Posting Number:

F1053P

Working Title:

Open Rank Faculty - Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainability and Equity

Department:

ENGR-Env Civil Agr & Mech

About the University of Georgia:

The University of Georgia (UGA), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). UGA is currently ranked among the top 15 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA was founded in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly as the first state-chartered University in the country. UGA employs approximately 1,800 full-time instructional faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 39,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 18 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

About the College/Unit/Department:

The College of Engineering at the University of Georgia is one of the fastest growing programs at UGA and one of the fastest growing public colleges of engineering in the nation. Since our founding in 2012, enrollment in the College of Engineering has grown to over 2,400 students. Students and faculty alike are attracted to our setting in a comprehensive, land-grant, research institution that’s consistently ranked among the 20 best public universities in the nation. The rapidly expanding UGA engineering program focuses on opportunities for learning, discovery and innovation at the confluence of disciplines.

College/Unit/Department website:

www.engr.uga.edu

Posting Type:

External

Retirement Plan:

TRS or ORP

Employment Type:

Employee

Benefits Eligibility:

Benefits Eligible

Underutilization:

Minorities & Females

Anticipated Start Date:

08/01/2022

Job Posting Date:

11/01/2021

Open until filled:

Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicants are asked to submit the following information along with their application:

• A detailed curriculum vita.
• A cover letter (not to exceed one page) addressing the candidate’s experience relative to the responsibilities of the position.
• A statement describing the candidate’s commitment to diversity, equity, an inclusion as well as the creation of an equitable and inclusive professional environment not to exceed 2 pages.
• A teaching and research statement not to exceed 2 pages.
• The names, titles, and contact information for three professional references.

Questions related to the position may be directed to Dr. Jenna Jambeck at jjambeck@uga.edu
All applications received by December 3, 2021 will receive full consideration.

Location of Vacancy:

Athens Area

EEO Statement:

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

UGA Statement:

PLEASE NOTE: On December 7, 2021, the federal District Court for the Southern District of Georgia issued a preliminary injunction against enforcing the vaccine requirement for
Federal Contractors pending further review. As a result, the requirements of the Executive Order and associated guidance, including the vaccination requirement for covered contractor employees, are currently not in effect.

The University of Georgia is a Federal Contractor as defined by Presidential Executive Order 14042 and subject to the requirement that Federal Contractors must ensure that all covered employees, including those working remotely, are fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022. You may be required to show proof of your fully vaccinated status at the time of your start date, or have received a medical or religious exemption from the fully vaccinated requirement at the time of your start date. For more information regarding the Federal Contractor fully vaccinated employment requirement please visit https://coronavirus.uga.edu/executive-order/ or call (706) 542-2222.

Classification Title:

Open Rank

Faculty Rank:

Open Rank (Tenure Track)

Contract Type:

Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Status:

Tenure Track or Tenured

Minimum Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in any engineering discipline relevant to the field of resilient infrastructures.

Position Summary:

The College of Engineering at the University of Georgia is seeking to grow and diversify its programs through investments in faculty with expertise in Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainability and Equity (RISE). The College invites applications for multiple open rank, 9-month tenured or tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level. These positions will start on August 1, 2022, and are academic year appointments (9 months) with the opportunity to supplement salary during the summer.
The UGA College of Engineering will utilize this initiative to demonstrate our commitment to diversifying our faculty and ensure that we maintain and grow the culture of equity and inclusivity in our College. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of the University and College, and this hiring initiative will make use of the best practices to ensure an inclusive search process. The Diversity and Inclusion Plan for the college identifies priority areas for our investments and through the 2021-2022 academic year we will develop a Diversity Strategic Plan as part of a campus-wide effort. The college offers structured mentoring programs for all faculty that support professional development. Several programs exist to enhance the inclusiveness of our college, including a student-led Engineering Equity Council and facilitated dialogue that promotes discourse on topics in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Multiple positions are available in the field of Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainability and Equity (RISE). Aging infrastructure, urbanization, pollution and climate change are impacting communities and livelihoods with significant investments being made in infrastructure. The RISE interdisciplinary cluster will unite and catalyze strengths in data science, engineering (including Engineering With Nature®, natural infrastructure, and green engineering), environmental and atmospheric sciences, urban systems, public service and outreach, public administration, and law and policy to establish UGA as an international leader in smart and resilient infrastructure systems that protect people, their livelihoods, and their communities from severe weather impacts, climate change, man-made hazards, pollution, unsafe or degraded infrastructures, and other disruptions. The RISE cluster will produce fundamental research on next generation infrastructure and systems with emphasis on vulnerable communities connected with important assets including critical transportation infrastructure, military installations, ports and urban systems (e.g., water, wastewater, solid waste systems).
Applications are sought in areas interfacing with data science and artificial intelligence that may include: Smart Interconnected Infrastructure Systems, Operations Research Using AI for Vulnerability and Risk Analysis of Critical Infrastructure Systems, Riverine-Coastal Infrastructure Engineering, Hydrologic & Hydraulic Engineering and Smart Water Systems, AI Geotechnics, AI-Empowered Intelligent Transportation Systems, Green Engineering and Urban and/or Rural System Material Circularity Informatics. The College of Engineering creates an ideal environment for candidates seeking opportunities to work in interdisciplinary collaborations across campus and address resilience issues in communities, especially those most at risk, and infrastructure systems around the world.

The hiring is part of a campus-wide Presidential Interdisciplinary Faculty Hiring Initiative in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence that aims to recruit 50 faculty members who will educate students and advance research in data science and AI over the next two years. Rather than being housed exclusively in a single department, however, the majority of UGA’s newly recruited faculty will focus on the fusion of data science and AI in cross-cutting areas such as infectious diseases, integrative precision agriculture, ethics, cybersecurity, resilient communities and the environment. The College of Engineering already has significant expertise in the areas of Transportation and Structural Systems, Geotechnical Engineering, Resilient and Natural Infrastructure, Water Management, Urban Systems, New Materials, Plastic Pollution and Solid Waste Management. Examples are the interdisciplinary team of researchers and educators in the School of Environmental, Civil Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering and colleagues affiliated with the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, New Materials Institute, as well as with other departments and institutes within and outside the College of Engineering.

Faculty hired as part of this initiative will join a rapidly growing engineering college that combines interdisciplinary research and scholarship with excellent instruction and service. The UGA College of Engineering currently enrolls over 2,500 engineering majors and has over 80 full-time faculty across fifteen-degree programs. Significant investments in infrastructure have resulted in an expansion of laboratory facilities for research and scholarship and new classrooms and instructional labs. College of Engineering faculty will have space in two major capital projects on campus to create interdisciplinary research facilities. Our main instructional facility has also undergone complete renovation to create flexible classrooms that enable a range of teaching modalities and the incorporation of interdisciplinary instructional labs. The common instructional facilities also foster diversity since they allow faculty, staff, and students to interact and collaborate in a single facility.

Additional Requirements:

Please see the requirements for Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors in the Unit Criteria for Promotion and Tenure for the College of Engineering.

To be eligible for tenure upon appointment, candidates must be appointed as an Associate Professor or Full Professor, have been tenured at a prior institution, and bring a demonstrably national reputation to the institution. Candidates must be approved for tenure upon appointment before hire.

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification:

• A strong record of research, scholarship, and instruction that is commensurate with the stage in their professional career and aligned with the areas of research and scholarship associated with this position.
• A focus on interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses critical societal challenges.
• A demonstrated record exhibiting leadership traits, effective communication, and ability to develop innovative programs is desired.

Is this a Position of Trust?:

No

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources?:

No

Does this position require a P-Card? :

No

Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? :

No

Is driving a responsibility of this position?:

No

Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care?:

No

Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications):

No

Credit and P-Card policy:

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.