Tulane University, one of the nation’s premier research institutions, seeks a creative and interdisciplinary scholar to serve as the Mark D. Wheeler Chair in Artificial Intelligence within the School of Science and Engineering’s Department of Computer Science. As part of significant investment in research and faculty excellence, the Wheeler Chair will join a strong university with the opportunity to harness institutional momentum, leverage numerous assets and areas of strength, and contribute to driving interdisciplinary world-class scholarship in computing.
Tulane’s cross-disciplinary culture, community spirit, and navigable size presents a unique opportunity for a leader in AI innovation for social impact. The rapid growth of the Department of Computer Science – including new AI faculty, a new minor in AI, and over 120% growth in research funding in the past five years – makes it an ideal moment for a Chair in Artificial Intelligence to join the department. Furthermore, the Louisiana Economic Development Office’s new LA.IO and AI Research Institute – which have pledged $100M+ for innovation investment – signals a burgeoning local ecosystem for AI initiatives. The Wheeler Chair will help position Tulane as a respected leader in artificial intelligence, creating an ecosystem of cross-disciplinary AI research, education, and application. Encouraging coalescence among AI scholars and researchers across campus, harnessing the grassroots interdisciplinary efforts that are already taking place while leveraging Tulane’s unique resources to pursue new areas of interest, will be essential for the role’s success. The Wheeler Chair will create an AI For All mindset, crafting and communicating a vision for AI at Tulane that scholars across the university can buy into, and equipping and enabling others to pursue greater research opportunities.
Tulane seeks individuals with superlative scholarly records of achievement and impact in their field who are energized by Tulane’s vision and momentum. In addition to leadership in their own research area, the Wheeler Chair will have the capacity to contribute to the department's overall strategic direction, ensuring that it is advancing new frontiers in the field and capitalizing on the strengths and assets of the university. This individual will be a catalyst for research, maintaining a high-impact research agenda, mentoring faculty and students, attracting partnership with industry, and strengthening the university’s reputation as a hub for impactful interdisciplinary scholarship in artificial intelligence and computing. Candidates must have academic records commensurate with appointment with tenure and are expected to maintain an active externally-funded research program as well as contribute to the educational training and teaching missions.
Tulane University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution committed to excellence through diversity. Tulane University will not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other status or classification protected by federal, state, or local law. All eligible candidates are encouraged to apply.
