Assistant Professor of Statistics

Summary: The Department of Statistics at Grand Valley State University invites applications for three full-time, tenure-track positions in Statistics to begin August 6, 2025.  This is an open field search, and candidates from Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science or a related field with a commitment to quality teaching and strong data analysis and computing skills are encouraged to apply.

Candidates who have experience in inclusive pedagogies, mentoring students minoritized in the sciences, or research relating to social inequity and diverse community populations are encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications and Education

• PhD in Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science or a related field, with at least 18 graduate credit hours in statistics. We will also consider candidates who have achieved ABD status and who will complete their degree by September 1, 2026.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality teaching and the use of engaging pedagogical methods that foster academic success for first-generation students, adult learners, and students across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.
• Strong data analysis and computing skills using software such as R, SAS, Python and/or SPSS.
• Commitment to quality scholarship broadly defined to include collaborative research and consulting.
• A willingness to adapt teaching to the rapidly changing data science landscape.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, such as interacting with others with respect, empathy, and cultural humility.

Preferred Qualifications and Education

• Demonstrated effectiveness/excellence in teaching.
• Experience using software such as R, SAS, Python and/or SPSS in the classroom.
• Experience mentoring student research.
• Experience working as a statistical consultant or in collaboration with other disciplines or community organizations.
• An understanding of the varying needs of a diverse student population and demonstrated experience supporting students’ academic and professional success.

Responsibilities : Duties include teaching, appropriate with your expertise, throughout the statistics curriculum including introductory service courses and graduate courses; participating in professional scholarship, which is broadly defined in our department and includes theoretical and pedagogical research and consulting activities; and department and university service. Teaching load is typically 9 credit hours per semester. Reduced teaching loads and/or grants are available for professional development, consulting, and research.

Minimum Starting Salary: $69,797; commensurate with experience.

Benefits: Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The university offers an excellent comprehensive package that includes health/vision/dental plans, life insurance, retirement, sick/leave disability, tuition waiver, adoption resources, wellness coaching, and free access to campus fitness facilities. Family and childcare options on and off-campus are also available.

Department: The Department of Statistics at Grand Valley State University places an emphasis on teaching excellence using inclusive pedagogies, active scholarship with diverse learners and service to the university and community. Our department offers a Master’s degree in Biostatistics, Applied Statistics, an undergraduate major in Statistics (with a potential emphasis in Actuarial Science), and minors in Mathematical Statistics and Applied Statistics. We jointly offer a Master’s degree and an undergraduate degree in Data Science and Analytics and a minor in Data Science with the School of Computing. In addition, our department offers a variety of statistics courses in support of the university’s many other graduate programs. Currently our department has approximately 30 graduate students, 110 majors and 130 minors. The department and university are strongly committed to using technology in teaching at all levels. GVSU maintains a robust computer infrastructure across multiple platforms, including a center that supports high performance computing (HPC) scholarship and teaching and manages and supports an RStudio Pro Server.  The student and faculty networks at GVSU maintain the current versions of SAS, SPSS, R, and JMP. Our department also maintains a vibrant Statistical Consulting Center that supports statistical activity across the university. For more information, see our web site at www.gvsu.edu/stat  or call (616) 331-3355.   

We encourage interdisciplinary research efforts with other majors, minors, and emphasis areas. The department takes a broad view of research and is supportive of collaborative research. Opportunities exist for collaborations across the university community, for example, engaging with problems in data ethics with the philosophy department, working on problems with engineering students and professors, and working collaboratively with Health Science researchers and students. Examples of collaboration partners in the local area include Meijer, Steelcase, Spectrum Health, and the Van Andel Research Institute. We recognize the breadth of applied potential in the discipline of statistics and are committed to supporting those collaborations.

College: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the largest college at Grand Valley, offering over 50 bachelor’s degrees and a growing number of advanced degrees in the natural and mathematical sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and the social sciences. CLAS is a student-centered and diverse learning community that engages in critical inquiry, extending knowledge to enrich and enliven individual and public life. Our faculty are active teacher-scholars committed to equitable, inclusive, career-connected, and community-engaged liberal arts and sciences education. There are many opportunities for collaboration within CLAS and across a broad group of partners on and off campus.

Campus and Community: Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a public comprehensive institution located in West Michigan with campuses in Allendale, downtown Grand Rapids, and Holland, plus centers in Muskegon and Traverse City. The University attracts more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students with high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities, and has been nationally recognized for innovativeness and its contribution to students’ social mobility. The greater Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a population of around one million people, is affordable and rich in cultural amenities, and is located within driving distance of Chicago, Detroit, Lake Michigan beaches, and many other superb summer and winter recreational venues. GVSU is highly rated for safety, sustainability, and veteran and LGBTQ friendliness, and we are committed to supporting employees and their families in work-life balance.

How To Apply: Apply online at GVSU Careers. To be considered for the position, applicants must upload the following to the online application: (i) a cover letter that addresses the applicant’s qualifications for the position; (ii) a current vita; (iii) a single document which contains a statement of teaching philosophy and a statement of scholarly interests; and (iv) a statement of your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity, and service. Also include (v) an unofficial copy of your transcript. The online application will allow you to attach these documents electronically, in the same file location.  Applicants selected for interviews will be required to submit official transcripts prior to the interview. If you need assistance, call Human Resources at 616-331-2215 or contact the chair of the search committee, Dr. Diann Reischman, at reischmd@gvsu.edu.

Application Deadline: Consideration of applicants will begin on December 2, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. The position may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University.

Grand Valley State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities, women, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities. See www.gvsu.edu/affirmative/. TDD Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or 1-800-833-7833 (out of State).

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week.  The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. See www.gvsu.edu/affirmative/. TDD Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or 1-800-833-7833 (out of State).

Grand Valley State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities, women, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities.