Research Assistant Professor FRI Data Science
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Category:: Faculty
Subscribe::
Department:: First Year Research Immersion
Locations:: Binghamton, NY
Posted:: Dec 2, 2024
Closes:: Open Until Filled
Type:: Full-time
Ref. No.:: 1525
Position ID:: 183506

About Binghamton University:

Binghamton University is a premier public R1 research institution in the State University of New York (SUNY) system that unites more than 130 broadly interdisciplinary educational programs with some of the most vibrant research in the nation. Our unique character - shaped by our mission, outstanding academics, facilities, and community life - promotes extraordinary student success, research, and service; Binghamton University is where our students, faculty and staff thrive.

Working at Binghamton University is more than about having a great job - it is about having the opportunity to flourish in an exciting, engaging environment. Our faculty and staff appreciate Binghamton's collegial and inclusive culture and its commitment to excellence, education, innovation, and civic engagement. Our diverse campus community contributes to our success.

Binghamton merges rigorous academics, distinguished faculty who value cutting-edge, and community-engaged research, teaching and service, exceptional staff, and ultramodern facilities to engage and challenge its 18,000+ students. Our high-achieving student body represents diverse experiences from first-generation college-goers to international students. Beyond their talent, these classmates share a desire to shape the future through technology, insight, intellectual exploration, and community service.

Job Description:

The First-year Research Immersion (FRI) program at Binghamton University invites applications for a three-year renewable, full time Research Assistant Professor (also known as the Research Educator) position, to begin August 2025. This is a unique 10-month non-tenure track faculty position that directly combines teaching and research to empower faculty to grow as research educators, leaders, mentors, and higher education professionals. This Research Educator position is for the new "Data Science" research stream and is open to individuals with appropriate background in data science or other related fields that use data science approaches. Candidates must have completed a terminal degree (PhD) before starting.

For the FRI Data Science Stream, the Research Educator's background will help shape the research theme. The research should align with an overall theme of using big data to identify connections and provide insights on societal problems (e.g., inequality, climate change, economy, healthcare, public health, transportation, housing, etc.). The research methodology will likely focus on applied statistics and data science, using real and synthetic datasets. The Research Educator must be proficient in using and teaching programming (R or Python) in order to train students of all skill levels to use programming to perform tasks such as querying large datasets, cleaning and integrating data, performing statistical analyses (such as a range of basic statistical techniques and at least one advanced technique related to applied predictive modeling, spatial analysis, data mining, or machine learning), visualizing data (using various packages, such as ggplot2, plotly, shiny, matplotlib, or seaborn), and using open-source scientific and technical publishing systems (e.g., Jupyter, R Markdown, Quarto) for reproducible research reports.

Research Educators are responsible for guiding first- and second-year student cohorts (~30 per cohort) through authentic research experiences and, in doing so, will help students develop the professional skills desired by graduate schools and employers. The Research Educator is responsible for designing and implementing the course curriculum for the stream by integrating the general FRI program framework with discipline-specific content and employing student-centered, active learning, and open-source educational approaches. Within that high-impact learning environment, and alongside faculty stream collaborators, the Research Educator maintains and/or expands their own research program. More detail about the FRI program is available at our website: www.binghamton.edu/fri

The Research Educator reports to the FRI Director and works closely with the faculty collaborators of this research stream and the other FRI research educators in a community of practice. Overall, FRI provides an excellent education and research training program with opportunities for continuation in the FRI program with expanded roles and responsibilities over time. The position provides start-up funds, a non-tenure promotion pathway, and an annual travel budget.

Responsibilities:

• Teaching & Mentorship
  • Serve as instructor for stream FRI courses (Fall, 6 credits: FRI Semester 1 & 3 courses; Spring, 4 credits: FRI Semester 2 course) and hold weekly lab hours to mentor teams in research
  • Continually develop, maintain and revise stream curriculum
  • Supervise, train & manage undergraduate peer mentors (UGPMs)
• Research
  • Maintain research computer lab & budget (start up and annual funds available)
  • Perform research in conjunction with stream students
  • Collaborate with faculty and relevant collaborators on research projects
  • Disseminate results
• Service
  • Participate in FRI program events & committees
  • Support students in continuing efforts and activities post-FRI program experience
• General
  • Attend and actively participate in FRI faculty/staff meetings
  • Facilitate formative and summative assessments of the research stream and FRI students
• Professional Development
  • Actively participate in research and educational professional development activities

The FRI research community empowers students to make scientific and personal discoveries while developing vital skills for success through four main value pillars: community, transferable-skills, personal impact, and discovery.

Requirements:

Strong candidates must have:

• Graduate degree in a discipline matching the theme for the research stream (data science or other related fields that use data science approaches, such as econometrics, computer science, biostatistics, quantitative psychology, etc.)
• Advanced experimental design and technical skills that align with the research stream
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience in higher education (can be as a teaching assistant)
• Ability to train undergraduate researchers and evaluate their work
• Ability to train, evaluate and supervise undergraduate peer mentor assistants
• Ability to manage a research computer laboratory
• Effective communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and timelines simultaneously with a high degree of organization, accuracy and efficiency
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively
• Strong professional and organizational skills
• Ability to problem solve, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks
• Ability to analyze and organize information and materials for a variety of research projects

Additional Information:

Binghamton University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact: Ada Robinson-Perez, ADA Coordinator email: arobins@binghamton.edu.

The State University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is the policy of Binghamton University to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

As required by title IX and its implementing regulations, Binghamton University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the educational programs and activities which it operates. This requirement extends to employment and admission. Inquiries about sex discrimination may be directed to the University Title IX Coordinator or directly to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and OCR, as well as the University's complete Non-Discrimination Notice may be found here.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Binghamton University is a tobacco-free campus effective August 1, 2017.

Application Instructions:

Please submit as separate documents to Interview Exchange: http://binghamton.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=183506

• Cover letter (1 page maximum) telling us why you are interested in the position and why you feel you are qualified
• Curriculum vitae
• Contact information for three references, who will be contacted by the search committee following an initial review of applicants via http://binghamton.interviewexchange.com
• Teaching philosophy and how it relates to teaching undergraduates how to conduct research (250-500 words)
• Diversity statement (the candidate's individual experience, participation in, promotion of and/or impact of diversity in their own lives) (250-500 words)
• Research statement written for a broad general audience that includes example research projects that could be employed with first- and second-year students as well as a list of the equipment, software and other supplies needed (250-500 words)

Review of applications begins February 1, 2025 and continues until the position is filled. Electronic applications are required; please submit your application materials to: Interview Exchange via Binghamton University.

You may add additional files/documents after uploading your curriculum vita. After you fill out your contact information, you will be directed to the upload page. Please login to check/edit your profile or to upload additional documents: http://binghamton.interviewexchange.com/login.jsp

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

The State University of New York and Binghamton University are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers.