Assistant Professor - Climate Science - Military Veterans

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of Climate Science

School/Department Name: Department of Meteorology and Climate Science

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. See Benefits Summary for details.

Application Deadline: January 15, 2023

Target Start Date: August 2023

First Review Date (or Closing Date): January 15, 2023

Position Description

The Department of Meteorology and Climate Science and the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San José State University invite applications for an Assistant Professor, tenure-track position in Climate Science that complements existing departmental expertise in fire weather, wildfire behavior, cloud physics, air quality, climate change, and climate education research. We are particularly interested in candidates with specialization or interest in climate change impacts on wildfire risk in addition to the following areas including, but not limited to, extreme weather events, drought and heat waves. The Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC) is a National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center and is internationally recognized for leading research in cross-disciplinary wildfire science. WIRC has state-of-the-art observational and high-performance computing facilities available to its faculty, research staff, and students. This faculty position will reside in the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science and will serve as a core faculty member within WIRC.

The Dept. of Meteorology and Climate Science and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives. Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences, Meteorology, Climate Science or related field.
• Record of scholarly activity, including a demonstrated track record in research and publications. The candidate must develop an externally funded research program to support their research and should demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively and independently, and with a track record of or potential for developing individual and/or collaborative externally funded research projects.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to teach effectively in the B.S. Meteorology, B.S. Climate Science and/or M.S. Meteorology programs, including engaging students in research projects. Applicants should be prepared for and enthusiastic about teaching atmospheric or climate science classes at the undergrad and graduate level. The department seeks candidates with an interest in teaching courses in climate science, climate dynamics, wildfire science, statistical methods, big data, and climate modeling.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a multicultural and socially diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Experience in research in climate science and wildfire risk and extreme weather events.
• Experience in climate modeling and/or fire risk modeling.
• Expertise in statistics and/or machine learning, and working with large datasets.
• Expertise and experience in developing and/or implementing atmospheric and climate science curriculum at the undergraduate or graduate level.
• Experience and interest in research and teaching that incorporates, foregrounds and engages students and collaborators in issues related to climate science and extreme weather events.
• Commitment to and experience in racially and ethnically diverse communities, particularly with African American, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and students from groups historically and currently marginalized in society and schooling systems; and an understanding of how the underrepresentation of these groups in the geosciences disadvantages all students, particularly historically and currently marginalized students.
• Proficiency in one or more language other than English represented in the SJSU service area (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin, or Vietnamese).
• Evidence of undergraduate and graduate mentoring.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Design and teach introductory and advanced level courses in climate science and special topics such as climate dynamics, wildfire risk, extreme weather events, big data science, and climate modeling.
  
  
• Develop and sustain an ongoing record of research and scholarship, including obtaining external funding, and other professional engagement.
  
  
• Supervise undergraduate and graduate students in research, and teach courses for meteorology and climate science majors at both undergrad and graduate (MS) level, and participate in departmental activities.
  
  
• Participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
  
  
• Demonstrate awareness and experience understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, cultural background, ethnicity, primary language and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advising.
  
  

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• a two-page statement of teaching interests, experience, and philosophy.
• a two-page statement of research interests  describing the candidate’s plans to develop their research portfolio and to engage undergraduate and MS students in research.
• a two-page diversity statement
• three references with contact information

Inquiries may be directed to the Interim Department Chair: Craig Clements, craig.clements@sjsu.edu

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position is located in the State of California. Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Proof of immunization and booster shots against COVID-19 or proof of a medical or religious exemption and compliance with testing protocols is required for employment. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.


Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.