The College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama seeks an experienced and established academic leader to serve as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics with an anticipated start date of August 16, 2026. The position is a 12-month appointment reporting to the Dean of College of Sciences and Mathematics. The successful applicant will be expected to assume a strong leadership role in the department and college, with particular focus on advancing the department and the university’s missions of teaching, research, and service. They will also be expected to maintain a quality research portfolio and participate in the teaching mission of the department.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Create and support a culture that aims to achieve excellence in research, teaching, outreach, and service.
- Manage the daily affairs of the department.
- Manage the department’s fiscal resources.
- Oversee curriculum development and class scheduling.
- Lead the department in recruiting, evaluating, and mentoring faculty and staff.
- Represent the department at external functions and assist in the department and the college’s fundraising efforts.
- Work collaboratively with the leaders of the other departments in the college, the Dean, and other administrators as part of the college leadership team.
About the Department:
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Auburn University has a strong and growing faculty of more than 50 members, including over 20 new hires in the past five years, spanning diverse areas of pure and applied mathematics and statistics. The department offers degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and serves a large and active student body with opportunities for specialization in actuarial science, pure and applied mathematics, and data-driven quantitative fields.
The department’s faculty pursue fundamental and interdisciplinary research in algebra, analysis, differential equations, topology, geometry, numerical analysis, probability, statistics, and data science, with connections to fields across science, engineering, and computation. Faculty are engaged in both theoretical discovery and applied collaborations that advance Auburn’s research and land-grant mission.
As soon as Fall 2026, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics will have a new home, including state-of-the-art research and instructional facilities, as part of an approximately $225 million STEM-Ag complex.
About the College:
As one of the largest colleges at Auburn University, the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) has over 200 faculty members and 100 full-time staff spread across five departments and is dedicated to enhancing students' and faculty's success. COSAM’s research initiatives are an extension of the university’s mission—to produce global solutions through the pursuit of knowledge. In addition to the mathematical sciences, COSAM’s faculty and students conduct pioneering research spanning the basic sciences, including biology, chemistry, ecology, geosciences, and physics. COSAM is also home to a strong community of faculty engaged in education research across STEM. The college provides students with a solid academic foundation, and its graduates consistently build upon the college’s tradition of excellence. COSAM continues to be a leader in outreach, where its faculty and students spark excitement in science and mathematics for future generations through hands-on demonstrations and interactive learning events throughout the year.
About the University:Auburn University is a Land Grant institution with R1 research productivity that is rooted in more than 160 years of tradition, occupies 1,841 acres, and is the academic home to more than 30,000 students. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement and professional success, and public/private partnerships garners a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health, and societal impact. Auburn University is understanding of and sensitive to the family needs of faculty, including dual-career couples. Please visit the following link for more information:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/pdf/guidelines-dual-career-services.pdf
Location:
Auburn, AL, is a vibrant and thriving college town and community recognized as one of the top small towns in the South. Known as the “Loveliest Village on the Plains,” Auburn offers a high quality of life including a vibrant cultural scene. Auburn is located on the I-85 corridor of southeastern U.S. cities: Atlanta and the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Birmingham, Montgomery, the world-famous Gulf Coast Beaches, and the southern Appalachian Mountains are all relatively close to and readily accessible from Auburn. Auburn University is understanding of, and sensitive to, the family needs of faculty, including dual-career couples. Area housing costs are significantly lower than the national average but show upward trends.
