Department of Geography & the Environment

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Assistant Professor

Fall 2025

The Department of Geography & the Environment at California State University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure‐track Assistant Professor position in Geography with a specialization in Native American Studies with an appointment to begin Fall 2025. 

California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is a minority-serving institution, affirmative action, and equal opportunity employer. CSUF is firmly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum and fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising, and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences. Individuals advancing the University’s strategic diversity goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding are particularly encouraged to apply.

CSUF is committed to retaining all faculty and has established affinity groups you can join to support your success.  

Position

We seek an environmental and/or physical geographer who uses geographic lenses to expose students to Native American studies and communities. 

Areas of specialization could be but are not limited to: traditional ecological knowledge, environmental change, wildlife management, wildfires and fire management, tribal national parks and sanctuaries, water use and rights, natural resource management, impacts of resource extraction, land use conflicts, social- and/or environmental- justice, or social and/or biophysical impacts of climate change, critical physical geography, public-participatory GIS (PPGIS), community and indigenous mapping, public-and-engaged scholarship (PES), community geography, and Participatory Action Research (PAR). Regional focus must be what is today the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, native nations, unceded lands, and dependent territories.

CSUF faculty are committed teacher-scholars who bring research and creative discovery to life for students in classrooms, labs, studios, and individually-mentored projects. They teach broadly in the curricula of their departments, advise students, and serve on departmental and university-wide committees. The primary responsibilities of the person in this position will include the development and teaching of introductory and upper-division courses in environmental and/or physical geography. Existing courses this person could teach include, but are not limited to: Introduction to the Natural Environment, Nature and Society, Cities and Nature, and Environmental Justice. And we welcome applicants to develop new courses related to Native American Studies. This person will be responsible for producing scholarship commensurate with the requirements for tenure. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to and participate in the life and development of the department, advise students, serve on committees, and participate in the broader university and disciplinary communities.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Geography, with a specialization in Native American studies. ABD may apply but must have degree completed prior to start date.
• An interest in working with Native American/Indigenous students and/or communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience or interest in environmental geography
• Research experience or interest in physical geography
• Experience with geospatial technologies
• A record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate to the level of appointment [publications, conference presentations, etc.]
• A record of teaching appropriate to the level of appointment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• An interest in working with community, environmental, or social organizations, or other service activities relevant to the position

Application

A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit http://hr.fullerton.edu/careers/Faculty.php, choose full-time faculty, search for the position 542365, and provide the following required materials: 

• cover letter in which you respond to the required qualifications
• curriculum vitae
• research statement
• teaching statement
• teaching evaluations, if available
• candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence 
• This statement provides the candidate’s unique perspective on their past and present contributions to and future aspirations for promoting diversity, inclusion, and social justice in their professional careers. This statement aims to help the department identify candidates with professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or willingness to engage in activities that could help CSUF contribute to its mission in these areas. The statement shall address one or more of the following criteria:

1. 1. 1. 1. The candidate has acquired knowledge of barriers for underrepresented students and faculty in higher education.
         2. The candidate has experience in and is committed to engaging in service with underrepresented populations in higher education.
         3. The candidate has experience in and is committed to teaching and/or mentoring underrepresented students in a higher education environment.
         4. The candidate has experience integrating underrepresented populations and communities into scholarly and creative activities.

• a list of three references with relevant contact information
• Semi-Finalists must submit three letters of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal. 

Please direct all questions about the position to: Trevis Matheus at [email protected] or call 657‐278‐3685.

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by November 1, 2024. The anticipated appointment date is Fall 2025.

The College and Department

The Department of Geography & the Environment offers a B.A. in Geography, and B.A. in Geography with a Concentration in Environmental Analysis, Certificates in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geospatial Technologies, and an M.A. in Geography. We have dedicated labs for GIS, remote sensing, and dendrochronology. Our faculty have teaching and research interests that span the breadth of geography. We prepare students for a variety of career paths, including education, environment, geospatial technologies, public service, resource management, and urban planning. The Department and the College emphasize experiential learning outside of the classroom, including field trips, field classes, and study abroad programs.

The Department of Geography & the Environment is part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS). H&SS is the largest college at CSUF, offering 23 undergraduate degrees, 38 minors, and 15 graduate degrees. Our mission is to educate students to be culturally, globally, socially, historically and environmentally astute, civically responsible alumni able to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Three primary initiatives in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences - CoJET, Passage to the Future, and IBII - showcase our core pillars of civic engagement, social justice, and global awareness. Our faculty-based Collective for Justice, Equity & Transformation (CoJET), consists of H&SS faculty fellows whose expertise addresses equity, diversity, justice, community and organizational transformation. Faculty teaching our Passage to the Future courses help position our students for future success by helping them connect H&SS experiences and knowledge to career paths. The Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation (IBII) is a cross-campus and community-minded initiative to institutionalize the support and inclusion of Black people, culture, creative arts, and intellectual history at California State University, Fullerton and throughout Orange County. 

Compensation

The Assistant Professor (Academic Year) classification salary range is $6,221 to $13,224 monthly (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $7,924 to $8,067 per month. 

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work (https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm).  

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start‐up funds, and a reduced teaching load may be available. 

CSUF Benefits

An excellent comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse, domestic partner, and dependent fee‐waiver; access to campus child‐care; and a defined‐benefit retirement through the state system and optional tax sheltering opportunities. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/.

CSU Policies

The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be formally offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self‐disclose. Notice of Non-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator (http://www.fullerton.edu/titleix/about/notice.php).

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. It requires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within the State of California.