Position Description: Visiting Professor in Sustainability and Development
School for Environment and Sustainability
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan is seeking applicants for a limited term appointment as a Visiting Professor in the field of Sustainability and Development. We seek applicants with a strong interest in teaching primarily MS students, and prefer candidates who have experience in teaching already. Ideal candidates will have a record of research, teaching and publications in the broad fields of sustainability and development. We are looking for a colleague whose research may focus on a variety of issues, and whose teaching would span both introductory and seminar courses that may concern (but are not restricted to) agricultural change, food systems, natural resource governance, transformational change, social movements, disasters and reconstruction, climate change, health, WASH, education, supply chains, and renewable energy. Thus the specific research focus of successful candidates is quite open. The candidate may be trained in interdisciplinary sciences or in a disciplinary field but must demonstrate a capacity for engaging with interdisciplinary research and teaching. The appointment is open with respect to geographical region and methodological approaches. The appointment duration will be for one year with the possibility of an extension for a maximum of one additional year based on funding, need and performance.

SEAS’ mission is to contribute to the protection of the Earth’s resources and the achievement of a sustainable and just society. The school contributes new scientific knowledge, visionary leadership, and trained professionals toward that end. The faculty of the school are diverse, with natural scientists, social scientists, engineers, and designers working collaboratively in an integrative setting. A professional school set within a major research university, SEAS provides a model of interdisciplinary and applied research and a focal point of research, teaching and societal engagement on sustainability. The school focuses on key crosscutting sustainability themes, including climate and energy; water; food systems; conservation and restoration; and cities, mobility, and built environment.

The school offers a Ph.D. as well as both research and professional M.S. degrees in these specializations: conservation ecology; environmental informatics; sustainable systems; environmental policy and planning; behavior, education and communication; environmental justice; ecological design (M.L.A.). The student body includes approximately 500 M.S./M.L.A. and 60 doctoral students. The school also offers the cross-campus undergraduate Program in the Environment. SEAS also participates in dual degree programs with the Schools of Architecture and Urban Planning, Business, Engineering, Law, Public Health, and Public Policy. Additional information about the School can be found at www.seas.umich.edu.

Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a relevant field at the time of appointment, and have demonstrable aptitude for interdisciplinary research and teaching. Consistent with expectations for their incoming rank, candidates must have a strong record of scholarly publication and evidence of teaching potential in a multidisciplinary setting. Individuals must have ongoing employment responsibilities that lie outside the University at another institution of higher education.

The successful candidate will be expected to:
1) Support SEAS’ teaching mission at the graduate and undergraduate levels, including mentoring and supervising students;
2) Continue their program of research and collaborate with SEAS students and faculty;
3) Contribute to the stewardship of SEAS, the University, relevant professions and society through service, collaboration and engagement.

Application Instructions
Applications should include (1) a cover letter; (2) CV; (3) a personal statement describing your vision and plans for research, teaching and societal engagement (5-page maximum, single space); (4) a one-page (single space) statement on how you contribute to diversity efforts, and (5) a list of three names of academic references with contact information.

To apply, submit application materials in Interfolio apply.interfolio.com/143341.
Review of applications will begin April 23, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. SEAS hopes to appoint a faculty member to this position to begin September 1, 2024.

For assistance or further information, you may contact SEAS.faculty.search.staff@umich.edu. Please include on the subject line “Sustainable Development”.

At SEAS we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

—————————————————————-

Internal Notes
Position ID or Requisition Number
—
Appointment Type: Term limited appointment
Rank: Assistant or Associate Professor
Title: Assistant OR Associate Visiting Professor of Sustainability and Development
Discipline: Interdisciplinary or Disciplinary social and ecological sciences
Position Term Length: —

Anticipated Start Date
Sep 1, 2024
—
Funding Source
—
Hiring Plan
—
General Notes