INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLUSTER HIRE

State University of New York

College of Environmental Science and Forestry

1 Forestry Drive

Syracuse, New York 13210

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FACULTY VACANCIES

INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLUSTER HIRE

 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) is initiating a faculty cluster in Indigenous Environmental Science to advance education, research, and outreach which draws upon both Indigenous knowledges and western ecological sciences and/or with interdisciplinary environmental studies. We invite applications for a three-person faculty cluster hire for Assistant/Associate Professor in both/either Indigenous Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. 

Indigenous Environmental Science includes the study of the environment from the perspective of a broad range of environmental disciplines which engages Indigenous knowledge systems and is focused on application of environmental biology to indigenous ecological and cultural landscapes. Indigenous Environmental Studies draws upon and integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with a wide range of social sciences, philosophy, humanities and other interdisciplinary studies. For these positions, the areas of specialization are open, but the successful candidate will have education and experience in environmental biology or environmental studies disciplines. Focal areas of interest for positions in Environmental Biology are ecology, conservation biology, fisheries and wildlife sciences, ecological restoration, ethnoecology or related fields. Scholarly background for positions in Environmental Studies could include these ecological sciences and/or such fields as sociology, communications/education, community engagement, anthropology, geography, justice, or other areas within the environmental social sciences. Experience in cross-cultural mentoring is valued. We are particularly interested in candidates with a commitment to collaboration with Indigenous partners.

Responsibilities: The effort distribution for these positions can vary with the candidates and typically include an integrative balance of 40% teaching, 40% research and 20% service which includes community outreach and research with and on behalf of Indigenous partners. Specific responsibilities include: 1) teaching an undergraduate course in Indigenous Issues and the Environment, a graduate/advanced undergraduate level course which integrates indigenous perspectives and environmental science in the candidate’s area of expertise, plus a field course or graduate seminars in their area of specialty, 2) contribute to leadership in the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment 3) mentoring of graduate students and undergraduates, and 4) establishing an extramurally supported research program that involves training undergraduates and graduate students.

Required Qualifications:

• D. degree in a related field
• Demonstrated research focus in Indigenous Environmental Science or Studies, including but not limited to environmental biology, restoration, conservation, resource management, environmental justice, communications, community engagement, or allied environmental disciplines
• Strong record of working effectively with and on behalf of indigenous partners
• Evidence of creativity, quality, and productivity in scholarship and teaching
• Evidence of ability to develop an active, extramurally-funded graduate research program

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of experience in creating synergy between Indigenous and western scientific ways of knowing
• Demonstrated excellence and innovation in teaching and mentoring at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Experience in cross-cultural mentoring of Indigenous students
• Evidence of ability to work across boundaries of cultures, institutions, government, tribal and private environmental entities

The Departments, College, and broader Community: The Indigenous Environmental Science positions will be housed within the Department of Environmental Biology at SUNY-ESF (http://www.esf.edu/efb/) or the Department of Environmental Studies (https://www.esf.edu/es).

TheDepartment of Environmental Biology is home to the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment (www.esf.edu/nativepeoples). The CNPE faculty, staff and students are engaged in education, research, and outreach to prepare the next generation of scholars and practitioners to engage with Indigenous ecological knowledge and worldview, in partnership with scientific tools, in service to ecological and cultural flourishing. The CNPE is a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (https://sloan.org/programs/higher-education/diversity-equity-inclusion/sloan-indigenous-graduate-partnership). Located in the territory of the Onondaga Nation, the center of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment has a decades-long history of productive collaboration with Indigenous partners. Undergraduates may pursue a minor in Native Peoples and the Environment and ESF is a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership.

The Department of Environmental Biology is also home to the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Program (https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/), the Restoration Science Center https://www.esf.edu/research/restorationscience/default.asp and the Roosevelt Wild Life Station (www.esf.edu/rwls/). We seek to recruit and retain a diverse workforce to sustain program excellence and offer varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing. The Department encompasses a wide range of disciplines and approaches from molecules to landscapes including plant ecology, mycology. microbial ecology, entomology, restoration ecology as well as hosting the oldest, and today one of the largest, combined programs in Fisheries, Wildlife Science, and Conservation Biology in the nation. ESF also offers interdisciplinary graduate study through the Graduate Program in Environmental Science (https://www.esf.edu/environmentalscience/gpes/). ESF also hosts the Center for Community Design Research (https://www.esf.edu/ccdr/)

The Environmental Studies Department emphasizes interdisciplinary social science, humanities and natural science approaches to environmental understanding and stewardship (https://www.esf.edu/es/). ES programs maintain a strong academic orientation, facilitating student and faculty engagement with fundamental environmental challenges and dynamics such as multiple and conflicting levels of environmental governance, participatory democracy, sustainable development, discourses of environment, cultural expressions of nature, risk, and ecological sustainability. Faculty within the ES Department address issues such as climate justice, energy democracy, environmental education and diversity/equity/inclusion, urban sustainability, and water in communities. ES is a welcoming department, housing faculty interested in a wide array of fields and inter- and transdisciplinary inquiry.

ESF is a specialized PhD-granting college within the 64-campus SUNY system, and is a Carnegie R2 “High Research Activity” Institution that consistently earns high rankings in US News and World Report, Forbes, Princeton Review, and other national college guidebooks. With a total enrollment of about 2,200 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, ESF provides an intimate small-college atmosphere while its immediate proximity to Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University fosters a vibrant, diverse, large-university setting. ESF’s more than 25,000 acres of forest properties, both close to Syracuse and across the Adirondack Park, provide numerous opportunities for experiential coursework and research.

Located on the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, Syracuse is a small city in a rural region offering a diversity of natural and cultural amenities, a low cost of living, and a high quality of life – ranking among the top 10 percent of “Best Places to Live” in “The Places Rated Almanac.” Syracuse is situated with easy access to New York City, the Adirondack Park, and many other points of interest in the eastern United States and Canada.

Starting Salary: commensurate with experience.

Application Procedure: Applications must be submitted on-line at www.esf.edu, see Current Openings

Applications should include: 1) a cover letter summarizing your interest and qualifications, 2) a curriculum vitae, 3) a statement of plans to foster diversity and inclusion through teaching, research, and service, 4) a statement of research interests and vision, and 5) a statement of teaching philosophy and vision. The diversity, teaching, and research statements should not exceed 2 pages each, and we welcome statements demonstrating integrative and collaborative approaches that complement ESF’s strengths. The entire application should be compiled as a single pdf document (not exceeding 10 MB). Selected applicants will be asked to provide three professional letters of reference. Questions about the application process and document submission should be directed to humanresources@esf.edu. Other questions may be directed to Chair of the Search Committee, Dr/ Robin Wall Kimmerer (rkimmer@esf.edu).

Application Deadline: To ensure optimal consideration, all application materials must be received by February 15, 2023, although these positions will remain open until filled. 

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse community that promotes equity and inclusion for all its members. Diversity that arises from differences such as, but not limited to, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, or religious traditions is central and indispensable to the institutional excellence and mission of the College.

ESF is actively recruiting diverse faculty of all backgrounds. In efforts and our commitment to the goal of building a diverse workforce we are participating in PRODiG. PRODiG ("Promoting Recruitment, Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion and Growth") aims to increase the representation of historically underrepresented faculty at SUNY including underrepresented minority ("URM") faculty in general and women faculty of all races in STEM fields ("WSTEM"). https://www.suny.edu/prodig/

SUNY-ESF is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov

In accordance with the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act” institutions of higher education are required to prepare an annual report containing information on campus security policies and campus statistics. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by SUNY-ESF; and on property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a printed copy of this report by contacting SUNY-ESF University Police at 315-470-6667 or by accessing the following web site: http://www.esf.edu/univpolice/crimereports/

SUNY ESF is a Smoke and Tobacco Free campus and is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe environment for the entire campus. For more information you can visit our Tobacco and Smoke Free Policy at https://www.esf.edu/au/documents/ESF%20Tobacco%20Free.pdf