Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

Wofford College invites applications for a visiting assistant professor of environmental science for the 2023-24 academic year, with a possibility of extension into the 2024-25 academic year. Wofford’s Environmental Studies Department provides an interdisciplinary foundation for students to address the complex environmental problems of their generation by recognizing that approaches from the humanities and arts, natural sciences and social sciences are all needed for effective local, regional and global change. Field experiences foster the wonder and love for natural environments that motivate our students’ wide-ranging personal and professional choices. Undergraduate teaching is the priority for Wofford faculty.

EXPECTATIONS

During the fall of 2023, the person selected will teach:

• Two sections of a 3-credit Science in Context course (ENVS 103). This course provides an in-depth examination of an environmental science topic that examines what science is and why it is an important way of understanding the natural world. Past offerings have examined climate change, biodiversity, and fermentation. One 4-credit Regional Environmental Problems course with lab (ENVS 400). This interdisciplinary lab course is targeted for upper-level environmental studies students who can blend knowledge and interest from their major fields with the methodology and perspectives of Earth science to understand regional environmental systems and problems. The course is designed as a bridge between the cultures of the scientist and the humanist.

In the spring of 2024, the person will teach:

• Two sections of a 4-credit Sustainability Science course with lab (ENVS 160). This course introduces students to theories, concepts and analytical frameworks that develop an understanding of the dynamic relationships between complex social and environmental systems. Students will develop a solutions-oriented understanding of sustainability issues and be empowered to take actions toward sustainability by focusing on campus systems. The course introduces basic quantitative analysis methods and builds these skills by investigating the sustainability of campus systems (e.g., energy, food system, grounds and waste management).

The visiting professor also will help advise and guide seniors as they plan and complete environmental science related senior capstone projects. Along with their teaching duties, they will be encouraged, but not required, to engage with students outside of the classroom to conduct scholarly research and work with Wofford programs on campus or in the wider community. If conditions permit, field-based lab activities are encouraged at our Goodall Environmental Studies Center, about 20 minutes from campus. Our new campus facility includes specialized spaces, such as a food lab and a teaching garden.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have a Ph.D. (ABD welcome) or master’s + 18 hours minimum coursework in an environmental science field and evidence of college-level teaching experience.

APPLICATION

Application materials should be emailed as a single pdf attachment to ENVS-search@wofford.edu. Application materials should include: (1) a cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) statement of teaching philosophy, incorporating information about how they would approach the upper-level course (ENVS 400), and (4) the names and contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin May 15, 2023.