Associate Professor of Communication Studies/College of Liberal Arts

The Department of Communication at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley invites applications for a Associate Professor of Communication Studies with tenure beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year. The area of specialization is open. The successful candidate will maintain an active research agenda and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the candidate's area of expertise and may also contribute to graduate communication research methods and applied communication research. The candidate will contribute to curriculum development and assessment; support the department's undergraduate and graduate programs and graduate certificates; advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students; supervise master's theses and professional projects; and provide service to the department, college, university, discipline, and community. The selected candidate will actively contribute to the programmatic and disciplinary leadership of the undergraduate BA program in Communication Studies.

About UTRGV:

UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valley and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading research, healthcare, and application of university discoveries, we support sustainable development, community engagement, and well-being. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do, including teaching, research, and service.

Drawing on our unique identity as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in a bilingual and bicultural environment, UTRGV will promote student access and success by building from strength in education and creating a vibrant campus experience. By 2027, we will accelerate transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond by driving meaningful advancements in research and creative works, expanding access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, and fostering authentic community engagement and integration.

UTRGV is a distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top 3 universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students. For additional information, please visit UTRGV website.

Department/College Background

The Department of Communication is housed in the College of Liberal Arts, the largest college at UTRGV. The department offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with concentrations in Advertising and Public Relations, Journalism, and Media Production, and a Master of Arts in Communication. The department serves students across UTRGV's distributed campus and is committed to excellent teaching, meaningful research and creative activity, graduate education, experiential learning, and engagement with the communities of the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.