INTRODUCTION

The Department of Geography and the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs invites applications for a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor position beginning in August 2024 in the interdisciplinary area of Indigenous Geographies, Feminist Indigenous Studies, and Climate Justice.

This position will enhance or expand the current research and teaching strengths of the Geography Department and WGSS in feminist political ecology, climate science, environmental change, water sciences, anti-colonial and critical geographies of race, spatial science, health geographies, and/or urban geographies. We seek candidates who have research expertise in Indigenous geographies and center Indigenous knowledge, epistemologies, and methods in their research and teaching. This thematic area bridges recent cluster hires in CLAS on antiracism and  environment-human interactions and builds capacity in the recently established Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) unit. The scholar hired in this area will have the opportunity to engage with faculty hired in the clusters on antiracism and environment-human interactions as well as more senior faculty working on Indigenous issues.

We are especially interested in candidates whose research:

• Explores the spatial dimensions of Indigenous ecological or environmental knowledge, resistance, resurgence, legal orders, and/or relations to land and water and/or
• Addresses issues of climate crisis and/or climate justice, situating climate change in the context of longer-standing formations, including colonialism, racial capitalism, environmental racism, and colonial hetero-patriarchy, to shed light on the uneven distribution of climate change’s drivers and consequences.

The Department of Geography, which will serve as the tenure home, has seventeen faculty and offers both a BA and BS in Geography and Geography Information Science (GIS), two minors (Geography and GIS), and four graduate programs (Ph.D., M.A. and M.S., and GIS certificate). The overarching goal of both undergraduate and graduate programs is to train the next generation of students to serve society and be critical spatial thinkers, using geographic theories and approaches to tackle some of the most challenging problems and questions facing the discipline and society. The vision of the Geography Department is to lead the interdisciplinary investigation of many critical social and natural challenges and problems of the 21st century tied to regional, landscape, and environmental changes through a spatiotemporal lens.

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program is a dynamic interdisciplinary intellectual unit whose projects are shaped by rigorous scholarly analysis, socially engaged critique, and historical movements of social transformation and liberation. Our scholarly contributions are shaped by the tensions, conflicts, and debates that define our intellectual projects, including those spurred by the social and intellectual movements of feminist, transnational, queer, indigenous, imprisoned, immigrant, and community-based scholars. Our areas of expertise function to serve that goal: innovative curriculum development; creative pedagogy; and mentorship that prepares undergraduate and graduate students to become leaders in our diverse communities. Through events, colloquia, symposiums, reading groups, faculty/graduate research and writing workshops, film series, and outreach to the cultural centers and first-year learning communities, we provide platforms for the diverse voices of scholars and activists to be heard on campus. With profound attention to interrogating identity, exploring agency, and grounding purpose in communities of struggle, our students connect with a history of working for peace and justice. They find meaningful, needed, and satisfying work across various job categories. Our degrees feature seminars in research methods and research in service of the community as well as internship-based experiential learning. Through these approaches and highly individualized advising, we enable life-transformative learning experiences and open career vistas to our majors and minors.

The Geography Department and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program are committed to encouraging, promoting, supporting, and sustaining an inclusive environment of a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students.  As part of this commitment, the vision and initiatives are centered around the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles.  Please see the Department’s full diversity statement and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan. We strongly encourage people who identify as Indigenous, are accepted by a present-day  Indigenous community and who have historic ties to that Indigenous community to apply.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main  campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Evidence of being awarded a Ph.D. (or equivalent foreign degree) in geography or a related discipline focused on Indigenous Geographies, Feminist Indigenous Studies, and Climate  Justice received prior to the start date of the position.
• Research expertise in Indigenous perspectives on the environment.
• Experience collaborating with Indigenous communities.
• Ability to teach an undergraduate course related to Indigenous perspectives on the environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and contribute to a collaborative team environment.
• The ability to contribute through research and teaching to the diversity and excellence of the Department of Geography and the WGSS Program.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Research experience in Indigenous Perspectives on Land Based Scholarship.
• Presentations at national or international scientific meetings.
• Beginning track record of publication.
• Teaching experience.
• Mentoring research experiences with undergraduate and/or graduate students.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity through academic teaching and research programs.
• Commitment to effective teaching.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date of Fall 2024. The successful candidate’s academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26472 and submit the following application materials:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in the position,
• Curriculum vitae,
• Research and scholarship statement (innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.);
• Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective learning, and past and/or potential contributions to reconciliation through teaching and mentoring);
• Commitment to diversity statement (including broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, etc.);
• Sample journal articles or books;
• Academic references: the name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information for three referees.

Evaluation of applicants will begin on November 15, 2023, and continue until the position is filled.  For inquiries about the position, please contact Professor Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Search Committee Chair at carol.atkinson-palombo@uconn.edu.

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

This position will be filled subject the budgetary approval. All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.

The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce.  The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner.  This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer.