Associate or Assistant Professor in Isotope Geochemistry - Tenure Track

Associate or Assistant Professor in Isotope Geochemistry - Tenure Track Washington State University Pullman, WA, USA

The School of the Environment at Washington State University invites applications for a permanent, full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant or tenure-eligible Associate Professor position in Pullman, Washington. (A successful Associate Professor candidate will have an expedited tenure review upon acceptance of the position.) We seek a scholar with expertise in radiogenic isotope geochemistry and lithospheric dynamics whose research advances understanding of Earth processes and has applications to economic geology, critical mineral resources, energy transition technologies, or other energy futures research.

A strong applicant will make extensive use of our state-of-the-art Geochemical Laboratory while guiding it into its next stage of growth and building upon the school's existing strengths in Earth science research and education. The established and highly regarded WSU Geochemical Laboratories include our Radiogenic Isotope and Geochronology Laboratory (RIGL) and the Peter Hooper Geo Analytical Laboratory (GAL). The successful candidate will contribute to a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment that advances applications of isotope geochemistry and supports research relevant to critical minerals, energy resources, and sustainable energy futures.

The successful candidate will play a leadership role in the Geochemical Laboratory, support its broad user community, and advance their scientific impact through innovative research, strategic partnerships, and external funding.

It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on August 16, 2027.

Job duties

A successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain an internationally recognized and externally funded research program focusing on isotope geochemistry, lithospheric processes, and other Earth systems. They will support the strategic growth of the Geochemical Laboratory, advancing capabilities through the development of new applications and instrumentation. The candidate will be expected to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses and supervise undergraduate and graduate students in research projects.

Finally, they will be expected to contribute to the School of the Environment's growth through curriculum development, graduate student mentorship, recruitment, and assessment activities.

Lab overview

The Geochemical Laboratory within the School of the Environment incorporates a range of geochemical equipment run by our staff of excellent technicians. This lab includes a Thermo Scientific Neptune Plus MC-ICPMS, a Thermo Fisher Scientific Element 2 ICP-MS with an Analyte Excite 193-nm ArF Excimer laser, an Agilent 8900 ICP-MS/MS with an ESI 193 nm laser system, an Agilent 7700 ICP-MS, a Class 1000 HEPA-filtered clean lab for sample preparation, a JEOL JXA
8500F Field Emission electron probe, and a ThermoARL Perform'X WDXRF. These facilities are consistently used for whole rock geochemical analysis, geochronology, thermochronology, elemental microanalysis, and major and trace element mapping.

Required Qualifications for All Candidates at All Ranks

• Completed PhD in Geology, Earth Science or adjacent disciplines.
• Demonstrated record of laboratory management.
• Demonstrated potential for external funding.
• Demonstrated potential for successful teaching and instruction.
• Demonstration of potential to support access and opportunity in research, teaching, and service in alignment with WSU's land-grant mission.

Additional

Required Qualifications for Associate Professor Rank

• Demonstrated record of external funding.
• Demonstrated record of successful supervision of graduate students.
• Proven successful teaching and instruction of upper-level undergraduate courses.
• Demonstrated record of supporting access and opportunity in research, teaching, and service in alignment with WSU's land-grant mission.
• Currently serving in the rank of an Associate Professor or equivalent and has a record of accomplishments in research and teaching commensurate with department and college standards for tenure at the level of associate professor.

Preferred Qualifications for All Candidates at All Ranks

• Demonstrated experience in the supervision of graduate students.
• Experience implementing clean laboratory SOPs.

9-Month Academic Year Salary

Assistant Professor: $85, | Commensurate with experience and qualifications
Associate Professor: $96, | Commensurate…