Academic Cover Letter

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\signature{Dr.\ First Last}
\address{Dr.\ First Last\\
Department of Computer Science\\
University of Somewhere\\
[email protected] \ \textbullet\ \ \href{https://example.edu/~you}{example.edu/\textasciitilde you}}

\begin{document}
\begin{letter}{Search Committee\\
Department of Computer Science\\
University of Elsewhere\\
City, State ZIP}

\opening{Dear Members of the Search Committee,}

I am writing to apply for the tenure-track Assistant Professor position in
distributed systems advertised in your department. I completed my Ph.D.\ at
Stanford University in 2021 under the supervision of Prof.\ Jane Doe, and
I have been an Assistant Professor at the University of Somewhere since 2023.

\paragraph{Research.} My research studies scalable consensus protocols for
wide-area deployments, combining theoretical analysis with systems
implementation. My thesis introduced a new family of BFT protocols that
achieve near-linear throughput scaling under partial synchrony; this work
appeared at OSDI and SOSP and has been adopted in at least two production
blockchain systems. Since beginning my faculty position I have expanded this
agenda with funded work on fair leader election (NSF CAREER, 2024) and
verified storage atomics (collaboration with Microsoft Research). I enclose a
detailed research statement.

\paragraph{Teaching.} At the University of Somewhere I have taught Distributed
Systems (graduate) and Introduction to Programming (150 students). Student
evaluations have averaged 4.7/5. I have also developed an open online version
of the distributed systems course that has been used by approximately 2,000
students per semester.

\paragraph{Service and mentorship.} I advise two doctoral students and three
Master's students. I have served on program committees for OSDI, NSDI, and
PODC, and I co-chaired the 2024 Workshop on Distributed Systems Education.
Within my department I serve on the graduate admissions committee.

\paragraph{Fit.} I am particularly drawn to your department because of its
strong systems group and the recent hires in programming languages and formal
methods. My interest in verified distributed systems sits at exactly that
intersection and I would welcome the chance to collaborate with colleagues in
both areas.

I have enclosed my CV, research statement, teaching statement, and a diversity
statement. Three letters of recommendation will be sent separately. Thank you
for your consideration. I would be delighted to discuss my candidacy further.

\closing{Sincerely,}

\encl{CV, research statement, teaching statement, diversity statement}

\end{letter}
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