Assistant Professor of Communication Science - RISE EARTH

University of Wisconsin Madison • Madison, WI

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About The Position

The Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking outstanding social and behavioral scientists with strengths in quantitative methodology for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in environmental communication. This role is part of the Wisconsin RISE-EARTH (Environment: Adaptation, Resilience, Technology, and Humanity) initiative, which aims to address complex societal challenges through accelerated faculty hiring, research infrastructure enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and increased student opportunities. The ideal candidate will conduct theory-driven research on how communication influences public understanding, attitudes, decision-making, behavior, policy support, or collective action surrounding environmental challenges such as adaptation, resilience, sustainability, and technological change. Research areas may include environmental and risk communication, conflict and negotiation, misinformation, social influence, disaster preparedness, public engagement with science, or communication surrounding emerging technologies. The department welcomes applications from scholars employing advanced quantitative methods like surveys, experiments, longitudinal designs, network analysis, and computational social science. The successful candidate will contribute to the Communication Science program, which focuses on human interactions in various contexts as they relate to the cognitive, social, and cultural functions of communication. Opportunities for research and teaching collaboration exist within the department's other programs: Media & Cultural Studies, Film, and Rhetoric, Politics & Culture. The College of Letters & Science is committed to providing a liberal arts education, rewarding excellent teaching, and fostering innovation.

Requirements

• PhD required in Communication or similar discipline by start of appointment.
• Evidence of creativity and excellence in teaching and scholarly research.
• Ability to make valuable contributions to the department, college, and RISE initiative.
• Capacity to conduct cutting-edge communication research.
• Capacity to teach/mentor undergraduates and graduate students.
• Ability to foster or the ability to foster a teaching, learning, mentoring, departmental, and research environment where all can thrive.
• Demonstrate fostering or the ability to foster a teaching, learning, mentoring, departmental, and research environment where all can thrive.
• Ability to purposefully plan their teaching practices, evidenced through goals, action plans, reflection, and related documentation.

Responsibilities

• Develop an innovative research program.
• Contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching in communication science, including courses related to environmental communication, quantitative methods, interpersonal communication, media effects, risk communication, or related areas.
• Advance the educational mission of the College of Letters & Science through evidence-based and student-centered teaching and mentoring.
• Contribute to an environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for faculty, staff, students, and the broader community.
• Participate in department and university service.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree