Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) invites candidates for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in Environmental Planning. We seek candidates who thrive in a highly collaborative, dual discipline academic environment, and who look to expand our programs’ excellence in research in one or more of the following areas: climate change/resilience, sustainable land development, ecological systems, environmental health, environmental justice, spatial planning and design. For this research primary position, we emphasize the importance of scholarly publication and propensity for securing extramural funding. Delivery of effective teaching and service, while adding to the department’s collegial and collaborative design-based culture, is essential. The position is 50% research, 40% teaching, 10% service.

Required Qualifications
A graduate degree in one or more of the following fields is required: planning, landscape architecture, geography, or a closely related discipline. An earned Ph.D. or equivalent in one of these areas is highly preferred. Candidates will be expected to provide leadership within the graduate programs, and must possess a demonstrated ability, or clear potential, to teach courses (studio, lecture and/or seminar) covering both core competencies and disciplinary innovations.

Preferred Qualifications
Preferred qualifications include:
▪ Evidence of, or potential for, excellent research productivity;
▪ Evidence of, or potential to, secure extramural funding;
▪ Evidence of, or potential for, teaching and mentorship;
▪ Ability to contribute to LAEP’s commitment to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups;
▪ Evidence of ability to contribute toward our landscape architecture programs;
▪ Ability to contribute to LAEP’s Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and develop practice-ready students.

USU, LAEP and Your Success
We care deeply about early career faculty development and the growth of our department. In the past ten years, LAEP has added numerous new faculty positions while expanding the number of research faculty. Our graduate program has grown rapidly as well, with several Ph.D. students and significant infrastructure changes to accommodate our burgeoning graduate programs. Nearly all LAEP graduate students receive financial support as research or teaching assistants. This position is intended to further the growth of our programs and student support. The appointment is supported through the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (UAES), which offers ongoing annual research funds and access to UAES-specific internal grants. Outstanding startup packages support new faculty, with LAEP faculty obtaining extramural funding in excess of $4M in the past few years. Research-based early career faculty are eligible for teaching releases to enhance research activities. Additionally, USU offers programs for early career faculty, providing grant writing training and a very successful early career award record, as well as seed grants through the Office of Research to financially support tenure-eligible faculty research initiatives.

Founded in 1939, our department is the oldest and most influential landscape architecture program in the Intermountain West, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. LAEP has over 1,800 alumni practicing in 44 states and 15 countries. Thirteen full-time and five adjunct/visiting faculty and instructors serve 150 students. We offer fully accredited BLA and MLA programs, an interdisciplinary Ph.D., an MS in Environmental Planning, and are launching a BS in Environmental Planning. LAEP is home to the Visualization, Instrumentation and Virtual Interactive Design (VIVID) Laboratory with state-of-the art computers, biophysical feedback devices, numerous drones and virtual reality HMDs, and a range of other technology that is regularly updated with departmental funding. Faculty and students enjoy strong working relationships with an array of allied disciplines across USU. The department resides administratively within the College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences and is located within the Chase Fine Arts Center. Examples of partnerships include the Swaner EcoCenter (Park City, UT) and the USU Botanical Center (Kaysville, UT). LAEP Faculty and students jointly conduct research through the USU Ecology Center (Main Campus) and the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice, and offers a campus-wide Sustainable Systems Minor with the College of Natural Resources.

Established in 1888, Utah State University is the state’s Land-Grant institution, and is nationally and internationally recognized for its intellectual and technological leadership in land, water, space, and life enhancement. USU is a Carnegie “higher research activity” institution whose 700+ faculty partner with more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In 2020 the Washington Monthly ranked USU the #2 public university in the country for promoting social mobility, research and service. USU’s undergraduate research program is the 2nd oldest in the country and was awarded the AURA 2020 Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Since 2011 USU has been recognized as a Green College by the Princeton Review. Situated in the stunningly beautiful Cache Valley, USU abuts the Cache National Forest, and many world-class recreational opportunities. With 130,000 residents, our community lies 90 minutes north of Salt Lake City, and provides free public transit, housing that is affordable and close to campus, and a public school system that provides four different language immersion programs. Logan annually ranks in the Top 10 College Towns, and among America’s safest small towns.

LAEP and USU are committed to creating a vibrant community of diverse perspectives and life circumstances. LAEP faculty strive to create a nurturing work environment that supports individuals with a range of family needs. We want to encourage candidates from non-traditional career paths and those who have taken time off for family reasons to apply for this position. Utah State University is an equal opportunity institution/employer offering opportunities for all. Women, racial minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete details on our policy, please see https://www.usu.edu/policies/303/.

For further information on our programs and campus environment see www.laep.usu.edu, www.usu.edu/multimedia and www.usu.edu/about/at-a-glance

Application:
Applicants will apply online at jobs.usu.edu.
The online application will include: (1) a Statement of Interest not to exceed two pages; (2) a Curriculum Vitae; (3) a one-page Statement of Research; (4) a one-page Statement of Teaching; (5) a one-page Statement of Commitment concerning diversity, multiculturalism, and community, and (6) a list of three References with full contact information. Additionally, the candidate may provide supplemental materials if not publicly available (e.g., portfolio, publications, videos, etc.) and should be sent using USU’s big file transfer service (available at https://bft.usu.edu/). Please address questions directly to:

Dr. Brent Chamberlain, Search Committee Chairperson
Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Utah State University / 4005 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-4005
brent.chamberlain@usu.edu

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2021 and remain open until filled. Anticipated start date: August 1, 2022.

Assistance is available if you need help with the application/hiring process. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires that work eligibility be documented for all new employees. Please be prepared to verify eligibility for employment if hired at the University.

https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/4274/assistant-professor---environmental-planning/job