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Two Climate Focused Assistant Professor Positions

Employer
USU Department of Watershed Sciences
Location
Logan, Utah
Salary
Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits.
Closing date
Nov 21, 2021

The Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University requests applications for two tenure-track Assistant Professors, a Climate Data Analyst with a majority teaching role and a Climate Resiliency Extension Specialist. Successful candidates will join our highly productive and collegial faculty working to redefine the frontier of interdisciplinary watershed science and ensuring that science is useful to address the most pressing conservation, management, and restoration challenges of our time.

Positions are open until filled, but application review will begin on October 5, 2021.

Assistant Professor of Climate Data Analysis

The Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University seeks an engaging educator and researcher with strong data collection, analysis, and visualization skillsets with a passion towards enabling the next generation of watershed scientists and ecologists to leverage climate data and contextualize their work in the context of the climate emergency.  PhD required and postdoc preferred in atmospheric science, meteorology, climatology, earth systems science, hydrology, civil/environmental engineering, or similar fields. Successful candidates will have prior teaching experience and pedagogical training, preferably including development and delivery of online, remote-delivery and/or hybrid courses. Research expertise may include any sub-discipline of climate science and candidates are encouraged to articulate in their vision statement how their expertise complements the research of our existing faculty in watershed sciences. We seek an individual with the technical proficiency and broader conceptual awareness of climate science who can help position and adapt watershed science research and management within the realities of the climate emergency. Other valuable characteristics include experience working with large, multi-dimensional data (e.g., netCDF, HDF, GRIB, TIFF), climate model outputs (i.e., CMIP GCMs, downscaled data), translating gridded climate data into other formats for hydroclimate and ecological analysis, uncertainty and risk quantification, meteorological station time series data, and/or making climate data tools for policymakers and decisionmakers. Other preferred characteristics include proficiency in Python and/or R, strong data visualization and communication skills, and experience leading collaborative efforts.

Utah State University is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive academic community.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates using pedagogical methods that enable students across racial, ethnic, identity and socio-economic groups to reach their maximum potential.

This faculty role is defined as 60% teaching, 30% research, and 10% service. The expected teaching load will be 4-5 courses per year (12 academic credits), and may include one large-format undergraduate (3000 level) climate science course for non-majors, one or two upper-level undergraduate/graduate courses in data wrangling/management/analysis, one upper-level undergraduate/graduate course in programming and/or data visualization, one studio course in climate data at the graduate level. Some courses may be taught in short-course (i.e., 1-2 intense weeks or partial semester) or online asynchronous format. The successful candidate will also be expected to successfully compete for external research grants that support undergraduate and graduate student researchers as well as publish peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic products. Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure is based on demonstrating excellence in the primary role area (teaching), and effectiveness in secondary roles (research and service). 

Climate Resiliency Extension Specialist Assistant Professor

The Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University seeks applications for a Climate Resiliency Extension Specialist at the rank of Assistant Professor with expertise in climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience science alongside a depth of knowledge in any related natural resource management field (e.g., water resources and conservation, water quality, aquatic ecology, fish ecology, fisheries management, plant, riparian, and wetland management, biogeochemistry).  We seek an individual with strong experience in building and maintaining effective relationships with multiple stakeholders. The primary clientele for this Extension Specialist will be local, federal, and state agency staff and/or industry partners charged with managing natural resources in Utah and throughout the Intermountain West. The successful candidate will be expected to leverage existing expertise in the Department of Watershed Sciences and facilitate two-way communication between our research faculty and natural resource management clientele within the realm of climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency. PhD required and postdoc preferred in climate change communication, climate science, ecology, hydrology, earth sciences, civil/environmental engineering, or similar fields. Successful candidates must have a commitment to stakeholder engagement, co-production of knowledge, collaborative decision-making, teamwork, and communication, as well as strong interpersonal skills. We are particularly interested in innovative candidates committed to helping natural resource managers adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts.

This faculty role is defined as 60% Extension, 30% research, and 10% service. The primary Extension role involves developing Extension programming for local, federal, and state agency staff and/or industry partners charged with managing natural resources, in partnership with the USDA Climate Hubs. The candidate will be welcome and supported in developing educational materials for external natural resource management clientele and will have opportunities engage with courses at USU. In their research role, the successful candidate will be expected to successfully compete for external research grants that supports their Extension programming, undergraduate and graduate student researchers, as well as publish peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic products. Some travel will be required for the position so the successful candidate must have and maintain a valid and unrestricted driver’s license. Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure is based on demonstrating excellence in the primary role area (Extension), and effectiveness in secondary roles (research and service).

Option for Team Applications

Although not a requirement by any means, team applications are welcome, including dual career partners. Each applicant must apply individually, but their cover letters can mention that a partner is applying for the other position. All applicants should articulate in their cover letter how their teaching, research and/or Extension programming contributions are synergistic. 

To Apply

To apply for the positions, see the following links:


Assistant Professor of Climate Data Analysis: https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/4174/job

Climate Resiliency Extension Specialist Assistant Professor: https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/4175/job

For more information, contact the search committee chair, Joe Wheaton at joe.wheaton@usu.edu, or department head, Patrick Belmont at patrick.belmont@usu.edu.

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