Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of ...

Texas Tech University’s Department of Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management in the College of Media & Communication invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning September 1, 2027.

About the University

Founded in 1923, Texas Tech University is a public research university located in Lubbock, Texas (population 300,000+), serving over 42,000 students. The university’s 1,800-acre campus features Spanish Renaissance architecture and one of the nation’s largest public art collections. Texas Tech comprises 13 colleges, including a School of Law and a School of Veterinary Medicine, and is committed to achieving research excellence comparable to Association of American Universities (AAU) institutions. The university emphasizes hard work, community engagement, and student success.

About the College

The College of Media & Communication (CoMC) serves approximately 2,400 students across six undergraduate and five graduate programs. CoMC provides a student-centered learning environment with high teaching standards and resources of an R1 research university. The college boasts strong undergraduate retention and graduation rates, record-high graduate enrollment, and state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• An esports lab
• A student-run PR agency suite
• A commercial-range FM radio station
• 12,700 square feet for student organizations and graduate-student offices
• Multimedia production spaces with industry-grade equipment and software

The 13,000-square-foot CoMC Center for Communication Research (CCR) is a premier academic facility for studying communication, cognitive and affective processing, and media effects. The CCR supports audience testing, content analysis, experimental surveys, eye-tracking, focus groups, psychophysiological measurements, and robotics/AI integration. The college has achieved record-high external funding applications and grant awards, supported by a $3.9 billion research endowment (Texas University Fund) providing $44 million annually for faculty research. Key interdisciplinary research strengths include computational communication, sports communication/media, organizational/corporate communication, and crisis/risk/health communication. The Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication engages in teaching, research, and outreach related to Hispanic and international/intercultural communication.

About the Department

The Department of Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management (PRSC) serves over 440 undergraduate students (both face-to-face and distance) and employs 15 full-time faculty. The department trains students to manage integrated communication programs, campaigns, and resources, emphasizing strategic communication, leadership, media relations, global and culturally proficient communication, ethics, data analysis, new technology, critical thinking, and strategic planning. The curriculum blends professional and research faculty expertise to prepare students for ethical advocacy in organizations and causes.

Responsibilities

Applicants should demonstrate experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and graduate levels in teaching, research, and service, aligning with Texas Tech’s strategic priorities of student engagement, innovative research, and community outreach.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in public relations or a closely related communication field (ABD candidates must complete their degree before the start date)
• Professional experience in public relations or a closely related strategic communication field
• Evidence of acceptance of conference papers or peer-reviewed publications in public relations or related journals
• A record of successful teaching as the instructor of record for university-level public relations or strategic communication courses

Preferred Qualifications

• At least three years of professional experience in public relations or a closely related strategic communication field
• Experience teaching across multiple modalities (face-to-face, online, hybrid)
• A record of high-quality, peer-reviewed research in public relations or a closely related field, with particular interest in science or health communication
• Experience seeking and securing external research funding
• Experience mentoring graduate students
• A record of community-engaged scholarship and outreach

Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, main campus.