Head of Psychology

The Department of Psychology – a community of over 25 full-time faculty, 10 full-time staff, and 40 PhDs and Postdocs – seeks a new Head to lead the Department as it continues to innovate and expand as a world leader in research and education. Shaped by many seminal thinkers, the Department has developed an interdisciplinary approach to Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology (with an emphasis on Learning Science and Education), and Social and Health Psychology.

The Department collaborates in research closely with a wide variety of departments and institutes, including Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Robotics, Language Technology, Human Computer Interaction, Philosophy, Social and Decision Sciences, Data Science and Statistics, and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, as well as many other departments and Schools at Carnegie Mellon. The Psychology Department also works in close collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh College of Arts and Sciences and Medical School. With these connections and close ties, CMU provides a unique environment for interdisciplinary research and has a strong track record of innovative collaborations across departments and institutions. Research support within the Department includes funding from the NIH, the NSF, and the DOD, as well as multiple foundations.

The Department offers Doctoral degrees in Psychology and in Cognitive Neuroscience, with some faculty also participating in the Doctoral Program in Neural Computation. The Department offers several Bachelor’s degrees, including in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience, all with an emphasis on hands-on research experience both in and out of the classroom.

The Role of Department Head

At Carnegie Mellon, departments are supervised and guided by a head rather than a chair, and the Head has substantial budgetary and strategic authority.  The Head’s responsibilities include:

●        managing budgets and allocating resources (with substantial discretion);

●        representing the Department to the College and the University;

●        coordinating among the Department, its faculty, its staff, and its trainees;

●        working with the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Directors as well as directly working with both Graduate and Undergraduate students;

●        managing the faculty and staff hiring processes;

●        managing faculty reviews, reappointments, and promotions;

●        advancing the Department’s mission for research, scholarly excellence, education, and diversity/equity/inclusion.

As such, the successful candidate will provide a coherent vision for the Department’s different areas of research and teaching, serve as an advocate for all programs in the Department to ensure that they are excellent and sustainably so, support the faculty in their diverse research activities, and collaborate with faculty to shape both short-term and long-range strategies for future development.

Outside of the Department, the Head is responsible for promoting the Department’s research and educational activities, for connecting the intellectual and educational mission of the Department to the broader mission of Carnegie Mellon University, and for helping to foster relationships with other departments and units across campus.

With multiple new faculty hiring opportunities, the next Head will have the opportunity to work with the faculty to capitalize on existing strengths and move the Department in new and exciting directions. There are commitments from the senior administration to grow emerging research areas in the Department, creating world-class groups that connect to and synergize with CMU’s strengths in Computation, Data Science, Engineering, Decision Science, and Social/Health Psychology.

Qualifications and Personal Characteristics

Candidates must have a record of academic achievement in a research area germane to Cognitive, Social/Health, or Developmental Psychology, should merit appointment as full professor at Carnegie Mellon University with tenure and have experience in administration and/or program direction; a commitment to working with diverse groups of students, faculty, staff, and other university constituents; excellent interpersonal skills; and a commitment to promoting the further growth of interdisciplinary research and teaching, in addition to developing connections to the other Pittsburgh campus colleges and linkages to our national and international CMU campuses.

Application Procedure

CMU is partnering with the executive search firm Perrett Laver on this search. Applications should consist of 1) a letter of interest outlining their qualifications for the position, with specific reference to the opportunities for the next Head listed above; 2) a current CV; and 3) the names and contact information for three references. Further information, including details of how to apply, can be downloaded at https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies/, quoting reference 6752. The closing date for applications is Midnight EDT on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Carnegie Mellon University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its community on a range of intellectual and cultural dimensions. Carnegie Mellon welcomes applicants who will contribute to this diversity through their research, teaching and service, including women, members of minority groups, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and others who would expand the department’s strengths.

Carnegie Mellon University also seeks to meet the needs of dual-career couples and is a member of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) that assists with dual-career searches.

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