The School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) is seeking an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Environmental Studies to begin in Fall 2023. This position is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position. We seek an individual who can build creative partnerships in teaching, outreach, and research that respect the debt the Land Grant University system owes to Indigenous communities and inspire new approaches and philosophies that will contribute towards repaying that debt. Preference will be given to candidates whose training, doctoral research, and experience is firmly integrated with and informed by Indigenous people and has the potential to develop or further deepen connections with tribes.

The successful candidate will have a strong research and teaching background that supports Indigenous-focused, place-based, experiential, and inquiry driven pedagogies. In addition, the successful candidate will be able to engage in place-based and culturally informed pedagogy in their respective field and be familiar with Indigenous Research Theory and Methods. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a nationally recognized program at the nexus of racial/ethnic disparity and climate change as characterized through the lens of either social sciences or natural sciences (and potentially both). SENR aspires to develop reciprocity with Tribal Nations at all stages of research and recognizes that Indigenous communities maintain data sovereignty. The candidate will also be invited to collaborate with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center to help build mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous communities and advance dialogues (e.g., “two-eyed seeing”) between Western science and traditional ways of knowing.

This position is one of three faculty appointments in the Climate, Race and Place cluster hire to advance climate justice at The Ohio State University (OSU), and is part of a broader Race, Inclusion and Social Equity (RAISE) initiative focused on narrowing a range of disparities. This Assistant Professor position is available with the option to be hired into the Provost’s Tenure-Track Fellow to Faculty Program with an appointment to a mentored position as an instructor in the tenure track for up to two-years before transitioning to the Assistant Professor position. 

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in indigenous studies, climate science, environmental studies, sociology, or related environmental or social science field. Experience conducting research related to any aspect of climate change (social, biophysical, environmental, etc.) and integrated with Indigenous populations
• Evidence of potential for excellence in teaching and research
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Willingness and ability to work closely with other people
• Demonstrable interest in and/or experience with teaching, recruiting, mentoring, and advising diverse underserved students, including women, students of color, and non-traditional students
• Proven track record of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into research and the potential to develop deep connections with tribes

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise that incorporates an understanding of climate change along with one or more of the following areas: Native identity, tribal sovereignty, decolonization, Indigenous rights, tribal needs and values, intellectual property, Indigenous participation in environmental planning or development, language preservation, health disparities in Native communities, or colonial and postcolonial relations among Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups.
• Experience integrating research and teaching.
• Teaching and research philosophies that are collaborative, participatory, and focused on community participation and/or action.
• Experience or demonstrated interest in working with natural and social scientists on interdisciplinary research teams.

Expectations and Responsibilities:

• Develop, refine, and teach new and existing courses that align with and/or enhance SENRs undergraduate and graduate teaching programs (~3 courses per year). Candidates will have autonomy to establish courses in line with their fields of interest and are encouraged to suggest courses that may be of interest to reshape, co-teach or implement as part of their application.
• Contribute to the research goals of the SENR and the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
• Advise undergraduate and graduate students and curriculum development
• Secure extramural funding for research activities
• Develop a strong publication record in scientific journals and other appropriate venues
• Work collaboratively with other university faculty/personnel, including on interdisciplinary teams, and with researchers in government agencies, non-government organizations, and community groups to advance the university’s mission
• Serve the university and professional communities through appropriate activities