F2080P

Assistant Professor, Geospatial AI

Franklin-Geography

Since our founding in 1785, the University of Georgia has operated as Georgia’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 235 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 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 employs approximately 3,000 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 40,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 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.

In February 2024, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the UGA to establish a new independent School of Medicine. Georgia is well known for its quality of life in regard to both outdoor and urban activities (exploregeorgia.org). Athens, Georgia is frequently ranked as one of the best places to live in the US: https://www.visitathensga.com/media/rankings-press-coverages.

The Department of Geography and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences are committed to multidisciplinary research, collaboration, and academic innovation and to sustaining a work and learning environment that is inclusive.

https://geography.uga.edu/

External

Employee

Benefits Eligible

08/01/2025

09/03/2024

Yes

Applications received by October 14, 2024, are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants will be asked to provide names and contact information for 3 references using the online system. Supporting documents should include a cover letter addressing the candidate’s background relative to the responsibilities of the position, curriculum vitae, and up to 3 representative publications. In addition, applicants should provide a statement of teaching philosophy and a statement of research philosophy that highlights their goals and interest in data science and artificial intelligence, and their contributions to understanding environmental change and hydrological and ecosystem science.

Questions about the cluster: Dr. Hilda Kurtz, Department Head GeographyQuestions about the position: Search committee chair, Dr. Lan Mu, Department of Geography

Athens Area

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).

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Track

Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in Geography, GIScience, Environmental or Earth Science, or a related field from an accredited institution.

The Department of Geography invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor specializing in Geospatial AI (GeoAI) applied to hydrological and ecosystem science. The new faculty member will join a cluster of 6 faculty who constitute Environmental Artificial Intelligence Cluster funded by Presidential Faculty Hiring Initiative. The faculty positions are distributed over the following four departments within Franklin College of Arts and Sciences: Department of Geography, Department of Marine Sciences, Department of Statistics and Department of Anthropology.

The Environmental AI cluster will strengthen and expand UGA’s position as a global leader in atmospheric, terrestrial, and oceanic processes across wide-ranging spatial and temporal scales. UGA is seeking to build on its existing core strengths in big data analyses and multi-scale modeling of earth and marine systems, paleoclimate, and human-environmental change and organizational complexity by developing innovative computational and statistical methodologies to advance understanding of ecosystem resilience and to support climate science and sustainability. This hiring cluster is aimed at 1) advancing machine learning capabilities in sensor networks and remotely sensed data; 2) simulating and evaluating environmental responses at multiple scales and planning for resource management strategies; and 3) evaluating relationships between environmental forcing mechanisms and responses.

Collectively, these new faculty members will contribute to the understanding of ecosystem resiliency in the face of sea-level rise, increasingly extreme weather events, ocean warming and acidification, and how these climate patterns have changed through time. These are the most challenging and pressing research problems of our time with vast implications for decision-makers and the public for adapting to and mitigating environmental change. To facilitate interaction among these researchers, each faculty member will join the existing Environmental AI working group and be encouraged to collaborate with faculty in related research centers or institutes across campus.

We seek a GeoAI researcher with a demonstrated ability to utilize GeoAI tools such as sensor networks, data mining, machine learning including deep learning, and high-performance computing, as well as strengths in big data visualization. In particular, we seek a researcher who can support the Environmental AI working group with transformative research that incorporates process-based models and deep learning models. The successful candidate is expected to develop and maintain a strong externally funded research program advancing novel modeling frameworks and techniques for working with heterogeneous geospatial data. The successful candidate is also expected to teach effectively at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Competitive applicants will have demonstrated interdisciplinary collaborations that cut across academic units on campus.

This tenure track position starts on August 1, 2025, and is an academic year appointment (9 months) with opportunities to supplement salary during the summer. Please see the requirements for Assistant Professors in the Unit Criteria for Promotion and Tenure for the Department of Geography.

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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.

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.