The College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama seeks an experienced and established academic leader to serve as Chair of the Department of Geosciences with an anticipated start date of August 16, 2024. The successful applicant will be expected to assume a strong leadership role in the department and college, with particular focus on advancing the department and the university's missions of teaching, research, and service. They will also be expected to maintain a quality research portfolio and participate in the teaching mission of the department.

 Primary Responsibilities:

 

About the Department: The Department of Geosciences at Auburn University has a growing, collaborative faculty including 19 in the tenure-track ranks and 7 lecturers and instructors in diverse areas of geology, geography, and geoscience education. The department offers degrees at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels, and its student body is growing with the introduction of its interdisciplinary Earth System Science PhD program and two GIS Certificate programs.

 

The department tackles some of the most pressing challenges our society faces today affecting our environment, climate, water, and resources. Faculty expertise encompasses the past, present, and future, with active research in environmental geosciences, solid earth processes, earth and life through time, mineral and energy resources, geospatial sciences, geoscience education, human geography, and beyond. Departmental instrumentation and facilities have expanded in recent years to include a GC-MS, HPLC, UV-vis, (LA-)ICP-MS, electron microprobe, TIMS, noble isotope mass spectrometers, XRD, and XRF. Faculty also run geophysical equipment, a geomorphology lab, LiDAR, and unoccupied aerial systems with diverse applications. Field and mineral/rock preparation equipment are available in-house as well. As soon as Fall 2026, the Department of Geosciences will have a new home, including state-of-the-art research facilities, as part of an approximately $225 million STEM-Ag complex.

 

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in research and teaching that is complementary to the department's existing strengths or expands its capabilities.

 

About the College:  As one of the largest colleges at Auburn University, the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) has over 200 faculty members and 100 full-time staff spread across five departments and is dedicated to enhancing students' and faculty's success. COSAM's research initiatives are an extension of the university's mission – to produce global solutions through the pursuit of knowledge. In addition to the geosciences, COSAM's faculty and students conduct pioneering research spanning the basic sciences, including biology, chemistry, ecology, mathematics, statistics, pre-professional sciences, and physics. COSAM is also home to a dynamic Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) community, with faculty who study learning and teaching across STEM. The college provides students with a solid academic foundation, and its graduates consistently build upon the college's tradition of excellence. COSAM also continues to be a leader in outreach, where its faculty and students spark excitement in diverse fields in sciences and mathematics for future generations through hands-on demonstrations and interactive learning events throughout the year.

About the University: Auburn University is a Land Grant institution with R1 research productivity that is rooted in more than 160 years of tradition, occupies 1,841 acres and is the academic home to more than 30,000 students. Auburn's commitment to active student engagement and professional success, and public/private partnerships garners a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact. Auburn University is understanding of and sensitive to the family needs of faculty, including dual-career couples. Please visit the following link for more information: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/pdf/guidelines-dual-career-services.pdf.

 

Location: Auburn, AL, is a vibrant and thriving college town and community recognized as one of the top small towns in the South. Known as the 'Loveliest Village on the Plains,' Auburn offers a high quality of life including a vibrant cultural scene. Auburn is located on the I-85 corridor of southeastern US cities: Atlanta and the Hartsfield International Airport, Birmingham, AL, Montgomery, AL, the world-famous Gulf Coast Beaches and the southern Appalachian Mountains are all relatively close to and readily accessible from Auburn. Auburn University is understanding of, and sensitive to, the family needs of faculty, including dual-career couples. Area housing costs are significantly lower than the national average but show upward trends.