Department: Communication Disorders

Salary: Rank and salary commensurate with experience.

Description:

The University of Houston seeks applicants for a nine-month, Presidential Frontier Faculty tenure-track assistant professor or tenured associate professor position, effective Fall 2025. The Presidential Frontier Faculty program is a university-wide integrated interdisciplinary hiring campaign that is overseen by central university leadership and encompasses hiring a cohort of convergence research faculty to work on health, energy, sustainability and security. The position will be a joint appointment in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) and the College of Education (CoE) Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences (PHLS) and an affiliation with the PHLS PhD program in Measurement, Quantitative Methods, & Learning Sciences. COMD will be the home department. The ideal candidate will have an earned Ph.D. with expertise in biostatistics and acquired or developmental communication challenges to align with existing research in both departments. Desired areas of statistical expertise include Bayesian statistics, causal inference methods, item response theory and survival analysis. The area of content expertise should align with one or more of the overlapping research areas of PHLS and COMD such as healthcare and health communication, speech and language development, developmental or acquired learning or communication disorders, counseling, or education; and more broadly align with (1) the mission of CLASS (to advance research, education, and public service in the humanities and social sciences that deepen our understanding of human experiences), (2) the mission of the CoE (to lead and inspire generative transformations of learning, health, leadership, and well-being by developing new knowledge for an increasingly diverse world), and (3) the University’s goal of nationally competitive research.   

Responsibilities include:  

-Developing and maintaining a funded line of research.
-Enhancing and expanding existing COMD and PHLS research in education, communication, and health through research collaborations and statistical support for faculty, doctoral students, and post-docs. 
-Facilitating multi-investigator grants related to expertise of the existing faculty and the candidate.
-Teaching doctoral-level statistics courses for students in PHLS, COMD, and other social science programs.
-Mentoring graduate and undergraduate student research.  

Qualifications: Earned Ph.D. with expertise in biostatistics and acquired or developmental communication challenges to align with existing research in both departments.

Desired areas of statistical expertise include Bayesian statistics, causal inference methods, item response theory and survival analysis. 

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) is comprised of nationally and internationally recognized tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty committed to increasing understanding of and access to effective communication. We have over 350 undergraduate- and 90 graduate students. Degrees offered include B.A. and B.S. degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Interpreting and Translation American Sign Language/English, an accredited M.A. degree in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Our on-campus University Speech-Language-Hearing clinic provides services to individuals in the greater Houston area that represent diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, ages, disorders and etiologies. Our MA program in speech-language pathology is rated #44 in the nation and #3 in the state by USNWR. Our research endeavor has grown substantially over the past 5 years in terms of research expenditures and publications.   

The Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences (PHLS) is an interdisciplinary collection of scientists, scholars, and educators committed to innovative research and academic excellence. We have nearly 2,000 undergraduates and 70 doctoral students. Degrees offered include undergraduate degrees in Human Development & Family Sciences and in Health; M.Ed. in Counseling; and PhD in Counseling Psychology; School Psychology; and Measurement, Quantitative Methods, & Learning Sciences. The B.S. in Health is one of the fastest growing programs in the university.  

Faculty in both departments conduct rigorous quantitative and qualitative research funded by federal agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Science Foundation, and the Institute of Education Sciences with the US Department of Education) to solve real world societal problems particularly in the areas of healthcare and health communication, speech and language development and disorders, acquired communication disorders, counseling, education, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders.  

The University of Houston is Carnegie 1 research institution, approaching 100 years of academic excellence and community engagement. Founded in 1927, UH serves more than 46,000 students and offers a comprehensive range of programs across 15 colleges, fostering innovation in fields such as energy, medicine, health care, hospitality, business, education, law, STEM, and the humanities. With internationally renowned faculty, a growing campus, transformational student success initiatives, and a deep commitment to public service, UH prepares its students to thrive both in the classroom and beyond. In 2024, UH earned recognition by USNWR as one of the Best Schools for both Health and Education.  The University's prime location in America's fourth-largest city supports extensive industry partnerships and experiential learning opportunities. Renowned for the Texas Medical Center, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and its role as an energy hub, Houston is home to world-class museums, acclaimed theaters, and fine dining. Houston thrives as a center for innovation, education, and arts, fostering a unique blend of community charm and modern progress.  

The University of Houston is responsive to the needs of dual career couples. 

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