Environmental Science - Assistant Professor of Soil Science

The Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) invites applications for a tenure-track position in Soil Science at the rank of Assistant Professor on a nine-month appointment. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will develop a nationally and internationally recognized research program advancing fundamental and/or applied understanding of soils and their functions across agricultural, managed, and/or natural systems. We seek candidates whose research addresses soil processes across spatial and temporal scales and contributes to understanding the capacity of soils to support productive, resilient, and sustainable ecosystems.

Areas of research may include, but are not limited to, soil health and resilience; soil biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling; soil-water interactions; soil carbon dynamics; soil responses to climate and land-use change; soil degradation and restoration; and the effects of soil management on ecosystem function. Soil health in degraded, arid, and semi-arid landscapes and agroecosystems, including those of the U.S. Southwest, represents one example of an important and developing area of soil science.

Research may span agricultural and natural systems and may employ field, laboratory, computational, geospatial, or other approaches across scales. Applicants that integrate themes of sustainability in connection to their research and other scholarly work are encouraged to apply.

The UCR Department of Environmental Sciences is distinguished by its deep historical roots in soil and water sciences, its top-ranked interdisciplinary research in atmospheric and environmental chemistry, and its vital impact on solving critical regional climate and sustainability challenges. The incumbent will be encouraged to collaborate with current faculty in related fields including agricultural water and land management, agronomy, precision agriculture, atmospheric science, biogeochemistry and isotope biogeochemistry, ecosystem sciences, environmental microbiology/soil biology, environmental chemistry/toxicology, geomorphology, and hydrology.

The successful candidate will also contribute to advancing the sustainability of California’s agricultural and/or natural resource systems through mission-oriented research and outreach aligned with the goals of UCR’s Agricultural Experiment Station. The candidate will be expected to develop and disseminate research-based knowledge and engage with relevant audiences to translate scientific advances into benefits for California and society.

The successful candidate is expected to engage fully in the teaching mission of the Department and University, including formal classroom instruction in the Environmental Sciences undergraduate and graduate degree programs and mentoring of undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the Environmental Sciences curricula, and/or to future programs and curricula in agricultural sciences, hydrology, and sustainability that may be (co-) administered by the Environmental Sciences Department.

The teaching load will include a core undergraduate course for the Environmental Sciences major (e.g. Introduction to Soil Science (ENSC 100), an upper division elective course in the area of soil sciences (e.g., Pedology ENSC 138); Soils and Landforms of California 139), and elective courses including graduate instruction in the candidate's area of specialty.

A Ph.D. in soil science or a related field and a proven ability or demonstrated potential to conduct innovative research are required. A broad educational and research background in soil science is expected. Expertise/knowledge in pedology, including soil morphology, genesis, and classification, is highly desired to support instruction in ENSC 138/139; however, the candidate's research program need not be centered on pedology.

The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities as well as the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.

For more information about the position, please…