Faculty Cluster Hire in the Science and Human Dimensions of Coastal and Marine Systems

Faculty Cluster Hire in the Science and Human Dimensions of Coastal and Marine Systems

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the School of Marine Science (SMS) at William & Mary announce a faculty cluster hire initiative focused on providing new and complementary scholarly expertise associated with a recently-developed institutional strategic plan. Following a thoughtful, community-wide strategic planning process, VIMS has identified a core commitment to the development and persistence of resilient coastal and marine systems through a scholarly focus on three thematic areas:

• Understanding and monitoring ecosystem health by connecting physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic systems to address environmental and community vulnerabilities.
• Providing translational science for sustainable management of natural resources, including fisheries and aquaculture.
• Providing science for the stewardship of coastal and ocean processes, connecting global trends and local drivers to understand and address environmental change.

We seek creative and innovative scholars, with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, that can contribute to these strategic directions through multidisciplinary collaborations. We anticipate hiring up to five, full time (12-month), tenure-eligible faculty positions at the assistant professor level. Although the primary responsibility of these positions will be the production of scholarly products, new hires will be expected to contribute to our very successful and growing academic program by teaching at least one course, likely cross-listed for undergraduate and graduate students. VIMS recognizes the need for a diversity of voices, perspectives, and experiences to address these environmental and socioeconomic challenges, and strongly encourages applications from individuals underrepresented in the field of marine science and in higher education.
 

We invite applicants from a wide variety of disciplines that support a direct and innovative connection to the strategic priorities described above, with preference given for expertise in one or more of the following areas (listed alphabetically):

• Coastal hydrology: including groundwater, watershed, and ecohydrology
• Estuarine processes: including materials cycling, landscape- and seascape-coupled drivers, food web dynamics, responses to climate change, etc.
• Fishery stock assessment: including single stock assessment, quantitative methods supporting ecosystem approaches to fishery management
• Human dimensions: including adaptive co-management, community health, coupled human-natural systems science, environmental economics, environmental justice, human adaptation and vulnerability, public and community health, and social implications of climate and coastal change
• Marine chemistry: including marine environmental chemistry, marine inorganic chemistry, ocean acidification, trace metal chemistry, marine biochemistry, organic contaminants, geochemistry, stable isotopes, etc.
• Marine / coastal policy: with potential focus on public resource use conflicts, ocean-based renewable energy and/or collaboration with William & Mary’s School of Law and our joint Virginia Coastal Policy Center.
• Marine mammal ecology: including foraging behavior, predator-prey dynamics, advanced geospatial techniques, acoustics, etc.
• Marine vertebrate physiology / ecophysiology: with a focus on how organisms respond to anthropogenic change.
• Plant ecology and plant physiology: with a focus on seagrass, marsh, and/or phytoplankton species.
• Quantitative marine science: including spatial ecology, GIS, remote sensing, big data, machine learning.

VIMS has a three-part mission to conduct research in coastal ocean and estuarine science, educate students and the public, and provide advisory service to policy-makers, industry, and the public. VIMS provides these services to Virginia, the nation, and the world. Chartered in 1940, VIMS is currently among the largest marine research and education centers in the United States. The SMS at VIMS is the graduate school in marine science for William & Mary. It offers outstanding education and research opportunities for students who seek advanced careers in academia, government, or the private sector, including research-focused MS and PhD degrees and a newly launched professional (MA) degree. The SMS also supports a growing undergraduate Marine Science minor at William & Mary and is exploring the development of a major.
 

Required Qualifications:

EDUCATION:

• Ph.D., at the time of appointment, in field related to thematic areas within strategic plan;

EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrated commitment to producing high-level scholarship through innovative and impactful research
• Demonstrated commitment to producing inclusive and impactful classroom teaching
• Experience mentoring student research or conducting collaborative research with students
• Ability to teach qualitative and/or quantitative research methods
• Demonstrated commitment to addressing diversity, inclusion, and equity in education through research, teaching, service, and mentoring.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience in science for solutions in coastal and marine systems focused on strategic priorities identified in this announcement and the VIMS strategic plan.
• Expertise in one or more areas of (alphabetically) coastal hydrology, estuarine processes, fishery stock assessment, human dimensions, marine chemistry, marine/coastal policy, marine mammal ecology, marine vertebrate physiology/ecophysiology, plant ecology/physiology, quantitative marine science.
• Experience translating research results into advisory service products for policy-makers, industry, and/or the public.
• Record of external funding to support research activities.

Applicants may apply here https://jobs.wm.edu/postings/50713.

Position will remain open until filled with applicant review beginning October 31, 2022

Strategic Faculty Cluster Hiring opportunity for multiple positions; application review, interviews and offers will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Anticipated start date to align with the Fall 2023 semester

Position is eligible for relocation assistance

Click here for details about position benefits & leave

William & Mary values diversity and invites applications from underrepresented groups who will enrich the research, teaching and service missions of the university. The university is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.