural digital communication strategy and/or design

 Applicants must display an ability to be an active and involved member of a highly collaborative faculty team. The successful hire will teach two courses each fall and spring semester, which may include undergraduate, Master's, and Ph.D. courses.

Application Process

To apply, go to http://careers.ua.edu/job/520706 and provide the following:

 Cover letter highlighting how your research, teaching and service and/or leadership prepare you to contribute as a faculty leader in digital communication strategy, analysis, and/or content production

1. Curriculum vitae
2. Names and contact information for three references

 Applications submitted by October 13, 2023 will receive full consideration. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Dr. Brian C. Britt, at britt@apr.ua.edu.

 The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities are encouraged to apply.

 About the Department

The Department of Advertising & Public Relations and the College of Communication & Information Sciences house a growing community of faculty, staff, and students with research and professional interests that intersect with digital communication. The department faculty engage in a variety of successful cross-campus collaborations and editorial leadership roles, including directorships in multiple digital communication-oriented labs and the Institute for Communication & Information Research within the college’s Office for Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity, and support from college and university leaders exists for developing new research agendas and educational offerings.

 The advertising and public relations undergraduate programs are ACEJMC-accredited. Advertising majors have four options: a general major or a concentration in brand management, advertising creative, or integrated channel planning. Public Relations majors have the option of a general or digital communication concentration. The graduate program awards a Master of Arts in advertising and public relations. The two-year residential program offers an individualized track and more specialized concentrations in advertising creative and media strategy. The graduate program also offers distance-learning concentrations in digital communication and marketing communication management.

 Home to the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, the department is consistently noted by PRWeek magazine as one of the top five programs in the country. Students gain extensive practical experience prior to graduation through multiple outlets, including work with industry clients such as NASCAR, the Country Music Association, McLaren Automotive, Twitch, and Tervis. The department is also home to the award-winning Minerva advertising portfolio program and the award-winning student-run Capstone Agency.

 About the College of Communication & Information Sciences

The Department of Advertising & Public Relations is one of four academic units in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. The college has approximately 100 full-time faculty members serving over 3,000 students across bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 80 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program in which the Department of Advertising & Public Relations actively participates. The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. Housed within the Office for Research, Scholarship & Creative Activity are the Public Opinion Lab, equipped with the Sprinklr data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources; a biometrics lab outfitted with state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware; and the near-term development of an interactive VR/theater lab, among others. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to the Center for Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.

 About the University of Alabama

Located in Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama is the state's flagship public university and offers a full course of academic programs and social life to its nearly 40,000 students. The university maintains several research institutes that unite researchers from various disciplines, including faculty in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations, to address pertinent societal issues. These include the Alabama Cyber Initiative, Alabama Life Research Institute, Alabama Transportation Institute, and Alabama Water Institute, among others. As the state's flagship university and a sea-grant and space-grant institution, the University of Alabama and its students and faculty address challenges at the cutting edge of scientific inquiry while also driving economic growth and serving the societal needs of the state, regional, national, and global community. The university is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

 About Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The city of Tuscaloosa has a diverse metropolitan population of more than 100,000 and offers an excellent quality of life and various multicultural resources and opportunities. The walkable downtown offers many cultural and outdoor activities, a wide variety of local restaurants spanning a broad range of cuisines, monthly art walks, a 7,470-seat outdoor amphitheater, and a very reasonable cost of living. Tuscaloosa is a morning's drive from the Smoky Mountains, Gulf Coast beaches, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate in a communication-related field (e.g., advertising, public relations, marketing, communication, psychology, sociology) completed by the appointment start date. ABDs at the time of application will be considered.
• Scholarly activity in journals, university presses, or other publication outlets consistent with departmental expectations for the rank of assistant professor.
• Record of teaching effectiveness, including courses in advertising, public relations, and/or other communication-related fields.
• Potential for publishing digital communication strategy/analysis/content creation research that advances the department’s profile within the advertising and/or public relations discipline.

 Preferred Qualifications (considered after all minimum qualifications are met)

• Potential for and interest in leading collaborative research and/or grant teams that include but not are limited to fellow faculty and students in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations.
• Potential to attract extramural funding related to the intersection of digital communication strategy, analysis, and/or content production with advertising and/or public relations.
• Potential to develop and teach courses connecting advertising and/or public relations with the applicant's topical expertise in digital communication strategy, analysis, and/or content production.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.