Posting Details

Request to Recruit

Position Title
Lowe's Tech Distinguished Professor and Program Director in Cybersecurity

Tenure Status
Tenure Track

Provide Rank
Associate or Full Professor

Position Number
096741

VISA Sponsorship?
VISA sponsorship is available for this position. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S.

Department
Computer Information Systems - 255100

Working Location (City, State)
Boone, North Carolina

Position Summary Information

Minimum Qualifications

Qualified candidates will have the following:

1. A Ph.D. or similar terminal degree such as DBA or DSc in Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or a closely related field from an AACSB- or equivalently accredited institution.
2. Current academic rank of full professor or associate professor.

Areas of Interest and Preferred Qualifications (No Minimum Level Required)

We seek a colleague who exhibits a sincere commitment to the cybersecurity program and the Computer Information Systems department's goals. Demonstration of the following is desired:

1. Demonstrated leadership in cybersecurity curriculum and academic program development or advancement.
2. Evidence of a distinguished record in teaching face-to-face and/or online courses in cybersecurity.

Teaching:

• Cybersecurity Professional Certification from a well-recognized certification body including but not limited to ISACA or ISC2

Research and Creative Activities:

• An active and internationally recognized record in Cybersecurity research
• Experience and success in securing grant funding

Service:

• Ability and willingness to engage in professional outreach, including advisory board and career events, and with the academic profession
• Ability and willingness to engage in curriculum matters and program development
• Ability and willingness to mentor junior faculty in research productivity demonstrated by evidence from current or previous institutions.

License/Certification Required

N/A

Description of the Department or Unit

The Department of Computer Information Systems is housed in the Walker College of Business https://business.appstate.edu/ at Appalachian State University. The Walker College of Business is committed to ensuring that its graduates are equipped to succeed in an increasingly innovative, multicultural, and interdependent world. Details about department programs and faculty/staff can be found at https://cis.appstate.edu/.

The Lowe's Tech Distinguished Professorship in Cybersecurity is open to the academic ranks of full professor as a distinguished professor, or associate professor as a distinguished scholar. The professorship holder will maintain a high level of professional service and leadership beyond the University.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will hold a 9-month faculty position. The initial appointment to this endowed distinguished professorship will be for a period of five years and will be renewable based upon satisfactory annual performance.
• The successful candidate will be committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service in an institution dedicated to undergraduate and graduate education.
• The candidate will be expected to perform university, public, and professional service as part of the workload including the management of relationships across multiple stakeholder groups.
• The candidate will serve as the Cybersecurity Program Director for an initial period of three years.

Duties of this role will include:

• Leading faculty collaboration to develop and implement program curricula
• Engaging with undergraduate and graduate students and assisting with job and internship placement
• Management of the setup and administration of the cyber range and competitions
• Other responsibilities include promoting the program, building relationships, and performing other duties as assigned by the department chair

Type of Position
Full Time Position

Appointment Type
1.0

Number Of Months Per Year
9

Physical Demands of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Posting Details Information

Proposed Date of Hire
01/01/2027

Suggested Salary Range
Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

ABD Consideration:
N/A - ABD is not applicable for this position. See Minimum Qualifications.

ABD Description

ABD with reduction in rank and salary: ABD will be considered for this position. Evidence of successful defense of the dissertation must be received by July 31 for a fall hire or November 30 for a spring hire. If confirmation of defense is not provided by the deadline, the candidate will receive a new one-year fixed-term contract and be hired at the rank of Instructor. The candidate's salary will also be reduced to a lower rate commensurate with other full-time instructors in the same department. However, if degree verification is provided before the end of the one-year fixed-term contract, the candidate will be returned to the rank of assistant professor with commensurate compensation beginning July 1 of the following academic year.

No ABD consideration: Only candidates with an earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution will be considered for the position. Since ABD will not meet the minimum requirements, ABD will not be considered.

Special Instructions to Applicants

For a complete application, please apply and submit all below-required documents electronically through Appalachian State University's Job Board:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• List of 3 references with names and contact information included
• Evidence of successful teaching such as teaching evaluations (attach under Evidence of Teaching)
• Statement of Teaching/Mentoring
• Vision Statement: please include your vision for research, grant writing, teaching, engagement, and service to the discipline that will bring distinction to Appalachian State University and the Walker College of Business

UNC System Code (Section 610(2)) Special Faculty Hires

The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.

Posting Date
08/18/2026

Closing Date

Open Until Filled
Yes

Evaluation of Applications Begins
08/24/2026

Search Chair Name
Robert Shane Sharpe

Search Chair Email
[email protected]

Quick Link
https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/55581

Posting Number
FA00593P