[Air-L] PRODIG+ Fellow in Critical AI at Stony Brook University

[Matthew Salzano]

Hello all -- hoping some of you might be interested in this position, which converts to the tenure track after two years! I'm including the description + link below. Applications are due Jan 21.

I'm on the search committee and happy to answer any questions.

PRODIG+ Fellow in Critical AI
Apply on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/160274
The University Libraries and the School of Communication and Journalism (SoCJ) at Stony Brook University invite applications for a Promoting Recruitment, Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion and Growth plus (PRODIG+) Fellow specializing in Critical AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AI literacy, helping to grow Stony Brook’s interdisciplinary commitment to research and education.

We are expanding our AI capacity and seeking candidates interested in research areas such as AI forensics, disinformation, and AI governance, as well as exploring the societal impact, ethical considerations, and innovative applications of AI technologies. The incumbent will support alignment between critical AI research and the Libraries' practical AI implementations, helping to guide the development of ethical frameworks and governance policies for AI use in academic settings, while having access to real-world AI applications and use cases through the University's growing AI initiatives.

PRODIG Fellows are full-time, 12-month, non-tenure-track faculty positions at the lecturer level to commence in Fall 2025. The fellow will be a part of a mentored research environment and, with successful performance and demonstrated contribution to inclusion, diversity, and equity, will be invited to join the tenure-track faculty at Stony Brook University after two years. The Fellow will receive a reduced teaching load (~50% of the typical teaching load for research-active tenure-track faculty) during the two-year initial appointment. Additional information on the PRODiG Fellowship can be found at https://www.suny.edu/prodig-plus/fellowship/.

We seek a scholar whose solutions-oriented research helps identify how to investigate the effects of AI, algorithms, and/or data on society, including but not limited to AI Forensics, Algorithmic Auditing, and Ethical/Responsible AI. Ideally, the candidate’s research would show promise of achieving extramural funding and engaging directly with fields such as journalism, communications, libraries/archives, cybersecurity, and policy. Scholars from various humanistic, social scientific, and computational traditions are welcome to apply. Still, applicants should identify how their work connects to one or more areas, such as journalism, information science, archival science, digital preservation, mass communication, or communication and media studies.

The fellow will be jointly appointed by the SoCJ and the University Libraries. The fellow will contribute to the SoCJ’s undergraduate and graduate programs in journalism, communication, mass communication, rhetorical studies, and science communication, as well as the University Libraries’ upcoming AI literacy courses.

The home department will be determined based on the candidate's field/profile and/or negotiations, with a 51% appointment in the primary department and 49% in the other. Promotion and Tenure (P&T) will be managed by the primary department with input from the secondary department.

As a public university dedicated to addressing society’s greatest challenges through research and education, we understand a genuine commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is key to academic excellence, new discoveries, and societal change. Candidates should demonstrate personal, academic, and/or work experience engaging with diversity, equity, and inclusion and/or a commitment to facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the campus community. Such experience may include, but is not limited to, an academic/scholarly track record focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; work, volunteer/ unpaid/community service; or related experience/expertise in serving underserved or vulnerable areas and/or populations.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without a visa sponsorship and must have a PhD or relevant terminal degree from an accredited institution completed prior to start date. Preference will be given to candidates who are: Current SUNY students, alumni, and/or Fellows; From a low-income background (e.g., Pell-eligible as undergraduates); were first-generation college students (students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree); have overcome adversity; are AmeriCorps alumni; or are veterans.

The PRODiG Fellowship is open to any and all prospective candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex, and is consistent with all current governing federal and state nondiscrimination laws. All application submissions will be assessed and evaluated in accordance with the required eligibility criteria.

More details + apply on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/160274

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Matthew Salzano, Ph.D. (he/him)
IDEA Fellow, Ethical AI, Information Systems, and Data Science and Literacy
School of Communication and Journalism/Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science®
Program in Writing and Rhetoric

matthew.salzano at stonybrook.edu
matthewsalzano.com



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