Description

The Department of Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for multiple tenure-line faculty positions in applied AI systems, located in State College, Pennsylvania. The appointments are at the assistant or associate professor rank and begin in August 2027 at the University Park campus. Remote appointments are not permitted for these hires.

We seek outstanding scholars in one of the following two areas. Applicants are invited to address the area that fits their work; there is no expectation that a candidate speaks to both.

Enterprise AI: We seek scholars who study and teach how AI is engineered, integrated, deployed, governed, and/or continuously improved in real organizational contexts. Examples of relevant expertise include generative AI and agentic systems in the enterprise; human-AI collaboration and the redesign of work; AI governance, assurance, and risk; and/or the integration of AI into core business functions such as accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, operations, and supply chain. We welcome candidates working at the intersection of information systems and applied AI, including those whose scholarship engages enterprise systems, business processes, digital transformation, and organizational computing. We are especially interested in candidates who build and evaluate AI-enabled systems in partnership with organizations, and who are prepared to develop project-based curricula that prepare students to deploy and govern AI at scale.

Physical AI: We seek scholars who design, build, and/or deploy physical AI systems, particularly edge AI and cyber-physical systems, which can sense, reason, and act in the physical world. Such systems take many forms, including embedded and autonomous systems, robotics, wearables and health-sensing devices, instrumented environments, and the Internet of Things. Examples of relevant expertise include embedded and on-device machine learning, resource-constrained and real-time computation, sensing and actuation, hardware-software co-design, and/or edge-cloud system architecture, demonstrated through working systems that are prototyped, deployed, and/or evaluated in real environments. We are interested in candidates whose systems reach domains such as healthcare, smart homes and buildings, manufacturing, transportation, and public services, and who treat usability and/or sustainability as engineering requirements. Successful candidates will be prepared to build hands-on, project-based curricula in collaboration with industry partners.

We particularly welcome applicants whose research demonstrates interdisciplinary collaboration and addresses significant societal, governmental, or industrial challenges. 

Requirements

Candidates will demonstrate a record of research accomplishment or strong research potential in the area to which they apply, an ability to publish in high-quality peer-reviewed venues, a record of teaching or strong teaching potential in relevant subjects, and technical competence in contemporary AI technologies and their application.

Candidates will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses; conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research; supervise and mentor graduate students; actively pursue external funding to support research activities; engage in service activities at the college and university levels; and collaborate with faculty across the university and with industry partners.  

Candidates will possess a PhD in information sciences, informatics, information systems, computer science, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, computer engineering, electrical engineering, business analytics, or a related field before their appointment start date at Penn State. Applicants for the rank of Assistant Professor will demonstrate strong potential for developing a collaborative, interdisciplinary research project that is competitive for external funding and potential to contribute to the college’s teaching mission. Candidates seeking the rank of Associate Professor should have a strong record of scholarly achievement, external funding, and demonstrated success in teaching and service.

Applicants will attach documentation during their application process and should include a cover letter with information about their interests and qualifications for the position, indicating which of the two areas they are applying to. They will also include their:

i) research statement covering accomplishments and plans (2-3 pages),

ii) teaching statement (1-2 pages),

iii) curriculum vitae, and

iv) contact information for at least three professional references.

Candidates may combine these materials into one document prior to uploading, or they may upload separate files. 

Inquiries about the position may be directed to facultyrecruiting@ist.psu.edu. Review of applications begins on November 1, 2026, and will continue until positions are filled.