Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Philosophy Department

Penn State University•University Park, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Philosophy Department at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA, invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position, at the rank of Assistant Professor with a specialization in the ethical and philosophical questions raised by artificial intelligence (AI ethics). Candidates must have demonstrated ability as a researcher, scholar, and teacher in AI ethics, and have evidence of growth in scholarly achievement. The Department hopes candidates will be able to develop curriculum related to AI ethics for general education, the major, and other university-wide initiatives. The anticipated start date for this position is Fall 2027, with flexibility. A Ph.D. in philosophy or related field is required by the appointment date. Duties will involve a combination of teaching, research, and service, based on the candidate’s qualifications. The position will include residential and online instruction and normal university service. In-person teaching is an essential function of this job. Penn State’s Department of Philosophy teaching and research strengths include: continental philosophy, critical philosophy of race, feminist philosophy, the history of philosophy, Latin American philosophy, and critical theory. The successful candidate will hold a 50% appointment in the Rock Ethics Institute. Based in the College of the Liberal Arts, the Institute pursues a university-wide mission of promoting interdisciplinary and engaged ethics research and ethical leadership, with research strengths in the ethical dimensions of agriculture and food, artificial intelligence, citizenship and immigration, climate and sustainability, criminal justice and policing, empathy and moral psychology, engineering, gender and sexuality, health, race, and technology. The Institute seeks candidates who will be effective in working on and leading interdisciplinary teams that embed ethical analysis into research projects and who have experience and interest in integrating ethics into undergraduate and graduate curricula. The standard teaching load during the academic year is four courses per academic year. However, the successful candidate will receive one course release each year for the first five years for enhancing existing ethics research and curricular initiatives as well as building new initiatives and programs aligned with the Institute’s mission.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability as a researcher, scholar, and teacher in AI ethics
Evidence of growth in scholarly achievement
Ph.D. in philosophy or related field by the appointment date

Nice To Haves

Experience and interest in integrating ethics into undergraduate and graduate curricula
Effective in working on and leading interdisciplinary teams that embed ethical analysis into research projects

Responsibilities

Teaching
Research
Service
Residential and online instruction
Normal university service
In-person teaching
Develop curriculum related to AI ethics for general education, the major, and other university-wide initiatives
Work on and lead interdisciplinary teams that embed ethical analysis into research projects
Integrate ethics into undergraduate and graduate curricula