Description

The Department of Communication at North Carolina State University invites applications for an open rank tenure/tenure-track Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in Communication specializing in science communication, beginning August 16, 2027.

We seek a community-engaged scholar whose research demonstrates a passionate commitment to the study and practice of science communication, including topics such as (but not limited to) public trust in science, dis- and misinformation, public engagement in science, audience engagement, message design, research translation, and science literacy. The position is intended to complement and extend existing strengths in the Department, including interpersonal communication, organizational communication, public relations and strategic communication, rhetoric and civic engagement, and science, health, environmental, and risk communication. We welcome candidates whose research on science communication intersects with one or more of these areas or develops new connections among them.

This position is part of the Leadership in Public Science Faculty Cluster, created in 2016. Cluster members—both individually and collaboratively—advance scholarship, teaching, and service to deepen our understanding and practice of the public’s engagement with science on campus and beyond. The cluster’s current focus spans citizen and community science, public engagement with science, civic and collective scientific literacy, and the democratization and decolonization of scientific knowledge. The new science communication faculty member will have the opportunity to collaborate with existing cluster faculty in the College of Natural Resources and College of Education as well as discipline-based educational research faculty in the College of Sciences. To expand and extend scholarship in public science, faculty will be expected to integrate science communication into interdisciplinary research endeavors, contribute to cross-disciplinary teaching and graduate mentoring, and engage in high-impact outreach.

This new faculty member will contribute to Department of Communication undergraduate programs (B.A. in Communication and undergraduate minor in science communication) and graduate teaching and mentoring our graduate programs (M.S. in Communication and Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media). Tenured and tenure-track faculty members have a teaching load of 2/2, develop courses in their areas of expertise and contribute, through service, to the intellectual life of the Department, the College, the University and the field. The faculty member will be expected to seek internal and external research funding and develop collaborative initiatives, in particular as part of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Communication or a related field by August 2027. The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications November 15, 2026. Questions may be directed to Search Committee Chair, Dr. Ken Zagacki, kszagack@ncsu.edu. 

Requirements

Applications via the NC State University website: 

https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/235941

Posting #PG194954EP

Please include:

CV 
Cover Letter 
Contact information for at least three (3) professional references
Research Statement
Teaching Statement

About the Department:

The Department of Communication at NC State is an accomplished community of students, staff members, teachers and researchers with varied intellectual interests in the communication arts and sciences. Through our teaching, research and service, we cultivate responsible, caring and collaborative communication practices for our students, our community partners and the global citizenry. We do this because communication is central to addressing the significant challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century and we are committed to enabling people, organizations and communities to thrive. Our Department’s curricular domains include interpersonal communication; organizational communication; rhetoric; media studies; public relations; media production; and science, health, environment, and risk communication (SHER). We serve approximately 800 undergraduate Majors, 50 minors in Science Communication, and 40 graduate students. Faculty also teach in the Department’s Master of Science in Communication program and in its interdisciplinary doctoral program in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media (in partnership with the Department of English). NC State promotes an integrated approach to problem solving that transforms lives and provides leadership for social, economic and technological development across North Carolina and around the world. NC State’s land grant mission of teaching, research and service is dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. Applicants are encouraged to review the institution’s mission, vision and strategic plan, and consider how their background, interest and experience would enable them to support the university. The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications November 15, 2026.

About the University:

NC State University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-515-3148 to speak with a representative at the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.