Description
Description
The School of Public Affairs (SPA) in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) is conducting a search for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in public administration or public policy. This is a full- time, benefits-eligible, academic-year (9-month) faculty position that will begin in August 2027. We are open to candidates with research grounded in any of the major fields in public policy or public administration and expertise that aligns with the growing and emerging programs that we offer. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to produce novel, high-impact research that enhances the national and international reputation of SPA and ASU, and commitment to educating and mentoring the next generation of public and social sector leaders.
About the School of Public Affairs
Before applying, we suggest that applicants review information about the School of Public Affairs by visiting our website at https://spa.asu.edu to learn about our degree offerings, research centers, and areas of excellence.SPA is known for scholarship that is grounded in public policy and public administration traditions with strong cross-disciplinary synergies and a future-oriented focus, as evidenced by our energetic, productive, and collaborative faculty that possess broad expertise across a range of topics. SPA is home to several research centers that offer opportunities to collaborate with a global network of scholars, contribute to applied policy work, and engage with community partners. Our school is grounded in the unique culture of the ASU, a dynamic global institution with a reputation as a leader in scholarship, innovation, and social mobility. We serve a student body whose intellectual and professional interests span multiple areas of policy and management.
The School of Public Affairs’ program is ranked #9 in the nation in US News and World Report, and 8 of SPA’s subfields are ranked in the top ten in the nation including local government, information technology, emergency management, nonprofit management, urban policy, public management, environmental policy, and public finance. Emerging areas of excellence include science and technology policy, computational social sciences, artificial intelligence, economic development, disaster analytics, social entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity. We are also located on ASU's downtown campus alongside new schools of medicine, nursing, healthcare technology, and biomedical research.
Degree offerings include BS degrees in Emergency Management and Public Service & Public Policy; master’s degrees in Public Administration, Public Policy, Program Evaluation and Data Analytics, and Emergency Management and Homeland Security; and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy. SPA continues to attract a growing array of students motivated by the promise of public service and drawn to the unique opportunity of an interdisciplinary public affairs education.
Essential Functions
Teach undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses through in-person, online, and hybrid modalities.
Maintain a record of productive scholarship as demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and presentations at national conferences.
Advise and mentor students.
Engage in service that helps advance the school, college, university, and profession.
About ASU
Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 11 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University. Repeatedly ranked No. 1, ASU has topped more than 30 lists in the last three years: No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact (Times Higher Education) and No. 1 in the U.S. for sustainable practices (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest-quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations.
All we do at ASU is guided and inspired by the University Charter, which reads:
ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
Successful candidates will demonstrate throughout their materials how their teaching, research, and service will contribute to the fulfillment of this charter.
Application Instructions
Application Process
To apply, visit https://publicservice.asu.edu/content/jobs . Candidates will be asked to submit the following through their Interfolio dossier. Complete application materials must contain the following items:
Cover letter of no more than two (2) pages describing the following:
interest in the position and fit relative to the required and desired qualifications; and
research interests in public policy and/or public administration, engagement with the broader professional community
A recent sole-authored example of scholarly writing. This could be a dissertation chapter, published journal article, or completed research manuscript authored by the applicant.
A complete curriculum vitae or resume that details the applicant’s educational and professional history.
The names and complete contact information (titles, organization affiliations, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses) for three references. Please note that references are not contacted until a candidate is identified as a finalist for this position.
Application Deadline
For full consideration, the application must be received by September 1st, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Arizona Time. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. Please direct any questions about the position to Dr. Jesse Lecy, the Search Committee Chair, at [email protected].
Requirements
Required Qualifications
- A PhD in public administration, management, policy, political science, sociology, applied economics, data science, or another related field, by time of appointment.
- Strong evidence of a research agenda (dissertation topic or published journal articles), and/or professional affiliations (association membership, conferences attendance, or professional experience) in public administration or public policy; and
- Commitment to inclusion and ASU’s charter: https://www.asu.edu/about/charter-mission
Desired Qualifications
- Demonstrated excellence in conducting research that will contribute to and enhance the School’s national and international reputation including evidence of the ability to publish in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and/or academic presses.
- Ability to teach classes in one or more of the existing SPA degree offerings and a desire to collaborate with colleagues on program development and upkeep.
- Evidence of commitment to student success and teaching excellence, such as classroom experience at the undergraduate or graduate levels, mentoring students, curriculum development, adaptation of content for online modalities, or awards for teaching.
- Evidence of the ability to secure funding necessary to advance a research agenda including any work on sponsored research projects, experience developing grant proposals, receipt of past funding, and/or awards for scholarship.
