Assistant Professor

Position Summary

The University of Georgia ( UGA ) is hiring a cluster of six tenure-track or tenured faculty in Environmental Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a Presidential Faculty Hiring Initiative over two years with three positions to start August 2022, and three positions to start August 2023. The faculty positions are distributed over the following four departments within Franklin College of Arts and Sciences : Department of Geography , Department of Marine Sciences , Department of Statistics and Department of Anthropology .

The Environmental AI cluster will strengthen and expand UGA’s position as a global leader in atmospheric, terrestrial, and oceanic processes across wide-ranging spatial and temporal scales. UGA is seeking to build on its existing core strengths in big data analyses and multi-scale modeling of earth and marine systems, paleoclimate, and human-environmental change and organizational complexity by developing innovative computational and statistical methodologies to advance understanding of ecosystem resilience and to support climate science and sustainability. This hiring cluster is aimed at 1) advancing machine learning capabilities in sensor networks and remotely sensed data; 2) simulating and evaluating environmental responses at multiple scales and to plan for resource management strategies; and 3) evaluating relationships between environmental forcing mechanisms and responses.

Collectively, these new faculty members will contribute to the understanding of ecosystem resiliency in the face of sea-level rise, increasingly extreme weather events, ocean warming and acidification, and how these climate patterns have changed through time. These are the most challenging and pressing research problems of our time with vast implications for decision-makers and the public for adapting to and mitigating environmental change. To facilitate interaction among these researchers, each faculty member will join the existing Environmental AI working group and be encouraged to collaborate with faculty in related research centers or institutes across campus.

As part of the cluster hire, the Department of Marine Sciences is seeking a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Marine Microbial Ecology who will apply ‘omics and bioinformatics, modeling approaches, and/or biostatistical methods to marine microbial ecosystems to address climate, community structure, ecosystem function, or other ecological phenomena. The position starts on August 1, 2022 and is an academic year appoint (9 months) with an opportunity to supplement salary during the summer.

We are interested in candidates who will combine both wet lab and computational methods, and who will complement existing expertise in experimental studies of marine microbial processes, as well as a record that provides evidence of scholarship, synergistic activities, and the potential to obtain extramural funding.

The successful candidate is expected to contribute to our new and growing Ocean Science B.S. program and to the Marine Sciences graduate programs by teaching both data science and marine microbial ecology components. The successful applicant will also be expected to establish an outstanding research program recognized both nationally and internationally, foster partnerships within and outside the University of Georgia, exhibit a strong commitment to teaching excellence, and support research and mentoring of students and postdocs. The Department of Marine Sciences has faculty located on both the UGA main campus in Athens, where this position will be located, and at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, GA.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applications received by December 31, 2021, are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants will be asked to provide names and contact information for 3 references using the online system. Supporting documents should include a cover letter addressing the candidate’s background relative to the responsibilities of the position, curriculum vitae, 3 representative publications, and a statement on commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity (as “Other Documents #1 in the required documents section). In addition, applicants should provide a statement of teaching philosophy and a statement of research philosophy that highlights their interest in data science and artificial intelligence, and their contributions to understanding environmental change and marine microbial ecosystems.

Questions about the cluster: Dr. Daniela Di Iorio ( daniela@uga.edu ), Department Head Marine Sciences
Questions about the position: search committee chair Dr. Mary Ann Moran ( mmoran@uga.edu )

Posting Details

Posting Number

F1046P

Working Title

Assistant Professor

Department

Franklin-School of Marine Prog

About the University of Georgia

The University of Georgia ( UGA ), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education ( https://www.uga.edu/ ). UGA is currently ranked among the top 15 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA was founded in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly as the first state-chartered University in the country. UGA employs approximately 1,800 full-time instructional faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 39,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 18 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

About the College/Unit/Department

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, its many units, and the University of Georgia are committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty and students and sustaining a work and learning environment that is inclusive. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

College/Unit/Department website

https://www.marsci.uga.edu/

Posting Type

External

Retirement Plan

Employment Type

Employee

Benefits Eligibility

Benefits Eligible

Underutilization

Advertised Salary

Anticipated Start Date

08/01/2022

Effective End Date (for Limited-Term postings)

Job Posting Date

11/03/2021

Job Closing Date

Open until filled

Yes

Location of Vacancy

Athens Area

EEO Statement

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

UGA Statement

PLEASE NOTE : On December 7, 2021, the federal District Court for the Southern District of Georgia issued a preliminary injunction against enforcing the vaccine requirement for
Federal Contractors pending further review. As a result, the requirements of the Executive Order and associated guidance, including the vaccination requirement for covered contractor employees, are currently not in effect.

The University of Georgia is a Federal Contractor as defined by Presidential Executive Order 14042 and subject to the requirement that Federal Contractors must ensure that all covered employees, including those working remotely, are fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022. You may be required to show proof of your fully vaccinated status at the time of your start date, or have received a medical or religious exemption from the fully vaccinated requirement at the time of your start date. For more information regarding the Federal Contractor fully vaccinated employment requirement please visit https://coronavirus.uga.edu/executive-order/ or call (706) 542-2222.

Position Details

Position Information

Classification Title

Assistant Professor

FLSA

Faculty Rank

Assistant Professor

Contract Type

Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Status

Tenure Track

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent degree in a computational, marine, or biological science area.

Additional Requirements

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification

The successful candidate will also have at least 1 year of postdoctoral training.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

Competitive applicants will have demonstrated interdisciplinary collaborations that cut across academic units on campus. Inclusiveness and diversity are academic imperatives and thus university goals, and the University is particularly interested in candidates with experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and who have a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for students from underrepresented groups.

Physical Demands

Is this a Position of Trust?

No

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources?

No

Does this position require a P-Card?

No

Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position?

No

Is driving a responsibility of this position?

No

Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care?

No

Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications)

No

Credit and P-Card policy

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents
Required Documents

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter
3. Sample Publications
4. Other Documents #1
5. Teaching Portfolio/Philosophy
6. Research Portfolio/Philosophy

Optional Documents