Career Center

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M&S) at South Dakota State University (SDSU) invites applicants for Department Head and Professor. This is a 12-month, benefit-eligible, tenure track position. The M&S Department is one among six departments in the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. The department, college, and SDSU provide excellent research facilities for cutting-edge research. The department is committed to providing a rigorous and practical educational experience, with an emphasis on mathematical learning and problem-solving, conducting world-class research relevant to the region and providing scientific assistance to existing and emerging businesses, industries, and government.  This position is supervised by the Dean of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering.

The M&S Department offers BS and MS in Mathematics, BS and MS in Data Science, MS in Statistics, PhD in Computational Science and Statistics and Associate of Science in Data Science. Currently, the department has approximately 260 undergraduate and a vibrant graduate program with external annual funding of approximately $2.5M. The BS program in Computer Science is accredited by the CAC of ABET and the BS program in Electrical Engineering is accredited by the EAC of ABET. 

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant mission of access.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

South Dakota State University seeks a dynamic and collaborative leader to serve as the Head of the M&S Department. The Department Head will work closely with the Dean and the leadership team of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering (JJLCOE) to promote the land-grant mission and an ambitious agenda to address the world’s grand challenges in the areas of mathematics, statistics, and data science. The selected candidate is expected to lead the M&S Department in identifying future areas of growth and investment while providing organizational and administrative expertise to the Department and the JJLCOE.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in mathematics, statistics, data science or a closely related field by date of application.
• A distinguished record of teaching, research, scholarship, and
• Eligible for rank of Professor at SDSU in the Department of M&S.
• Active engagement in technical societies such as the AMS and/or ASA.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in recruitment, retention, and success of faculty, staff and students from a variety of
• Leadership and success in securing internal and external support for instruction and research from federal, industry, and corporate The candidate is expected to steer the growth of the department consistent with SDSU’s strategic plan.
• Understanding of current and emerging issues in mathematics, statistics, and data science as defined by rapidly changing workforce needs as well as applied and fundamental research needs in varied yet integrated areas related to cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, information technology, finance and banking, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, environmental science, and marketing.
• Administrative abilities including management of budget and
• Transparent, open-minded, collegial, and approachable leadership
• Clear understanding of the land-grant
• Effective communication skills.
• Familiarity with ABET processes and procedures, or experience as an ABET Program Evaluator/Team Chair.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Successful professional experience in academic administration and/or comparable experience in research
• Demonstrated active participation in mathematics/statistics/data science education technical committees and other relevant experience to advance scholarship of teaching and learning to promote state-of-the-art pedagogy and to lead other researchers in purposeful strategy for external funding in the areas of mathematics/statistics/data science research
• Proven experience and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance department and college performance.
• Experience with successfully leading a department through an ABET accreditation visit.

About South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University is a land-grant institution and is the state’s largest institution of higher education with an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students. SDSU is located in Brookings, South Dakota, a community of approximately 24,000 near the east central border of South Dakota on Interstate 29. The city has an excellent K-12 education system, is accessible to major medical facilities, has an active cultural and social environment, and has numerous lakes and parks within driving distance. It is 50 miles north of Sioux Falls, with a metropolitan area population of 227,000. The Department: The Department of Mathematics & Statistics currently has 20 tenure-track faculty, 13 full time instructors, 80 graduate students, and 185 undergraduate majors. The department currently offers a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics, an M.S. in Statistics, a B.S. and M.S. in Data Science, and a Ph.D. in Computational Science and Statistics.

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