Assistant Professor: Cluster hire focused on Sustainability and Equity

Assistant Professors: Cluster hire focused on Sustainability and Equity

OKLAHOMA, NORMAN 73019. The Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma (http://geography.ou.edu) invites applications for tenure-track positions at the level of Assistant Professor as part of a cluster focused on Sustainability and Equity. We welcome candidates whose research, teaching and/or service has prepared them to be an integral contributor to advancement of our inclusive and diverse communities.

The University of Oklahoma is committed to achieving a diverse, equitable, and inclusive university community by embracing each person’s unique contributions, background, and perspectives. The University recognizes that fostering an inclusive environment for all, with particular attention to the needs of historically marginalized populations, is vital to the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of our institutional mission. This enhances the OU experience for all students, faculty and staff, and for the communities that we engage.

The Mission of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences is to provide a world-class academic experience that promotes convergent, innovative and inclusive education and research at the intersections of weather, climate, and sustainability. To fulfill our mission, we are dedicated to preparing students for successful careers in the private sector, academia, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. 

This cluster signals the prioritization of transdisciplinary scholarship by the Department and the University and an opportunity for scholars pursuing a convergence approach to address grand challenges. The successful candidates will be dynamic and innovative scholars with a proven record of research and teaching excellence, as well as those with a commitment to contributing to improved diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the following areas:

1)   Environmental Justice and Equity: We seek a colleague who addresses the convergence of social inequalities and environmental impacts. Research foci could include environmental racism, housing, mobility, poverty, or climate justice and equity. The ideal candidate will be well positioned to work on transdisciplinary teams and conduct publicly engaged research.

2)  Indigenous Geographies in the Americas: We seek a colleague that connects sovereignty, self-determination or autonomía with environmental, health, water, energy, migration, mobility, or climate change issues. The ideal candidate will be a community-engaged scholar in Indigenous ways of knowing, who has the ability and experience to build respectful, collaborative relationships with Native Nations and other Indigenous communities or collectives. Indigenous scholars are particularly encouraged to apply.

 3)  Geospatial Data Science: We seek a colleague that applies advanced geospatial analytics to understand human-environment systems to address issues of resilience and sustainability. We are interested in candidates who use spatial modeling, urban informatics, machine learning/artificial intelligence, or innovative remote sensing. Research foci could include, for example, climate adaptation, land systems and complexity, wildfires, water resources, or infrastructure.

4)  Geographies of Health and Environmental Change: We seek a colleague who studies the consequences of environmental change for the health of human populations from a geographic perspective. Research foci could include climate and health, emerging infectious diseases, urban health, health disparities, and One Health approaches that encompass human, animal, and ecosystem health. We are interested in candidates who use quantitative or qualitative techniques, including mixed methods and participatory research, to analyze relationships between health and the environment, project the health impacts of global change, or develop and evaluate strategies for improving public health in changing environments.

Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability: This cluster signals an investment by the Department as well as the University in sustainability and equity research. The ideal candidates will contribute to transdisciplinary research in our growing and intellectually diverse department. Applicants must possess a PhD in Geography or a related discipline at time of appointment. The successful applicants will be expected to develop a vigorous, independent research program; to teach in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (the standard teaching responsibility is two classes per semester, with the possibility of reductions); and to contribute to mentorship and advisement for students in our growing graduate program. The Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability is currently composed of 18 tenure-line faculty with diverse research agendas.

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Carnegie-R1 comprehensive public research university known for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, serving the educational, cultural, economic and health-care needs of the state, region, and nation from three campuses: Norman, Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and the Schusterman Center in Tulsa. OU enrolls over 30,000 students and has more than 2700 full-time faculty members in 21 colleges. In Fall 2019, approximately 23% of OU’s freshmen were first-generation students, 33% of all students belonged to a minority race/ethnicity and 6% were international. 

We acknowledge that the University of Oklahoma is on the traditional lands of the Caddo Nation and the Wichita & Affiliated Tribes. This land was also once part of the Muscogee Creek and Seminole nations. It also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, and Osage nations. Today, 39 federally-recognized Tribal nations dwell in what is now the State of Oklahoma as a result of settler colonial policies designed to encapsulate and assimilate Indigenous peoples.

Norman is a vibrant university town of around 113,000 inhabitants with a growing entertainment and art scene. With outstanding schools, amenities, and a low cost of living, Norman is a perennial contender on “best place to live” rankings. Visit http://www.ou.edu/flipbook and http://soonerway.ou.edu for more information. Within an easy commute, Oklahoma City features a dynamic economy and outstanding cultural venues adding to the region’s growing appeal.

Application Materials Requested: To apply, please submit, all as one single PDF file, a letter of interest indicating clearly the position of interest, curriculum vitae, list of three people who can serve as references (with full mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers), and brief (~2-3 pages) statements of 1) research, 2) teaching, and 3) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to https://apply.interfolio.com/80719.  Any questions should be directed to Dr. Bruce Hoagland bhoagland@ou.edu. The research statement should summarize your prior contributions to research and your goals for developing a research program at OU. The teaching statement should summarize past instructional and mentorship experiences, your pedagogical philosophy, and plans/goals for teaching at OU (including existing and proposed courses) and advising a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate students. The DEI statement should summarize your understanding and experience, and outline plans for contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusivity efforts through research, teaching, and/or service.

Screening of applications will begin on December 1, 2020 and will continue until the position is filled.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo.