Engineering a world of possibilities

The Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) invites applications for a tenured, full professor to serve as Department Head.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in mathematics, statistics or a related field and possess a proven, successful track record in research, teaching, service, and administrative/leadership experience. Evidence of successful personnel and financial management is required. Inspiring leadership qualities, enthusiasm, effective interpersonal communication and organizational skills are critical. Successful candidates will have demonstrated high ethical standards and are expected to operate in a transparent and collegial way. Successful candidates should be responsive to the needs of faculty, staff, and students within the Department and have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Experience in teaching and working in an academic environment is required, while experience working in or with industry is valued. Successful candidates will work effectively in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment within the Department, across the Mines campus, and with external partners to:

1. provide leadership to enhance the mission and activities of the Department by fostering a vision and strategy to strengthen its research and teaching missions and to enhance collaboration with other programs across campus;
2. oversee management of the Department, with budgetary responsibilities for strategic, academic, and operational development;
3. promote and support continued professional growth of faculty and staff, particularly in the areas of research program development and educational innovation;
4. facilitate a world-class environment for research in the Department with active collaborations with academia, industry, and government agencies;
5. administer and lead the renewal of curricula and faculty teaching activities;
6. represent the Department to the university administration, other university units, industry, and public and private agencies at the local, regional, national, and international levels;
7. oversee recruitment of world-class faculty, and facilitate professional development, and retention of faculty, staff, and students;
8. lead fund-raising for Departmental activities, budget preparation, and management; and

9. teach courses, advise graduate students, and maintain a leading international research program.

The Department Head will need to ensure that the Department continues to excel at undergraduate education, increase the volume and impact of research, grow the graduate program by recruiting and retaining highly qualified graduate students, and position the Department to support Mines’ strategic university plan (Mines@150).  Successful candidates will be excited to share in our mission to address the challenges of creating a sustainable global society by educating the next generation of engineers and leaders, and by expanding the frontiers of knowledge through research. We are especially interested in candidates with a passion to advance the University’s and Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the Department seeks candidates who will contribute to growing the Department’s research and education focused on society’s major challenges related to earth, energy, environment, and sustainability. For further information about the position or the Department vision, please contact Prof. Kamini Singha (search chair) at ksingha@mines.edu.

About the Department, Mines & Golden, CO
Colorado School of Mines is located in picturesque Golden, at the foothills of the Rockies, 15 miles west of Denver and 20 miles south of Boulder. Mines was ranked the No. 4 best engineering college in the United States by Money Magazine in 2020. Mines’ location in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area provides opportunities for collaborations with colleagues at other universities, in industry and at multiple government labs such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Golden, or the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder.   Annual research funding is approximately $65 million. The school's small size makes it easy for AMS faculty to form collaborations with faculty in geosciences and other disciplines on campus. The AMS Department offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degrees in both Computational and Applied Mathematics and in Statistics. 

The AMS Department, consisting of 12 tenured and tenure-track faculty and 13 teaching faculty, strives to be internationally recognized for excellence in research and teaching in applied mathematics, computational mathematics, statistics, and at the interface of these fields. As an applied department, we also focus on the applications of mathematical and statistical techniques to problems in engineering, science and society. Our faculty research is collaborative, often externally funded, and addresses substantive problems in science and engineering across Mines and with external partners while also developing new methods, theory, and algorithms motivated by these applications. As such, our faculty have strong ties to many of the national labs or medical institutions along the Front Range. To fulfill our mission to train the next generation of scientists and engineers, our faculty aim to provide students with rigorous training including proficiency in mathematical and statistical foundations; flexibility to work at the interface of mathematics and statistics; computational skills necessary for success in industry, national laboratories, or academia; and the ability to contribute as a member of an interdisciplinary team. The Department actively promotes a supportive and inclusive working environment that fosters intellectual growth, curiosity, and interdisciplinary research. More information can be found at www.mines.edu and ams.mines.edu.

Mines produces industry-ready scientists and engineers known for their work ethic, problem-solving ability and teamwork focus. Mines graduates are in great demand by companies and government entities around the world and are involved in solving major technical and societal challenges of our times. We have several initiatives aimed at enhancing teaching and the student experience, including our exceptional Trefny Innovative Instruction Center, which supports best practices for teaching and learning on campus (https://trefnycenter.mines.edu/). Our Center for Entrepreneurship and Education supports students and faculty to change the world through innovative thinking and entrepreneurial pursuits (https://innovation.mines.edu/). The Mines community has a Strategic Plan for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access, which supports a wide range of activities, including inclusive hiring, inclusivity in the classroom, cultivating a respectful and compassionate campus culture, family-friendly policies, expanding pathways for success, and ensuring shared responsibility (https://www.mines.edu/about/diversity-and-inclusion/).  

Colorado School of Mines is known globally for the quality of its distinctive graduates, the success of its alumni and its unique expertise in topics related to earth, energy and the environment. Our core values include Inquiry and Innovation, Inspiration, Challenge, Openness, Respect, Diversity, Compassion, and Collaboration. Each of the values above facilitates our shared success, and the advancement of Mines and its mission; by our examples and by our encouragement we seek to foster these values throughout our community, and especially among our students, to inspire them to pursue excellence in our shared lives of inquiry and innovation. For more information visit https://www.mines.edu/president/planning/.  

Equal Opportunity
Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons.  Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety.

Pay Range:

Chair for the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics:

$198,000 - $235,000 total annual compensation. 

The compensation for this position is based on current base salary benchmarking for the position, additional Department Head pay and additional supplemental pay for summer work.  The benefits packet will continue to reflect the offering for Academic Faculty.

Mines takes into consideration a combination of a candidate’s education, training, and experience, as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Total Rewards

Starting salary will be determined by the qualifications of the selected applicant, balanced with Departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information. Mines provides an attractive benefits package including fully paid health and dental insurance. Part of Mines' mission is to create a family-friendly environment supported through our dependent tuition benefits, parental leave benefits, and dependent care assistance plan, as well as in special events, camps, and programming. For more information visit: family.mines.edu

How and When to Apply

Interested applicants should apply online as soon as possible. For full consideration, applications should be received by December 1, 2023 (extended from November 15, 2023). Applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled.  To apply, click here.

The application must include: 

• a cover letter expressing interest in the position
• a curriculum vitae,
• a vision statement,
• a statement of research,
• a statement of teaching, and
• a statement of contributions to diversity and inclusion.

All requested statements should be three pages or less.

Vision statement: The Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) holds a distinctive and pivotal position at Mines, functioning as an exceptionally productive and rapidly advancing research entity, while also serving as a cornerstone within the undergraduate curriculum across all majors on campus. Prospective candidates are expected to articulate a strategic vision that suggests comprehensive growth strategies for both research and pedagogy, harmonizing with Mines' institutional objectives. Additionally, candidates should describe their leadership philosophy, including insights from previous engagements in steering diverse cohorts of educators and researchers.

Research Statement: Candidates should describe how their research relates to and complements research activities and expertise at Mines, its expected impact, its relevance to Mines’ goals (e.g., earth, energy and environment), and current or future connections to industry and/or opportunities for entrepreneurship. Please be sure to describe any transdisciplinary aspects of your research. (For more information visit https://www.mines.edu/president/planning/ and http://research.mines.edu/RES-Mines-Centers-Institutes).  

Teaching Statement: Mines is committed to high quality, hands-on and project-based learning. The AMS department teaches 15 credits of mathematics in the core curriculum to all undergraduate students at Mines in a highly coordinated setting, while also supporting their undergraduate and graduate programs. Teaching experience in applied mathematics, computational mathematics, statistics, and at the interface of these fields is highly valued. Additionally, Mines is growing its online master's non-thesis degree programs, and the AMS department leads both an online certificate and an online master's degree program in data science. Candidates should describe their teaching experience and how it supports the educational mission of the department, including any experience with online education.

Contributions to D&I: Candidates should submit a statement on contributions to Diversity and Inclusion. Mines is committed to access, inclusion, and diversity and is actively developing a strategic plan to advance Diversity, Inclusion and Access (for more information visit https://www.mines.edu/about/diversity-and-inclusion/). The diversity and inclusion statement should describe your past experience and proposed activities to advance access, inclusion, and diversity at Mines.  

Background Investigation Required: Yes

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting

Minimum Requirements:

• Completion of a Doctorate in mathematics, statistics or STEM-related discipline.
• Full professor level or in process of promotion to Full Professor.
• 10+ years of experience working in an academic environment to include experience in teaching, scholarship, and service; and national and international professional recognition.
• 2+ years of administrative experience and evidence of successful personnel and financial management. 
• Experience collaborating in interdisciplinary academic and professional contexts.
• A strong record of commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, and equity, and skill in working with diverse populations of faculty, students, and staff.

Preferred Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience balancing teaching, research, and administrative duties; specific experience with prioritization and balancing competing priorities that are typical in a leadership role.
• Experience mentoring junior faculty, including faculty and/or employee development and growth.