Northeastern University, Mathematics

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Our locations—in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Portland, Maine; San Francisco and Oakland; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research.

Northeastern’s comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

The College of Science at Northeastern University invites applications for positions at all ranks (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor), beginning in academic year 2023-2024 in the fields of Mathematical Modeling and Computation, broadly defined. Primary appointments will be in Mathematics with joint appointments in other departments including Physics and/or other colleges including Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the College of Engineering, and Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Appointments will have the opportunity to collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams across the University and will complement existing strengths.

The College comprises six departments: Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. Cross-disciplinary research programs and appointments are strongly encouraged within the College, and across the University.

Mathematical Modeling and Computation are at the heart of multiple areas of great societal impact. The College of Science is looking for exceptionally qualified individuals to fill faculty roles in these fields. Candidates will be considered from all areas concerned with the Mathematical Foundations of Modeling and Optimization in the Sciences and Engineering, or the Mathematics of Computation, with some emphasis on data-driven research. Relevant areas of study include Applied Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, Optimization, Discrete Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Algebraic Geometry, Data Science, High Dimensional Statistics, Probability, Complexity Theory, Security, and Cryptography.

The Department of Mathematics includes 34 tenured/tenure-track faculty, of whom 4 have joint appointments, 5 are women, and 2 are from underrepresented racial minority groups; 13 full-time teaching faculty; 7 Zelevinsky Postdoctoral Fellows; and 2 faculty with affiliated appointments. The Department enrolls approximately 700 Mathematics or Mathematics combined majors; 85 masters students in three master’s programs; and 35 Ph.D. students. Under new leadership, the College of Science, and the Mathematics Department are in a vibrant expansion phase.

Our tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. Hires will be mentored for success, with mentoring teams and group guidance. In addition, a strong and effective faculty development strategy is part of the Northeastern institutional mission. The ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development office works in conjunction with the Office of Research Development (ORD), the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and University Decision Support (UDS) to provide programs and trainings to further develop and support a thriving faculty.

Northeastern University is a global university system. Positions will primarily be on the Boston campus but may be available at any of our 14 campus locations. Opportunities to collaborate extend beyond the University. At Northeastern University, we embrace a culture of respect, where each person is valued for their contribution and is treated fairly. We oppose all forms of racism. We support a culture that does not tolerate any form of discrimination and where each person may belong. We strive to have a diverse membership, one where each person is trained and mentored to promote their success. See our website for more information about the College and its Leadership Team.

The potential hires are expected to develop vigorous research programs cross cutting the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or Health Sciences. Faculty members at Northeastern are expected to develop independent research programs that attract external funding; teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate level; supervise students and postdocs in their area of research; and participate in service to the department, university, and discipline. Qualified candidates must have excellence in, or a demonstrated commitment to, working with diverse student populations and/or in a culturally diverse work and educational environment.

Applicants must have a PhD in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field by the appointment start date. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, including academia and industry.

All applicants should have a strong record of scholarly accomplishment that demonstrates the ability to build a strong research program. Candidates seeking appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level should have substantial research productivity and an established history of grant support and academic service. Research excellence is the top-most priority. Depending on the research profile and expertise, a joint or affiliate appointment in another department(s) within the University is possible.

Interested candidates should apply here with a curriculum vita that includes a list of publications, statements addressing the prompts below, and names and contact information for at least three professional references from whom letters of reference can be solicited as needed. Applications will be reviewed beginning on November 30, 2022.

Successful faculty at Northeastern will be dynamic and innovative scholars with a record of research and teaching excellence and a commitment to contributing to improved equity, diversity, and inclusion. Thus, strong candidates for this faculty position will have the expertise, knowledge, and skills to build their research, pedagogy, and curriculum in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Please indicate how your expertise, knowledge, and skills have prepared you to contribute to this work with written statements addressing the following prompts:

Please describe the focus of your research, including the questions you have identified, the funding you have received to support the work (if applicable), the results you have discovered, and the products of these efforts. Highlight any cross-disciplinary research efforts you have undertaken. Please also describe any research you have undertaken with students, with the external community, and/or with individuals from marginalized groups. Finally, please outline the research directions you foresee pursuing in the College of Science, any cross-disciplinary and collaborative aspects, and the strategies you will take to address each direction.

Please summarize your past instructional and mentorship experiences, your pedagogical philosophy, your plans/goals for teaching in the College of Science (including existing and proposed courses), and your strategies for teaching and mentoring a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate students.

Please provide a statement describing a time when you altered or changed your approach to research, teaching, or service because of the diversity of the group you were working with or your awareness of marginalized populations. What changes did you make, and what did you learn from this situation? We are interested in how you respond to such situations, not the identities of the people involved, so please only disclose what you are comfortable with. Your statement should demonstrate an understanding of the barriers facing individuals from groups marginalized in your field and be in alignment with Northeastern’s mission to reflect the diversity of the societies in which it maintains campuses and to meet the educational needs and interests of its diverse population. Some faculty candidates may not have substantial past experience. If that is the case, we recommend focusing in your statement on the types of activities you think could be useful.

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see: www.northeastern.edu/diversity.