Description
The Opportunity
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites nominations and applications for a full-time, 12-month, position of tenured professor and director of the newly formed School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences with an anticipated start date in summer 2026. The director is the unit head, provides leadership for the school, and is essential to the decision-making and administrative functions within the unit, including academic programs, budget, hiring, evaluations, and facilities.
The UCF School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences (SDMSS) is a new interdisciplinary unit within the College of Sciences formed from the merger of the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Statistics and Data Science. The new school has a growing, innovative population of faculty and students carrying out theoretical and applied research in mathematics, statistics, data science, actuarial science, and artificial intelligence / machine learning. The school’s undergraduate academic programs include degrees in data science, actuarial science, mathematics, and statistics. Graduate programming includes a M.S. degree in Statistics and Data Science with two tracks in Data Science and Statistical Computing and a SAS certificate program, a M.S. degree in Mathematics with tracks in Industrial Mathematics and Financial Mathematics, a Ph.D. in Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Big Data Analytics with a track in Statistics. The Ph.D. in Big Data Analytics is the first Ph.D. program of its kind in the state of Florida and only one of a few across the globe and has been ranked #4 nationally by TechGuide’s Best Data Analytics Ph.D. programs in 2025.
With 70 full-time faculty, SDMSS serves over 120 graduate students and 800 program majors, provides prerequisite courses for colleges such as Engineering & Computer Science and Medicine, and offers general education courses that support the broader undergraduate student community. As a significant service teaching unit, the school annually supports roughly 4,000 undergraduate FTE across more than 600 course sections of various class sizes. It is a collegial academic unit with broad representation that values collaborations and mentorship across subdisciplines. School faculty collaborate with faculty from across the College of Sciences as well as the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the National Center of Forensic Science, the Nanoscience and Technology Center, the College of Optics and Photonics, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, and the College of Community Innovation and Education, thus preparing our students for complex problem solving in an interdisciplinary world. For more information, visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/sdmss/.
The UCF College of Sciences (COS) is the largest college at the university and a powerhouse for the regional and national STEM workforce, spanning the natural, computational, physical, and social sciences and housing centers, institutes and initiatives that serve as hubs for research and innovation. Through sharing and applying knowledge, COS is cultivating pathways for students to solve our world’s most pressing and complex problems. With a mission to provide a world-class education in an environment where faculty, staff, and students thrive, research flourishes, and our community prospers; a number of COS academic programs are among those nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review, and others. For more information, please visit https://sciences.ucf.edu.
UCF, named one of the most innovative public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, is located in Orlando, Florida and is classified as a Very High Research Activity university by the Carnegie Foundation. With more than 70,000 students, UCF is one of the largest universities in the country, offering more than 240 degree programs. UCF is an economic engine, attracting and supporting industries vital to the region's future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. For more information, visit http://www.ucf.edu.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in a field appropriate for the School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences from an accredited institution is required.
In addition, the successful applicant must have a distinguished record of teaching, research, and service commensurate with a tenured faculty member at the rank of professor at UCF by time of hire. Candidates will have a demonstrated record of administrative leadership in a university or similar setting.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preference will be given to candidates who have a record of administrative leadership in a university or similar setting of at least 2 years.
Preference will also be given to candidates who have demonstrated experience in handling faculty matters, supervising staff, managing budgets, and who have strong communication skills.
Additional Application Materials Required:
UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/ . In addition to the online application, interested candidates should upload the following materials:
A current curriculum vitae (CV)
A 2-to-3-page letter of interest including research and leadership experience, teaching philosophy, and vision for the school.
NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.
The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials.
Review of applications will begin on January 20, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.
Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Brett McCollum, Search Committee Chair, at brett.mccollum@ucf.edu.
Special Instructions to the Applicants:
Sponsorship for employment-based visas will only be considered under exceptional circumstances and is not guaranteed. Preference will be given to candidates who are currently authorized to work for any employer in the United States.
Job Close Date:
Open until filled.
Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted as “Open until filled” may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.
Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.
Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:
Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.
The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.
Apply Online:
https://jobs.ucf.edu/jobs/professor-and-director-school-of-data-mathematical-and-stistical-sciences-orlando-florida-united-states
