Assistant or Associate Professor in Hydrologic Sciences

Overview

University of Kentucky — Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington, Kentucky seeks to fill a tenure-eligible faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in Hydrologic Sciences/Hydrogeology. This is a 9-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2026.

• Teach at the introductory non-major, undergraduate major, and graduate levels.
• Develop and sustain an externally funded research program with emphasis on quantifying and forecasting freshwater availability and quality in the context of changing climate dynamics.
• Contribute to the department’s teaching and mentoring missions.
• Distribute effort: first year 25% teaching, 65% research, 10% departmental service; subsequent years 37% teaching, 53% research, 10% departmental service.

• A Ph.D. in Hydrogeology, Hydrologic Sciences, Geoscience, or a related field is required by August 1, 2026.
• A demonstrated peer-reviewed publication record and clear potential for developing a nationally recognized research program.
• Experience and interests in computational hydrogeology, hydrologic modeling, water resources, surface water-groundwater interactions, atmosphere-hydrosphere feedbacks, critical zone science, and human-water interactions are desirable.

• Type of Position:
  Faculty
• Position Time Status:
  Full-Time
• Tenure Track Status:
  Tenure Track
• Work Location:
  
  Lexington, KY
• Department: 8E060:
  
  Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Working Title:
  
  (see Job Summary)

• Applicants must include:
  1) cover letter,
  2) CV,
  3) research statement (upload as Specific Request
  1),
  4) teaching statement (upload as Specific Request
  2), and
  5) current transcripts.
• Provide the names and contact information of three references when prompted in the academic profile; references may be solicited via the employment system.
• Closing details: the initial review of applications will begin on December 20, 2025, and the position will remain open until filled.

This position is supported by an NSF-EPSCoR RII Track I grant aimed at building resilience to extreme weather and climate in rural Kentucky. Opportunities exist for collaboration with UK faculty and researchers across multiple colleges and with scholars from other Kentucky institutions.

UK offers retirement plans, medical coverage, life insurance, and optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance. For more information, see the university employment benefits page.

The University of Kentucky follows federal and state laws on nondiscrimination and provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations. All candidates may be subject to pre-employment screenings, including a background check and/or drug screen.

Questions about this search should be addressed to Dr. Andrea Erhardt, Search Committee Chair, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kentucky (andrea.erhardt).