Assistant/Associate Professor of Urban Climate Resilience and Adaptation Disparities

Department:

 

Engineering | Civil Environmental and Geodetic Engineering

 

 

 

The Ohio State University invites applications for a cluster hire of three tenure-track faculty in the area of Climate, Race and Place under the university-wide Race, Inclusion and Social Equity (RAISE) initiative. The University seeks to elevate its globally recognized expertise in the science of climate change and adaptation to a new level through a cluster hire of faculty who can holistically investigate, using climate data analytics, the racial disparities and social inequities of climate impacts and help shape adaptations sensitive to these disparities across various geographic scales. This cluster hire creates an opportunity to disrupt traditional knowledge structures and to transcend disciplinary barriers by re-centering climate science in the broadest sense.  Participating academic units are the Department of Geography, the School of the Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Civil, Environment and Geodetic Engineering, jointly with the City and Regional Planning Section, to bring much needed depth of understanding of racial disparities and climate justice.  As participating departments, we seek innovative and creative faculty who bring diverse research approaches and life experiences to advance understanding of how people and places are differentially impacted by climate change through a commitment to interdisciplinary collaborations.  Partnering institutes provide a university-wide infrastructure to support the success of the faculty hires, including: the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (working in the area of race and equity across space and places); the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and the Global Water Institute (working to expand water access through the Alliance for Navajo Sustainability) as well as the Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration (working in the area of climate science and adaptation); and the Sustainability Institute and the Translational Data Analytics Institute (to facilitate significant interdisciplinary collaborations).

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Information:

 

This position is one of three faculty appointments in the Climate, Race and Place cluster hire to advance climate justice at The Ohio State University (OSU), and is part of a broader Race, Inclusion and Social Equity (RAISE) initiative focused on narrowing a range of disparities. If you have interest in finding out more about the other openings Click Here.

 

 

 

This Assistant Professor position is available with the option to be hired into the Provost’s Tenure-Track Fellow to Faculty Program with an appointment to a mentored position as an instructor in the tenure track for up to two-years before transitioning to the Assistant Professor position.  

 

 

 

The successful candidate will be expected to develop a nationally recognized research program focused on racial and ethnic population disparities of resilience and adaptation to climate change events in cities. This position builds upon departmental strengths in natural hazard resilience of infrastructure systems and access to urban services to strengthen the equity framework through which observations are made, research questions framed and solutions advanced. Candidate research areas must align with the broad thematic area of this position announcement at the nexus of race/ethnicity studies, climate change science and urban infrastructure design. Topic areas broadly include, and are not limited to, community vulnerability and response to extreme weather events, community adaptation via a just transition to low-carbon transportation and household energy future, community public health and climate impacts on air and water quality.  Applicants may choose which of the two partnering academic units, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering or City and Regional Planning Section of the Knowlton School of Architecture, is their primary partial appointment (70%) for purposes of promotion review.  The other academic unit will constitute their minority appointment (30%) for teaching and research contributions. 

 

 

 

Expectations for the position include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in civil and environmental engineering or city and regional planning; establishing and sustaining an active, externally funded research program toward national and international recognition in the field; advising graduate and undergraduate students; and engaging in outreach and service activities with communities, professional organizations and the university. The successful candidate should be prepared to collaborate across disciplines and work with diverse communities and faculty. The faculty position is full time (9-month) and starts no earlier than January 2023.

 

 

 

Required Qualifications:

 

• A doctoral degree in civil/environmental engineering, city and regional planning, or a closely related field prior to the start date of the appointment An established record of research commensurate with prior training and specialization Evidence of potential for developing a nationally recognized research program Interest and ability to engage in research collaborations with faculty in Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and The Knowlton School Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching, and an ability to communicate effectively with faculty and students

 

 

Preferred Qualifications:

 

• Professional experience such as post-doctoral and other research positions in academia, national labs, and industry in related fields Demonstrated experience collaborating on interdisciplinary initiatives Experience working with diverse populations and commitment to diversity/inclusivity Professional engineering or planning licensure or the ability to obtain registration

 

 

Department Overviews: 

 

Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering (CEGE)

 

The CEGE department at Ohio State is a cohesive unit of recognized leaders in professional and academic circles who are dedicated to educating tomorrow’s leaders. The faculty includes 28 tenure-track members, 2 research professors, 4 professors of practice and 7 associated faculty members. The Department faculty are a diverse group of educators and scholars who engage in, and place high value upon, interdisciplinary practices. Recent prestigious honors include NSF Career awards and induction to the National Academy of Engineering. Departmental faculty are actively engaged with the College of Public Health, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, the Schools of Earth Science and Environment and Natural Resources and state agencies headquartered in Columbus. Along with graduate and undergraduate students, the CEGE faculty, pursue research on cross-cutting themes that transcend infrastructure, transportation, environment and geodetic applications to address the changing nature and coming challenges of civil and environmental engineering practice. 

 

 

 

The Knowlton School 

 

The Knowlton School is a tenure-initiating unit within the College of Engineering housing architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning in Knowlton Hall, a state-of-the art facility designed by Mack Scogin Merril Elam Architects with gardens by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. With 45 tenure-track and clinical faculty, 750 students, and 15 staff, the Knowlton School forms a distinct community fostering inquiry and exchanges across sections, the college, and the university. We offer three undergraduate degrees (BSArch, BSLA, and BSCRP), three professional degrees (MArch, MLA, MCRP) and a PhD in City and Regional Planning. Cross-disciplinary teaching and research are highly valued, and innovation is encouraged. Architecture is the section with the longest history (started in 1899) and the largest enrollment (470 students) and as such, it contributes greatly to shaping the school’s culture of learning and creative research. Having entered a transitional phase, the architecture section is ripe for defining a new direction under new leadership, developing new avenues for research, and establishing partnerships with landscape architecture and planning, engineering, and industry. The school is a sound fiscal environment that is well-positioned within the college and the university.  

 

 

 

The City and Regional Planning (CRP) section of The Knowlton School is a nationally recognized pre-eminent planning department with 125 undergraduate majors (accredited BSCRP), 50 master's degree students in programs in City and Regional Planning (accredited MCRP), and 25 Ph.D. students in CRP. The section, with a full-time faculty of 16, draws students from across the U.S. and the world and is one of the premier programs for U.S. and international planning. As part of the Knowlton School of Architecture, the section is committed to achieving world-class stature as a city and regional planning program through excellence and impact in education, research and outreach. Our thematic research expertise covers a wide array of fields, including transportation, housing, food security, Latino urbanism, land use, environmental planning, social justice and equity, innovation, and economic development. The mission of the section is to train students to become professional planners who can apply knowledge and theory in practical settings and to introduce students to the latest developments in planning knowledge and techniques. The CRP section is also home to the Journal of Planning Literature, and the faculty includes current editors of the Journal of Urban Affairs and Regional Studies. 

 

 

 

How to Apply:

 

Please submit the following documents with your application:

 

• Cover Letter Curriculum Vita Diversity Statement (describe experiences, current interests or activities, and/or future goals that promote a climate that values diversity and inclusion in one or more of the areas of scholarship, instruction and outreach) Statement of Research (describe the evolution of research, highlight research accomplishments, and provide a clear vision for future research) Statement of Teaching Interests Names and contact information of FIVE references commensurate with the rank sought

 

 

 

 

Review of applications will begin on September 15, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. For questions regarding this position, contact Prof. Gil Bohrer at bohrer.17@osu.edu.

 

 

 

 

 

The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other bases under the law. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit the Equal Employment Identification form.