Chair and Professor

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of South Florida (USF), Tampa Campus, invites applications for the position of Department Chair, with an expected start date in Fall 2026. This position offers a leadership opportunity in a highly productive and growing CEE department at a top-50 public research university. We seek an accomplished scholar and dynamic leader who will guide a highly productive faculty, respect and strengthen the department's collaborative culture, address faculty and students' needs, and foster continued excellence in research, teaching, and service.

The successful candidate is expected to provide both a strategic vision and day-to-day management for the CEE Department, enhance its visibility, while advancing its role in achieving the strategic mission of the College of Engineering.

Responsibilities include:

providing strategic leadership; managing departmental operations; promoting a vibrant and collaborative research culture ; advancing excellence in teaching and mentoring across all programs; recruiting, mentoring, and retaining talented faculty and staff; broadening participation among students, faculty, and staff; managing resources and budgets effectively and transparently; strengthening relationships with alumni, donors, industry partners, and local, state, and federal agencies and organizations ;

and collaborating with other department chairs and college leadership.

Minimum qualifications include: (1) eligibility for appointment as a tenured full professor in a CEE department at a Carnegie R1 institution; (2) an earned doctoral degree in CEE or a closely related field from an accredited research institution; (3) demonstrated understanding of the CEE discipline and community; (4) proven leadership experience in higher education administration; and (5) a strong commitment to high-quality pedagogy, curricular and student development.

Preferred qualifications include: (1) a proven commitment to fostering a collegial, collaborative, and supportive departmental culture; (2) demonstrated availability, responsiveness, and excellent communication skills; (3) a proven ability to develop and sustain enduring relationships with alumni, donors, industry partners, and local, state, and federal agencies and organizations; (4) a strong record of leadership in securing competitive and significant research funding, including multidisciplinary research initiatives, from various sources;

(5) a strong record of scholarship with publications in top-tier journals and conferences in CEE; (6) longstanding engagement in mentoring faculty, students, and staff, to promote their professional development and long-term success; (7) proven leadership in recruiting, program development, team building, and staff supervision; and (8) effective budget management practices in consultation with faculty and staff.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) has twenty-five (25) tenure-track/tenured faculty members, two (2) instructors, five (5) supporting faculty from the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at USF and three (3) staff members. The department offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, serving nearly 700 undergraduate, 54 master, and 42 PhD students. The selected candidate will join a dynamic and collaborative CEE Department that values innovative, interdisciplinary research promoting sustainable infrastructure.

Our new and rapidly growing BSEV program was accredited by ABET in 2024. Our Environmental Engineering graduate program was ranked 48th nationally and 29th among US public universities by US News & World Report (2024). The Civil Engineering graduate program is ranked in the top 70 nationally and top 50 among US public universities, by US News and World Report, and it offers specialties in geotechnical structures and materials, transportation water resources, and environmental engineering.

Faculty, staff and students within each specialty area are involved in interdisciplinary research and scholarship with collaborations across the university, including departments in the College of Engineering, and non-engineering departments of Anthropology, Biology, Geology, Geography, Public Health, and the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Our faculty also maintains a solid base for research funding from agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation, Southwest Florida Water Management District, U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Located in the vibrant Tampa Bay area-home to top-ranked beaches, a flourishing downtown, and rich opportunities for collaboration with state agencies and environmental organizations-this is a place where faculty thrive both professionally and personally.

Established in 1964 and currently led by Dean Levi Thompson, the College of Engineering at…