Assistant/Associate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication

Virginia Tech•Blacksburg, VA

24d

About The Position

Virginia Tech’s Department of English invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication. The position supports Virginia Tech’s strategic commitment to understanding how technologies are developed, implemented, communicated, trusted, and integrated into organizations and communities, with a particular focus on healthcare. The successful candidate will advance research and teaching on how communication shapes the design, implementation, and use of emerging technologies in professional, organizational, scientific, technical, or healthcare environments. The position is associated with Virginia Tech’s Smart Healthcare Hub initiative and contributes to interdisciplinary research, innovation, and teaching at the intersection of emerging technologies, healthcare-related simulations, digital and/or medical humanities, experience design, operations, and human-centered systems. The candidate will join Virginia Tech’s Technical and Scientific Communication program in the Department of English and collaborate across the university. The role calls for high research productivity and pursuit of research funding. The initial teaching assignment is two courses per academic year, one in fall and one in spring, including courses in undergraduate Technical and Scientific Communication and the doctoral Rhetoric and Writing programs. After three years, the assignment is expected to increase to four courses per academic year, two in fall and two in spring. The candidate will maintain an active, externally visible research program, contribute to undergraduate and graduate education, mentor students, and participate in departmental, college, and university service. Teaching may include foundational and advanced courses in technical and scientific communication and rhetoric, such as grant writing; medical and science writing; rhetoric of science, technology, and medicine; document design; visual rhetoric; and digital rhetoric. Faculty are encouraged to develop courses aligned with their expertise and emerging areas of the discipline. The successful candidate will contribute to the continued growth of the Technical and Scientific Communication program through curriculum development, student mentoring, program leadership, university service, and participation in national professional organizations. Interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities span Virginia Tech colleges, schools, research institutes, and centers, including the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Science, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Pamplin College of Business, and university-wide institutes and centers.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Technical and Professional Communication, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Communication, English, Information Science, Human-Centered Computing, Science Communication, User Experience, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
Demonstrated potential for an active and impactful research agenda supported by extramural funding.
Evidence of excellence or strong potential in undergraduate and graduate teaching.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive teaching, mentoring, and collaboration.
Ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary research environments.

Nice To Haves

Research addressing emerging technologies and communication.
Expertise in human-centered design, user experience, or information design.
Research focused on healthcare, health technologies, public health, or implementation.
Evidence of pursuing or securing external research funding.
Experience mentoring graduate students.

Responsibilities

Develop and sustain a nationally recognized program of scholarship in technical and scientific communication.
Publish in leading journals and present research at national and international conferences.
Pursue externally funded research opportunities and contribute to collaborative external funding proposals.
Build interdisciplinary collaborations across Virginia Tech and with external partners.
Mentor graduate and undergraduate student researchers.
Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in technical and scientific communication and rhetoric.
Contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and student mentoring.
Contribute to curriculum development and program leadership.
Participate in departmental, college, and university service.
Participate in national professional organizations.