Job description

Austin, TX

The School of Information (iSchool) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) invites applicants for the Bill Daniel Endowed Professorship in Archival Enterprise. The iSchool is seeking internationally recognized scholars who advance our understanding of the nature and role of data, information and cultural records across all areas of human endeavor. Successful candidates will likely currently hold or be eligible to hold a full professor position in a peer institution. We are particularly interested in candidates with innovative research programs that can help the school envisage an inclusive and discipline-wide focus on the centrality of accurate records to knowledge production in the sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

As an interdisciplinary academic unit, our faculty are drawn from a wide range of different disciplines and collaborate broadly with other units on campus. We welcome applications from various disciplines including (but not limited to): information science, archival studies, data science, computer science, and design-oriented social science. We seek strong scholars with compelling research agendas, regardless of disciplinary background, who understand the importance of information records in our world’s evolving socio-technical infrastructure. Tenure-track faculty normally have a 2/1 teaching load, with various opportunities for course release. Salaries are competitive. The endowed professorship provides for a salary and research supplement in recognition of the holder’s standing.

Archival Enterprise and The Human Record

The School of Information is an interdisciplinary research community committed to advancing our understanding of how information impacts all areas of human endeavor, with a view to shaping the design, implementation and management of information resources to augment human and social well-being. To this end, records, in terms of their management, trustworthiness, and use, are vital to the advancement of research in all knowledge domains as well as the functioning of a civil society and the maintenance of communities. The Bill Daniel Endowed Professor will engage scholarship across the information disciplines to promote an understanding of human records as foundational to our field and instrumental to the work of researchers and practitioners in numerous domains.

We are especially interested in candidates with expertise in areas such as (but not limited to):

• Digital archives and records management
• Archives as catalysts for intellectual freedom, decolonization, and social justice
• Data, software, and platform curation, repositories, and preservation
• Computational, critical, and AI approaches to archival practices and infrastructures
• Policies and tools for data integrity, security, and the trustworthiness of cultural memory
• Social, cultural, and ideological politics and practices of archival institutions and the profession
• The sociology of knowledge and its preservation for access and use
• Lineage provenance of records and resources
• Community-led archives as collective practice, co-design, and participatory design
• The integration of professional and community archival practice
• Indigenous or regional knowledge, memory, and culture
• The implications of new textual and media practices on archival knowledge and practice

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field and have established a record of scholarship commensurate with the seniority of this position. This will include a substantial and consistent record of publications in high-quality, peer-reviewed venues appropriate to their research domain, evidence of thought-leadership through impact and, ideally, demonstrated ability to attract suitable research funding. Applicants should make a compelling case for the intellectual contribution and merit of their research agenda in the context of our school. Senior colleagues will be expected to work with and support doctoral students, and teach as needed across the iSchool’s degree programs (BA/BS in Informatics, Masters of Science in Information Studies, and PhD in Information Studies).

About the UT Austin iSchool

The UT Austin iSchool is a premier research and education program for the 21st century field of information. We are a founding member of the international iSchools organization and have a long history of interdisciplinary scholarship and research focused on the human, social, cultural, and technical aspects of information. Our program is consistently ranked among the top five programs in information in the world. We are a stand-alone school with strong connections across the university and with other institutions nationally and internationally. We are particularly interested in applicants who will further strengthen and extend our collaborative network. For more details on our current degree offerings, see the iSchool’s academic programs.

Community and Belonging

Our iSchool proudly welcomes students, staff, faculty, and community members from all walks of life, backgrounds, and origins. UT Austin obtained the Seal of Excelencia for its Commitment to Latino Student Success in 2020 and received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award again in 2023, continuing a long streak of HEED awards. Our iSchool’s core values embrace an interdisciplinary approach to serve humanity, put people first, and develop technology for social good.

About The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

UT Austin has an internationally distinguished faculty making it one of the world’s leading research universities. UT Austin embraces interdisciplinary research and is home to more than 200 dedicated research units, centers, and research grand challenges. In 2020, UT Austin proudly earned the Hispanic Serving Institution designation. See our About UT Austin webpagefor further information.

About Austin

Austin is a city bursting with entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for discovery. Austin has a vibrant, internationally renowned music, film, and art scene, along with a thriving economy that leads the way in the technology, engineering, and health care sectors. It is a city with natural beauty in abundance, with a glittering river that runs through the center of the city, year-round sunshine, and a location in the picturesque Hill Country of central Texas. Austin is a creative center that attracts the best and the brightest from around the world. Often referred to as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin hosts major annual events such as the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival and South by Southwest (SXSW), which includes Education, Film, Music, and Interactive Festivals. Austin serves as the home for corporate headquarters and research and development centers for many Fortune 500 companies and new startups providing opportunities for collaboration and student placements for internships and careers. It is the capital city of Texas, and home to many cultural heritage institutions and opportunities in the public sector. Austin is a regular among top places to live and work lists, and has many highly rated public schools. See our About Austin webpage for more information on living and working in Austin.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

How to apply

While we will consider applications until the position is filled, primary consideration will be given to candidates who apply by January 31, 2025.

Required materials include:

1. A current CV
2. A cover letter highlighting your fit to our position, school, and university
3. A statement of your research plans
4. A teaching statement
5. Names and contact details of 3 references who have agreed to provide a recommendation letter. We will only contact and solicit letters from your references later in the process, if warranted, and with your knowledge.

Please direct questions regarding this search to the chair, Dr. Andrew Dillon, All faculty positions are subject to final budget approval, and are based in Austin, TX. Successful candidates residing outside of the Austin area will be expected to relocate.

Please apply via Interfolio’s Faculty Search solution. If you do not have a Dossier account with Interfolio, you will be prompted to create a free account prior to applying for the position.

To apply, visit