Assistant​/Associate Professor of Environmental Security and Global

Job Description

The Department of Geography at Virginia Tech invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor with expertise in environmental security in the context of global climate and environmental change. We define environmental security broadly to encompass interactions among environmental processes, human populations, resources, infrastructure, and societal vulnerability and resilience. We are particularly interested in candidates who bridge environmental or climate science with human-environment perspectives and employ advanced geospatial, computational, or data-intensive approaches, such as spatial and spatiotemporal modeling, machine learning and artificial intelligence, sensor or mobility data, and high-performance computing, as well as qualitative, participatory, or integrated methods that complement these approaches.

The position is intended to strengthen research productivity while expanding high-demand undergraduate and graduate instruction in environmental security, geospatial analysis, and climate-societal interactions.

The responsibility profile for the position is envisioned as approximately 40% teaching, 50% research, and 10% service. An Assistant Professor is expected to teach a two-course load in year one and a three-course load in years two through six; an Associate Professor is expected to teach a three-course load during year one with a longer-term teaching load informed by research productivity.

Teaching will include a high-enrollment introductory geography, environmental geography, or climate course, an introductory geospatial course, and a course focused on environmental security and/or climate change. The possibility of teaching a specialty course or graduate seminar around expertise is envisioned, along with the opportunity to contribute to existing study abroad courses. Graduate student mentoring is expected in support of the M.S. Geography (department) and Ph.D. Geospatial and Environmental Analysis (college) degree programs.

The successful candidate is expected to establish or continue a competitive externally funded research program and pursue proposals annually as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI. Relevant federal sponsors include NASA, NSF, NOAA, DoD, NGA, and related agencies. The position offers strong opportunities for collaboration with the Center for Geospatial Information Technology, the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, and faculty across the College of Natural Resources and Environment.

Research funding is expected to support graduate students in the Geography M.S. program and the Geospatial and Environmental Analysis Ph.D. program. Candidates should demonstrate capacity to continue or develop a strong trajectory of external funding, high-quality peer-reviewed scholarship, and research of national or international impact.

• Ph.D. in geography or a closely related discipline by appointment start date.
• Research expertise in environmental or climate science with human-environment perspectives using advanced geospatial, computational, or data-intensive approaches, such as spatial and spatiotemporal modeling, machine learning and artificial intelligence, sensor or mobility data, and high-performance computing, as well as qualitative, participatory, or integrated methods that complement these approaches.
• Evidence of excellence or strong potential in university teaching, including a large introductory course, and graduate mentoring.
• Evidence of excellence or strong potential for competitive external funding and high-quality peer-reviewed scholarship.

• For Associate Professor, a strong record of externally funded research, graduate student support, and scholarly impact commensurate with rank.
• Experience leading or contributing to large interdisciplinary proposals and research teams.
• Expertise that connects environmental security or climate challenges with advanced geospatial modeling.
• Ability to contribute to high-enrollment undergraduate instruction and experiential or international education.

Exempt:
Not eligible for overtime

Regular

Commensurate with experience.

40

October 15, 2026

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing interest in the position; a curriculum vitae; a statement describing teaching and mentoring…