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Geography & Environmental Systems 

More information about the department can be found here: https://ges.umbc.edu/

August 2023

The Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) invites applications from scholars in human geography or related disciplines pursuing a research agenda in Environmental Justice (EJ), broadly defined. We wish to hire a colleague whose scholarship and teaching seeks to foster transformation toward a more just society and involves meaningful partnership with community-based organizations. We value diverse lived experiences that inform research, teaching, and mentoring.

While we welcome candidates from a range of specializations and methodologies, we especially encourage candidates whose scholarly work critically engages with diverse ways of understanding environmental problems. This could include approaches from, but not limited to, Black geographies or ecologies, Indigenous knowledge or science, Latinx geographies, decolonial perspectives, public science, or Queer ecologies.

Furthermore, we welcome scholars who examine the intersection of environmental justice with multiple dimensions of oppression, possibility/resistance, and environmental processes. This could encompass a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: racial capitalism, environmental racism, militarization, settler colonialism, climate justice, food sovereignty, abolition geographies, land-back movements, air quality, water access, open space, or community-based stewardship.

The successful candidate is expected to develop an externally-funded research program while teaching a combination of introductory human geography courses and advanced courses (at the undergraduate and graduate levels) in their area of specialty.  The average teaching load is two courses per semester. This is a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor rank and will begin in August 2023.

UMBC ranks in the top 15% of national universities in the diversity of its student body and emphasizes an inclusive workplace for faculty and staff. We seek to attract an equally diverse pool for this position; we encourage applications from people from groups historically excluded from the academy, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Candidates should include a statement that shows evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice. This could include experiences supporting or advocating for members of under-represented groups, and describe how the candidate would foster an inclusive and equitable educational environment.

At minimum, candidates will hold a PhD at the time of appointment. Initial evaluation of applications will be based on the following criteria: research productivity in the areas described above commensurate with time as a professional; teaching experience; demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in scholarship, teaching, and service; and potential for future success in research and teaching, including potential as a mentor for undergraduate and graduate students.

UMBC is listed in the most recent Carnegie ranking as a Research University-Very High Research Activity (R1). The Department has more than 250 majors, with more than 60 graduate students in M.S., M.P.S., and Ph.D. programs. Faculty and graduate student interests span topics from urban geography to environmental science and management, and the department provides a rich and collegial environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The department is particularly strong in areas including urban geography, urban environments, human migration, environmental policy and management, water resources, ecology and conservation, climate science, and geospatial techniques. Many of our faculty and students explicitly incorporate issues of justice, equity, and diversity in their research and/or teaching. UMBC is also ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as a leading community-engaged university. Faculty and students are encouraged to engage with communities in research and teaching, and the Department has a strong record of such engagement both locally and abroad. Faculty and graduate students in GES are deeply engaged with the ICARE program, an NSF Research Traineeship program focused on diversifying the future environmental workforce through graduate education in applied environmental research in Baltimore harbor. ICARE research projects are created through active partnership with community organizations and agencies in the area.

There are opportunities for collaboration across departments, including with faculty in Sociology, Anthropology, Public Health; Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; Public Policy; Biological Sciences; Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering; Computer Science & Electrical Engineering; Global Studies; Interdisciplinary Studies; and the multi-campus Marine, Estuarine & Environmental Sciences program. UMBC also has cross-departmental institutions and centers to facilitate research and collaboration, such as the Dresher Center for the Humanities, the Center for Social Science Scholarship, and the Imaging Research Center. Department members are actively engaged in college- or university-wide activities such as the Feminist Decolonial Latin American and Caribbean Studies Working group, the Inclusion Council, and the Climate Action Steering Committee. Other opportunities for research collaboration at UMBC include the Baltimore Urban Forest Station of the US Forest Service, the Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) II, a research consortium formed by UMBC and NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. UMBC is located in close proximity to Baltimore, Washington D.C., and a broad array of federal, state, and local agencies as well as to other research institutions along the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia corridor. Interested candidates may visit the web site http://www.umbc.edu/ges for additional information.

Applications should be sent to apply.interfolio.com/112319 and should include:

• cover letter with a description of qualifications and fit with the department and university;
• a statement of commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, teaching, and service;
• a statement of research and teaching;
• your Curriculum vitae; and
• names and contact information of three references.

Questions can be directed to HGsearch@umbc.edu. Formal review of applications will begin on October 15, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. UMBC is especially proud of the diversity of its student body, and we are strongly committed to increasing faculty and staff diversity. We seek and encourage applications from people from groups historically excluded from the professoriate, including: BIPOC, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity. UMBC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

UMBC, an honors university serving more than 11,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students, is one of two public universities in Maryland to achieve the “doctoral/research university-extensive” Carnegie classification. Located just outside Baltimore and 45 minutes from Washington, DC, the campus is growing rapidly under dynamic leadership.

Our UMBC community redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. We will advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. The successful candidate will join a department with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence, and will be expected to contribute actively to these efforts (https://diversity.umbc.edu/).