University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Application Process:

Click “Apply Now” and login or create an applicant profile. Complete the application and upload the following required documents:

1. Cover letter explaining your interest in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. A statement describing your research and scholarly activities, future directions, and broader impacts.
4. A statement describing your teaching and mentoring practices.
5. A statement of how your combined professional and academic experiences have equipped you to make a valuable contribution to the COE Complete Engineer ® Program (engineering.unl.edu/complete-engineer).
6. A list of at least three (3) professional references including contact information.

The statements for items 3, 4, and 5 together should total no more than six (6) pages. Please upload them using the "Additional Attachments" link.

Job Summary:

The School of Computing (SoC) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) is undergoing strategic expansion and invites applications for tenured/tenure-track faculty positions at the assistant or associate professor rank to begin in Fall 2026. SoC offers a collegial, collaborative culture and broad interdisciplinary research across our campus. We seek exceptional candidates who can establish a substantial scholarly research and teaching program in Software Engineering or Data Science.

Software Engineering
We seek outstanding candidates with expertise in software engineering. We are particularly interested in researchers whose work bridges software assurance with the validation and verification of machine learning (ML) and AI-enabled systems, as well as cyber-physical systems. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, testing and debugging of learning components, formal methods for ML assurance and trustworthy AI, safety and reliability of autonomous and cyber-physical systems, explainability and interpretability of AI-based software, integration of assurance methodologies into modern software engineering workflows, and advanced program analysis for dependability and reliability. While these topics are of special interest, we welcome applicants from the full breadth of software engineering disciplines.

Data Science
We seek outstanding candidates whose work bridges data science with AI, software engineering, robotics, cyber-physical systems, or computational science. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, Machine learning and statistical modeling, responsible, fair, and transparent AI, Data-centric software systems and architectures, data visualization and image processing, streaming or embedded data analytics, and domain applications such as health, energy, agriculture, or transportation.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and maintain a vigorous, externally funded research program in software engineering or a closely related area. They will contribute to both undergraduate and graduate education through teaching and mentoring, offering courses aligned with their area of expertise. Additional responsibilities include active participation in departmental, college, and university governance, contributions to curriculum development, and engagement in interdisciplinary collaborations with partners across campus as well as in industry, government, and national laboratories.

To support early-career success, the position includes a competitive startup package designed to establish a strong research program. This package provides funding for equipment, graduate student support, and research expenses, along with a reduced teaching load during the initial years. The successful candidate will also have access to modern laboratory space in our state-of-the-art facilities and shared departmental resources, including advanced computational infrastructure provided through Holland Computing Center (hcc.unl.edu).

About Us:

School of Computing Overview

The SoC is undergoing an exciting period of significant growth and has hired 12 tenured/tenure-track faculty members since 2019. We are committed to promoting inclusive excellence among our faculty and seek to attract and retain a high-performing, diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to meet the varying needs of the diverse populations we serve.

SoC is recognized for its work in Empirical Software Engineering, Testing, and Formal Methods, and is expanding into areas such as Mining Software Repositories, Software Security, and Human-centered Software Engineering. SoC is enhancing research in Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning, recently introducing a new Data Science undergraduate major, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Master’s degree and Graduate Certificate program, and undergraduate AI minor, aiming to develop impactful programs in health, agriculture, biocomputing, and robotics. The school also leads a Cybersecurity Initiative to tackle security challenges with AI and ML techniques. Additionally, SoC is a leader in IoT and Agricultural IoT, spearheading the Nebraska IoT Initiative through a public-private partnership. This includes collaborations on significant infrastructure projects and the formation of the interlocal agency iLNK. Furthermore, the NIMBUS lab excels at developing Uncrewed Aircraft Systems for agricultural and scientific applications and contributes to the $25 million Heartland Robotics Cluster.

College Growth

The College of Engineering has hired more than 65 new faculty members over the past five years and continues to grow its faculty base to support future expansion. The School of Computing is central to advancing the College’s ambitious research goals, supported by state-of-the-art facilities—including a new $75 million research building and a $115 million engineering education building that opened in 2024. The College is committed to providing a world-class engineering education through initiatives such as the nationally recognized Complete Engineer® Program. Notably, UNL’s College of Engineering was among the first three institutions in the country to earn the ASEE Diversity Recognition Program Silver Award. We are seeking an innovative leader with a clear vision for growth and a strong commitment to excellence in research, education, and engagement within the School of Computing.

About Us Continued:

About UNL, Lincoln, and Omaha

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is Nebraska’s land-grant research university, a member of the Big Ten, and ranks among Doctoral Universities with the Highest Research Activity [Carnegie CIHE]. As the state’s flagship institution, UNL plays a key role in the region's research and innovation landscape and leverages CoE presence in Lincoln and Omaha. The city of Omaha, the largest metropolitan area in Nebraska, is a rising tech hub in the Midwest. Lincoln, the state capital, is also part of a growing high-tech region known as the ‘Midwest Silicon Prairie’. Taking advantage of both communities, UNL offers a vibrant, welcoming, family-friendly community with a strong economy, excellent public school systems, a modest cost of living, and a high quality of life. Learn more about life in Lincoln and Omaha at placetobelnk.com, aboutlincoln.unl.edu, and visitomaha.com.

Required Qualifications:

• • A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field by the start date of the appointment.
  • Demonstrated research expertise in foundation or applied data science research, software engineering, software security, programming languages, or closely related areas, depending on the candidate’s area of study.
  • Evidence of high scholarly productivity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications).
  • Evidence of or potential to establish and sustain an externally funded research program.
  • A demonstrated commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education.

Preferred Qualifications:

• • Experience in the development and offering of innovative undergraduate and graduate courses.
  • Potential to contribute to curriculum innovation and program development in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or data science.
  • Experience collaborating on interdisciplinary research teams or with industry, federal agencies, or national laboratories.

Additional Information:

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.