Assistant Professor - Geomorphology of Ocean Islands

Position: Assistant Professor - Geomorphology of Ocean Islands (0086609)
Description

Title:

Assistant Professor
- Geomorphology of Ocean Islands

Position Number: 86609

Hiring Unit:
Department of Earth Sciences

Location:

Manoa campus

Date Posted:
November 5, 2025

Closing Date:
Continuous recruitment - applicant review begins December 15, 2025

Salary Information: F3-9, salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Monthly Type: 9-month

Tenure Track:
Tenure-track

Full Time/Part Time:
Full-time

Temporary/Permanent:
Permanent

Other

Conditions:

Nine months of state funding annually. Anticipated start date is August 1, 2026, or as

mutually agreed. Pending position clearance.

Institutional Context

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa is a globally recognized research institution located in the Pacific, with a strong commitment to Indigenous knowledge, sustainability, and climate resilience. SOEST is home to world-class Earth, ocean, and environmental scientists and supports interdisciplinary collaboration across its departments and centers. This position aligns with the university's status as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning and its strategic vision to strengthen place-based research and education.

Our campus welcomes all students but given our responsibilities to the community in which we operate, as part of our strategic mission, we strive to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, a place that is committed to integrating Native Hawaiian language, culture and/or values into its academic and campus environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

* Conduct research with a strong community engagement component and establish an externally funded and internationally recognized research program.

* Teach assigned courses or seminars that align with curriculum requirements.

* Supervise independent study activities and off-campus learning such as practicums and internships.

* Serve as academic advisor to undergraduate and graduate students.

* Participate on committees in charge of candidates for advanced degrees.

* Serve on Department, SOEST, and University committees.

* Participate in curriculum development activities including the development of curricular materials and special instructional methods.

* Render service to the professional or lay community which is relevant to the individual's academic specialty.

* Engage with faculty, staff, and students in a collaborative fashion that supports Indigenous values and whose personal and professional perspectives enrich the University, SOEST, the Department, and the broader communities we serve.

* Perform related tasks as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

* Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree from a college or university of recognized standing and in a field relevant to the position (Earth Sciences, Geography, Environmental Science, or a closely related field).

* Demonstrated achievement of creative, high-quality research.

* Potential for scientific leadership, including making transformative advances in the field.

* Demonstrated excellence in professional written and oral communication. Examples include, but are not limited to, publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, technical reports, public-focused communications, and presentations at professional meetings.

* Capacity to establish extramural funding for the development of a research program.

* Expertise in studying landscape evolution in response to geological processes, ecological processes, and changes in land use, with applications relevant to Hawai'i and/or other island settings.

* Ability and interest in working with people of diverse perspectives and experiences, and supporting Indigenous approaches, values, and knowledge with respect and cultural sensitivity.

* Demonstrated capacity for excellence in teaching and mentoring, including creative approaches for enhancing student learning, and engaging students in research, and preparing students for work after they earn their degrees.

* Expressed interest in a future research and teaching program that contributes to the UH mission of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).)

* Professionalism in meeting and conferring with others.

Desirable Qualifications

* Expertise in field observations, data analysis, and/or modeling approaches to improve understanding of landscape evolution in response to tectonics, mass wasting, erosion, and/or climate change, with applications relevant to Hawai'i and/or other Pacific coastal settings.

* Research that applies cutting-edge techniques, such as in high-resolution remote sensing datasets (satellite/LiDAR) image processing (photogrammetry, structure-from-motion), cosmogenic radionuclides and low-temperature thermochronology, and near-surface and borehole geophysics to understand geomorphological processes.

* Demonstrated ability to integrate Western scientific methods with Indigenous frameworks.

* Experience working in collaborative partnerships with Indigenous and other communities across the Hawaiian Islands or elsewhere in the broader insular Pacific region.

* Experience…