[Job-offers-cs] Interdisciplinary postdoctoral position in the Data and Democracy Lab @Cornell University

[Pekka Orponen]

*The Center for Data Science for Enterprise & Society*
*Interdisciplinary postdoctoral position in the Data and Democracy Lab*
*Cornell University*


The Data and Democracy Lab (née MGGG Redistricting Lab 
<http://mggg.org/>) is a research group led by PI Moon Duchin in the 
Department of Mathematics and Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell. 
Members of the lab engage in interdisciplinary research, drawing on 
approaches from geometry, topology, graphs and networks, 
probability/statistics, and algorithm design, in conversation with 
geography, political science, policy, and law.  The lab is deeply 
engaged with civil rights and good-government work in representative 
democracy.

We invite applications for full-time Data/Democracy postdoctoral 
positions to begin in Fall 2025 (or Summer 2025 if desired). 
*Applications should be completed by December 1, 2024 for full 
consideration, and will continue to be reviewed until the positions have 
been filled.*   This is a one-year position, renewable to three years 
pending successful review. There are no teaching requirements, but 
teaching can be requested in mathematics, policy, or other fields 
adjacent to data science. The minimum annual salary is $83,200. The 
primary role of this postdoc will be to anchor multiple research 
projects in electoral systems (such as ranked choice voting) and 
sampling problems (such as graph partitions for redistricting) and to 
launch new research in areas connected to the work of the lab. Members 
of the lab publish in peer-reviewed journals in several disciplines.  
Other important roles may include:

- mentorship of graduate students and undergraduate members of the lab,

- software development,

- interaction and collaboration with civil rights stakeholders,

- collaboration with legal scholars and litigators.

A successful applicant will likely have a background in more than zero 
of the following mathematical areas:  geometric group theory or another 
flavor of discrete geometry, spectral graph theory, probability, 
Bayesian statistics, mathematical data science (such as topological data 
analysis), discrete Markov chains, MCMC or other applied modeling, 
computational geometry, theoretical computer science, combinatorial 
optimization, computational social choice, scientific computing, and 
algorithmic fairness.  Exposure to scholarship in humanities, social 
science, or law is preferred, and curiosity in this direction is 
essential.  If you have background in all of these areas, you are an 
unusual person indeed and we definitely want to meet you.

The application should include the following elements.  (Note that these 
expand on the requirements of the other Center for Data Science 
postdoctoral positions.)

(1) a CV;

(2) a research statement;

(3) three letters of recommendation;

(4) a background statement of no more than two pages explaining your fit 
for this position including the mathematical areas listed above.  In 
this statement, include the name of 1-2 additional possible mentors at 
Cornell, such as in math <https://math.cornell.edu/faculty>, applied 
math <https://www.cam.cornell.edu/cam/field-faculty-directory>, ORIE 
<https://www.orie.cornell.edu/orie/faculty-directory>, CS 
<https://www.cs.cornell.edu/people/faculty>, IS 
<https://infosci.cornell.edu/people/faculty>, and public policy 
<https://publicpolicy.cornell.edu/about-us/directory/?roles=full-time-faculty>;

(5) a brief comment, no more than one page, on any recent article from 
the lab (link <https://mggg.org/research>).

Possible topics to address in the background statement include the 
connection from your research statement to the work of the lab; your 
planned career trajectory; your track record in broadening participation 
in math or a related area; your experience with interdisciplinarity; etc.

APPLY ON AJO: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29160 
<https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29160>

Please contact mduchin at cornell.edu with any questions about these 
positions or the application process.


 The Center for Data Science for Enterprise & Society embraces diversity 
and seeks candidates who can contribute to a welcoming climate for 
students, staff and faculty of all races and genders. We strongly 
encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.aalto.fi/pipermail/job-offers-cs/attachments/20241201/e98d258f/attachment.htm>