Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainabiliity

The Department of Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) at Ohio Wesleyan University invites applications for an assistant professorship in earth sciences with teaching and research abilities in hydrology and/or soils and an interest in contributing to applied work in environmental/natural resource management. ENVS is a growing, interdivisional department with majors in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, and Geography. We particularly seek candidates who embrace interdisciplinary, flexibility, and creativity in their work and who can integrate social and environmental justice into their teaching and research. Candidates should explain how they will help build a diverse and inclusive campus community as part of their professional activities, and describe their ideas for innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to the challenges facing higher education. The successful candidate will join a departmental and interdisciplinary community with a wide range of research and teaching interests and will benefit from extensive support for junior faculty, including start-up funding, pre-tenure research leave, funding for student-faculty research collaboration via the Summer Science Research Program and The OWU Connection , and a range of workshops and mentoring programs.

This job is part of a cluster of positions with which Ohio Wesleyan seeks to further diversify its curriculum and faculty. This faculty cohort will join an educational community that values equity and interdisciplinarity and fosters close working relationships with students through our signature program in experiential learning, The OWU Connection . Incoming faculty will be provided with mentoring, professional development funds, and opportunities to connect with faculty across the Ohio 5 and GLCA consortia. For more information about the cluster, please visit www.owu.edu/joinOWUfaculty . For more information about Academic Affairs and its commitment to DEI, please visit https://owu.edu/dei .

Responsibilities

• Teaching three courses per semester, including ENVS 111, a broad introductory earth science course
• Developing new courses drawing on the candidate’s expertise in soils, hydrology, and/or environmental management that are interdisciplinary, flexible, and DEI-focused (e.g.,I ndigenous and Western Science: Water, Soil and Environment, or The Mississippi River Watershed: Past and Present)
• Engaging in a consistent and focused line of earth science research that involves undergraduate students
• Integrating aspects of the OWU Connection, which includes travel learning, student research, internships, and service learning into the candidate’s research and teaching activities
• Advising students in their academic journey
• Providing service to the department, university, and profession
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• The successful candidate must have a Ph.D., or be on track to complete their Ph.D., by August 1, 2025, in an earth science-related field, such as geography, geoscience, soil science, or hydrology.
• Proven record of successful teaching experience and an active research agenda.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as the Instructor of Record for an undergraduate earth science course
• Experience mentoring undergraduate students in research experiences
  
  

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching statement (2-page limit): a statement articulating your teaching philosophy. Please address your ability to teach a wide range of courses and employ a variety of pedagogical techniques to reach students from different backgrounds.
• Diversity statement (2-page limit): a statement that describes your experience and/or approach to supporting students from underrepresented groups, including examples of ways you have intentionally addressed diversity, equity, and inclusion in your classroom and research program.
• Research statement (2-page limit): a statement outlining the central aims of the research program you would like to develop and how it will thrive at Ohio Wesleyan. If any specialized equipment or facilities are required, please briefly describe these.
  
  

Please submit all materials via www.owu.edu/joinOWUfaculty , where you will find more information about working at OWU. Additional materials such as transcripts and reference letters will be requested upon an initial review of applications and can be sent directly to facultyjobs@owu.edu . Please make sure to include “Earth Science” in the subject line.

Review of applications will begin on 14 October, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

About Ohio Wesleyan

Located in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area, Ohio Wesleyan is a selective residential liberal arts college enrolling approximately 1,500 students from across the nation and around the world. The college’s signature program, the OWU Connection , is designed to integrate student knowledge across disciplines, consider diverse and global perspectives, and teach students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book Colleges That Change Lives and was recently listed as the No. 1 liberal arts college in Ohio for social mobility by U.S. News and World Report. OWU is located in Delaware, OH, a lively college town just 30 minutes from Columbus, the 14th most populous city in the United States and part of the fastest growing, most economically vibrant areas of the Midwest. Columbus, known increasingly as the “Silicon Midwest,” was named by LinkedIn as one of the top 10 U.S. cities in which to launch your career.

To achieve our mission, we continually strive to foster a diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist campus community, which celebrates the value of all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, color, gender identity and or expression, sexual orientation, family configuration, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, national origin, age or military status. OWU is an equal opportunity institution and seeks applications from individuals who will help us honor and strengthen our commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.