Assistant Professor

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Geography & Sustainability

The Department of Geography & Sustainability at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville seeks a broadly trained natural scientist with research expertise and teaching interests in water resources at the intersection of sustainability and physical geography for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position starting 1 August 2024. We seek a scholar with interests in field work and in community-based or stakeholder-driven research aimed at local or regional impacts on the sustainability of water as a vital resource. The successful candidate will join a dynamic department characterized by mutual support and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and maintain a strong program of water-related research and publication in Physical Geography and Sustainability, and to develop a robust, externally funded research portfolio that advances the candidate's research as well as the mission of the Department of Geography & Sustainability. The successful candidate will provide support to our Physical Geography and Sustainability programs by teaching engaged undergraduate and graduate courses (3–4 courses/year), and taking an active role in bringing currency and creativity to curriculum development. They will also provide service to the department, university, and discipline. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to mentor graduate and undergraduate students. UTK is a land-grant university and values engaged forms of research/scholarship/creative activity, teaching and service, and considers evidence of these commitments in the records of applicants. The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University. Applicants must have a doctoral degree in Geography or related field at the time of appointment.

The Department of Geography & Sustainability occupies the Burchfiel Geography Building at the heart of the Knoxville campus. The department consists of 24 full-time faculty committed to maintaining teaching and research excellence in human geography, physical geography, sustainability, and GIScience. The department also has a student-centered, award-winning program of academic excellence supporting approximately 45 graduate students (MS and PhD), and 180 undergraduate students majoring in Geography (BA), Sustainability (BA), or Geographic Information Science and Technology (BS). To learn more about the department, visit: http://geography.utk.edu.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is the flagship educational institution in the State of Tennessee. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. Knoxville is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Knoxville has a metropolitan population of 850,000 people, and the region houses many leading science agencies, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Required Qualifications: The candidate must be a natural scientist with water-related research and have earned a PhD in Geography or related field by the time of appointment.

Preferred Qualifications: Interests in field work and community-based or stakeholder-driven research.

Candidates should apply through Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/130518 , providing a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and two separate statements on Research and Teaching. In addition to addressing their qualifications for the position in their application, candidates may describe how they would help promote students' access to and inclusion in their teaching and research/scholarship/creative activities. Candidates must also arrange to have three letters of reference sent by the deadline. All inquiries should be directed to Dr. Sally Horn, Search Committee Chair, Department of Geography & Sustainability, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0925 (shorn@utk.edu). To ensure full consideration, all materials, including references, should be submitted by 25 September 2023. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, telephone 865-974-2498. Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity.

About University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Our primary mission is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based, land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions.

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