[Air-L] Rensselaer Communication & Technology Position

[James P. Zappen]

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Language, Literature, and Communication

Tenure Track Junior Faculty Position in Communication and Technology

The Department of Language, Literature, and Communication seeks a strong
scholar/researcher in communication and technology. We are especially
interested in candidates whose focus complements faculty strengths in
games studies, human-computer interaction, or new media studies from the
perspective of current communication theory and research methods.
Candidates are expected to develop a substantial program of research
leading to peer-reviewed publication and external funding. Teaching
opportunities will be at the undergraduate and graduate level with the
typical teaching load set at two courses per semester. Our flexible
program allows faculty to devise and teach courses related to individual
scholarly interests. The candidate should show evidence of strong promise 
in teaching and scholarship

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to a multidisciplinary mission in communication in technologically mediated contexts that draws upon communication studies, human-computer interaction, digital rhetoric, technical communication, new media studies, and graphic design.  The department has just added a joint B.S. in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences and an M.S. in Human Computer Interaction to a program portfolio that includes one of the top-ranked Ph.D.’s in Communication and Rhetoric in the country and a joint B.S. in Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication.  The department also makes substantial contributions to teaching in B.S. and M.S. programs in Information Technology.  Faculty and students have access to the Social and Behavioral Research Laboratory (http://www.sbrl.rpi.edu) and other Institute research facilities. More information about the department is available at http://www.llc.rpi.edu.
Rensselaer was named one of the “New Ivies” by the 2007 Kaplan/Newsweek
“How to Get into College Guide,” a list of elite colleges whose
first-rate academic programs, combined with a population boom in top
students, have fueled their rise in stature and favor among the nation’s
top students, administrators, and faculty — edging them to a competitive
status rivaling the Ivy League. Rensselaer is also a U.S. News and World
Report top-50 university with approximately 5000 undergraduate and 2500
graduate students. It is located in the emerging "Tech Valley" region of
the Hudson River Valley with New York City, Boston, and Montreal only a
few hours away. The region is known for its quality of life.  Outdoor
recreation opportunities in the Adirondack and Berkshire Mountains are
only an hour or so away.  The area boasts affordable Victorian
architecture and is a cultural center for the arts.  When it opens,
Rensselaer’s EMPAC — the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center —
will provide unsurpassed facilities for creative exploration and for
research linking art and technology.

Appointment begins August 15, 2008. Review of applications will begin
October 1, 2007, and will continue until suitable candidates are
identified.  Application letter, current c.v., writing samples, evidence
of teaching excellence, and three letters of recommendation should be
sent in hardcopy to: 

James P. Zappen, Search Committee Chair 
Department of Language, Literature, and Communication
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590

Email: zappenj at rpi.edu
Telephone: (518) 276-8117
Fax: (518) 276-4092