Assistant Professor in Race, Justice, and the Environment

Position Type:
Assistant Professor in Race, Justice, and the Environment

Position Type:
Regular

Salary Range:
Tenure-stream salary ranges from $85,947 to $95,410, based on the number of years of teaching experience, and benefits are competitive. Recognizing the high cost of housing in the local area, the University has established two housing assistance programs for qualified faculty: [1] a rental assistance program and [2] a purchase assistance program. For details, please refer to:

Overview
The Department of Environmental Studies & Sciences at Santa Clara University (SCU), a Jesuit Catholic university, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Race, Justice, and the Environment. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2025 and be expected to teach, engage in a scholarship program, and do service for the Department, College and University. We seek a teaching/scholar who will conduct applied research at the intersection of race, justice, and the environment. We encourage applications that use environmental social science approaches from fields including, but not limited to, Public Health, Anthropology, Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Geography, Development Studies, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Politics and Policy, Environmental Law,and Food Systems. SCU is on the quarter system and faculty are expected to teach 6 courses per year (2 each quarter), assuming they are engaged in an active scholarship program. Teaching reductions are available for candidates who secure extramural funding, among other options. Housing assistance is available.

Santa Clara University's College of Arts & Sciences has an ongoing cluster hire in the area of Inequality & Social Justice. This position will be included in the Fall 2025 cohort. Cluster hire participants will receive mentorship and regular group meetings providing peer support and interdisciplinary intellectual community to support their scholarly and creative work.

The Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences faculty members often collaborate with colleagues in other SCU departments, including Ethnic Studies, Public Health, Biology, Economics, Engineering, Anthropology and Law. The Department values community-engaged and environmental justice research that is published in recognized peer-reviewed outlets, is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and strongly encourages applications from members of historically excluded groups, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Over the last decade, Santa Clara University has recruited an increasingly diverse faculty, enrolled more diverse and low-income students, and it recently committed to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. For more information about our programs and faculty see

Required qualifications
Applicants must have a Ph.D. (completion required by the time of appointment) in an environmental social science or related field, with specific expertise related to topics of race, justice, and the environment.

Preferred Qualifications
(1) Experience with inclusive pedagogical practices that advance SCU's goals of diversity and equity.
(2) Experience teaching and mentoring a diverse population of undergraduates.
(3) Post-doctoral research and/or undergraduate teaching experience are highly valued, as is community-engaged research that is published in peer-reviewed outlets.
(4) The candidate should have a five-year research plan that could be supported by external funding and provide opportunities for involvement by undergraduates.

Responsibilities
Tenure track faculty at SCU are teaching scholars who are expected to balance teaching, research and service. This is an in-person position. More specifically, duties include but are not limited to:

TEACHING
1. Teaching expectations are guided by the Department's teaching standards. Areas of teaching need include a lower-division introductory required course, Environment and Society; upper division courses Environmental Justice and a new course, Race and the Environment; contributions to one of the Departmental research skills courses (e.g., Mixed Methods, Environmental Statistics, GIS, or Senior Capstone); and an elective or required course otherwise related to the candidate's specialty, such as Environmental Law or World Geography. SCU is on the quarter system and a typical load is two courses per quarter, lab classes count as 2 courses. Teaching responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Conducting and appearing at all assigned class meetings in a timely and prepared manner that demonstrates a command of the discipline and skill in presenting it effectively.
b. Assigning and evaluating written work, projects, and exams that align with course or core learning objectives and providing timely feedback to students.
c. Holding weekly office hours at times reasonably convenient to students.
d. Assigning and submitting student grades that are appropriate, accurate, and fair measures of student performance to the Office of the Registrar by the designated deadline.
e. Administering numerical and narrative evaluations in each section for all courses.

2. Develop and teach courses that contribute to curriculum development in the relevant degree program and/or the university core. Faculty teaching university core courses should follow an approved syllabus or work with the chair to design an appropriate syllabus for submission for approval from the relevant Faculty Core Curriculum Committee.

3. Participate in assessment of student learning for courses in the department.

4. Provide informed advice and mentoring to undergraduate students.

5. Fulfill other instructional or academic duties as may be assigned by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or by the Chair of the Environmental Studies & Sciences Department.

RESEARCH
1. Develop a research program at SCU that will result in the publication of peer-reviewed journal articles and/or other scholarly products, in line with the department's scholarship standards.

2. Preference will be given to candidates with a research program that can accommodate participation of undergraduates. Research agendas that have current or future plans for field research activities in the Western U.S. as part of a broader research agenda can help facilitate this participation.

SERVICE
1. Provide effective service to the Department of Environmental Studies & Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University and profession through contributions such as service on committees, participation in professional organizations and activities, community service related to the scholar's professional expertise or association with the university, and leadership, as appropriate to rank and experience.

To Apply:

Applications must be submitted using the university's online Workday application process:

Please submit a single pdf file containing:

(1) a letter of interest that articulates your teaching experience and philosophy, your five-year plan for your research, and your potential to foster intra- and interdepartmental connections at Santa Clara

(2) a statement articulating your knowledge of, track record in, and plans for working with diverse students and enhancing equity and inclusion on campus

(3) curriculum vitae

(4) summaries of teaching evaluations

(5) Several (1-3) representative syllabi from courses you have taught or assisted

(6) a representative example of your published or in-progress scholarship

Longlisted applicants will be asked for three letters of recommendation, complete graduate transcripts, and a disciplinary action statement to be provided at a later date.

Applications will be accepted now and priority review by the Recruiting Committee will begin September The position will remain open until filled.

Questions about this position may be directed to the Recruiting Committee Chair, Dr. Iris Stewart-Frey at