Assistant Professor in Emerging Media/Technology

The University of Florida Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology housed at the UF College of Journalism and Communications, invites applications for a nine-month tenure-track assistant professor position in emerging media/technology.

Description of the job position:

The Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology (MPMT) at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in emerging media/technology, starting August 2025.

We are looking for a faculty member who conducts original research that examines the psychological processing, or the societal and cultural implications of emerging media or emerging technologies, including, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)-related technologies, such as social robots, recommendation systems, algorithms, virtual humans, and generative AI
• Immersive media, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other forms of extended reality (XR)
• Digital games and media entertainment
• Social media and mobile media
• Sensor technologies, such as surveillance cameras and biometric devices
• Science and Technology Studies
• Laws and policies related to emerging media industry and development

Applicants are expected to demonstrate a solid theoretical basis for understanding emerging media and use diverse traditional or innovative methods to analyze and explain emerging media practices.

The candidate will teach core courses and elective courses in the Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology. The candidate may also have opportunities to develop new courses in the department and teach graduate-level courses within the College of Journalism and Communications.

About the Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology

The Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology is one of the premier programs in offering courses related to mass media and emerging media. Our curriculum prepares students for the media industry through three specializations: Digital Film and Video Production, Management and Strategy, and Media and Society. The department has about 500 majors and 19 full-time faculty. Students from the department pursue careers in film production, TV program production, social media management, brand management, consumer analysis, UI/UX design, and digital marketing.

About the College of Journalism and Communications

We are recognized as a national leader in communication scholarship and professional skills development. Be part of an ambitious, progressive, and collaborative program at one of the top public research universities in the United States.

Accredited by ACEJMC, the college has earned its reputation for excellence over the last half-century on the strength of its programs, faculty, students, and alumni; the stories they tell; and the difference they make around the world. With over 83 full-time faculty members and 150 part-time instructors serving in four academic departments—Advertising; Journalism; Media Production, Management, and Technology; and Public Relations—we enroll about 2,500 undergraduates both in-person and on-line. Additionally, more than 700 graduate students are earning master’s and doctoral degrees.

The College of Journalism and Communications offers multiple research and teaching environments, including the Atlas Lab for social media listening; the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology; the STEM Translational Communication Center; the Center for Public Interest Communications; the Media, Effects, and Technology Lab; the Institute for Public Relations; The Agency, a full-service student-run advertising and public relations agency; the Innovation News Center; Division of Media Properties; and more. The College is highly involved in UF’s AI Initiative.

About the University of Florida

Our university ranked in the top 6 among public universities, in the top 28 overall, and in the number 1 in online undergraduate programs by the 2024 U.S. News and World Report. UF continues to expand its faculty ranks and the impact of its research and curriculum. UF faculty annually generate more than $1 billion in research expenditures, with a comprehensive long-term AI initiative (https://ai.ufl.edu/about/) and availability of state-of-the-art infrastructure that includes a supercomputer.

The University of Florida is a member of the Association of American Universities and is categorized in the Carnegie Commission’s top tier of research universities. UF has a student body of more than 60,000 who come from all 50 states in the United States and more than 100 countries. The university and greater Gainesville communities enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.

The University of Florida is located in north central Florida, a region known for its abundant natural beauty. Gainesville is within a two-hour drive of Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico.

About Gainesville

As home to Florida's largest and oldest university, Gainesville (http://cityofgainesville.org) is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. Gainesville and the surrounding area is home to about 250,000 people, a robust arts community, several museums, a world-class health care system anchored at UF, a downtown core known for its restaurants and brew pubs, excellent public and private schools, and abundant nature exemplified by clear, natural springs. Additionally, within 2 hours are attractions such as Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and historic St. Augustine. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds.

UF Benefits

At the University of Florida, you will not only find competitive salaries, but you’ll enjoy elevated benefits and leave options, tuition assistance programs, and stability and support with opportunities for advancement and career growth that only UF can offer. To view the university’s Total Reward benefit package, please click here, https://benefits.hr.ufl.edu.

Commensurate with experience.

The candidate should have a Ph.D. in a field related to media and communication, or in a field related to social sciences with a focus on media and communication by August 2025.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a record of scholarship in emerging media/technologies that leads to strong publications and a high likelihood of securing internal and external funding. The candidate should also demonstrate their potential in establishing a national and international reputation. 

The candidate should demonstrate a commitment to enhancing and nourishing a culture that supports the growth and development of all employees and a climate that allows everyone to do their best work.

Applications must be submitted online via https://jobs.ufl.edu and include the following:

1. A cover letter that addresses the candidate’s research programs and teaching experiences
2. A complete curriculum vita
3. Teaching evaluation data, where available, or other evidence of teaching effectiveness.
4. Copies of two representative publications, particularly pieces the candidate has first-authored or lead-authored.
5. Names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references.

The review of applications will begin on October 21st and will continue until the position is filled.

The search committee consists of Kun Xu, Yu-Hao Lee, and Jasmine McNealy. Questions can be directed to the search committee chair, Kun Xu, at kun.xu@ufl.edu. 

The final candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.