Geospatial Science for Sustainable Land Processes and Management

Faculty Position Available
Cohort Hire: Creating a Climate-Resilient Future
Focus:  Geospatial Science for Sustainable Land Processes and Management
School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University

Position: Assistant Professor, Tenure-track.

Location: Ithaca, NY. The academic home for this position is the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, housed on the Ithaca campus of Cornell University. 

The School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University welcomes applications for a full-time tenure-track position in geospatial science for sustainable land processes and management at the assistant professor level. Our new colleague will join a Cohort Faculty Hire in Creating a Climate-Resilient Future.

The CALS Roadmap to 2050 identified Transdisciplinary Moonshots - opportunities for the CALS community to collaborate on future-focused, cross-disciplinary scientific breakthroughs and to align research, education, and extension programs for greater impact and stronger connectivity. The Moonshot areas build upon core strengths in CALS, spanning the agricultural, life, environmental and social sciences, with the goal of recruiting 27 faculty into the college over the next three years. This hiring cohort will advance the CALS Transdisciplinary Moonshot in Creating a Climate Resilient Future .

Research in the cohort will unite existing transdisciplinary strengths at Cornell with critical new competencies to help navigate transitions to climate-resilient futures in three interdependent domains: renewable energy, sustainable cities, and agri-food systems. The ideal candidate will be a biophysical scientist adept at geo-spatial assessment of natural and managed landscapes. In addition to this advertised hire, the cohort will include an environmental engineer, a socioecologist, a risk communication scholar, and a landscape architect.

We are looking for a highly collaborative individual who is experienced in quantification and prediction of land-surface processes as influenced by climate, land use and management, and policy essential to addressing multiple grand challenges for sustainability. The incumbent will serve as a critical resource and collaborator for faculty programs across soil science, crop science, horticulture, plant biology, breeding, and pathology, international agriculture, global development, and urban land management that include spatial processes from field to global scales.  Understanding and controlling micro- and macro-level processes, ranging from soil and the microbiome to regional nutrient, water, and carbon flows, require spatial analysis that draws increasingly on integrating advanced sensing technologies, geographic information systems, and ‘big data’ approaches. The position requires expertise in land processes and management, soil and crop science, and biogeochemistry, in combination with strong geospatial and computational approaches, as well as data science for working with large data sets. The successful candidate will have the ability and interest in applying these techniques to problem solving in land processes and management and its interactions with water and air qualities. The incumbent will play a central role in the campus-wide geospatial sciences community and digital agriculture initiative, exemplified in the activities of the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA).  They will develop an innovative and cutting-edge research program with global reach that may operate with a regional or international focus, as well as a strong and innovative teaching program involving undergraduate and graduate courses in geospatial and related data sciences. Outstanding research scholarship is expected, as is excellence in, and commitment to, teaching, translation of knowledge, and advising and mentoring of students. We seek a colleague with an outstanding record demonstrating success and promise across these areas, and who will be supported by, and contribute to, a vibrant culture of inclusive excellence in SIPS. As such, candidates are expected to engage in service and leadership activities within their section and school, the college and university, as well as relevant professional societies.

Responsibilities:

This position has an effort split of 60% research and 40% teaching.

Research (60%) – The successful candidate will develop an externally-funded research program that applies advanced geospatial data science and computational methods including, but not limited to process-based modeling, artificial intelligence, and sensing technologies, to better understand processes and guide land management from local to regional and global scales.

Teaching (40%) - The successful candidate will teach an undergraduate class in geospatial science (e.g., Geographic Information Science; Spatial Modeling or related courses) and one advanced graduate level class in the area of specialization. The candidate is expected to provide leadership in degree programs related to geospatial science such as the newly established MPS degree in Geospatial Applications. We also expect the candidate to provide excellence in teaching a broad group of undergraduate students from across Cornell University.

Department Affiliation: The successful candidate will be a tenure-line faculty member of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and will be based in the School of Integrative Plant Science with the option to join any of the 5 sections of SIPS as the primary affiliation and tenure home.

Qualifications: The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in geospatial sciences or related sciences with an understanding of land processes through soil science, plant science, agronomy, or hydrological processes, and experience in applying this expertise to natural and managed landscapes. A strong commitment to the development of multidisciplinary team-based research and teaching is essential.

Applications and Starting Date: The anticipated starting date is July 1, 2024, or as negotiated. Qualified applicants should submit (1) a cover letter briefly summarizing background, qualifications, and interest in the position, (2) a Curriculum Vitae, (3) a research statement outlining experience, interests, and goals, (4) a teaching statement outlining experience, interests, and goals, (5) a statement supporting diverse communities (this can be a stand-alone document (preferred) or the information can be embedded in other parts of the application materials) outlining how, through research, teaching, service. mentoring, extension, and/or outreach, the candidate has and will contribute to support Cornell’s historical mission of “any person … any study,” (6) copies of four relevant publications, (7) names and contact information for three references, and (8) unofficial transcripts. Materials should be submitted online to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26236 . Applications received by December 15, 2023, will be given full consideration. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Inquiries may be directed to:

Dr. Johannes Lehmann

Soil and Crop Science

School of Integrative Plant Science

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 14853

Email: [email protected]

Office: (607) 254-1236

CALS hiring range for position:

Assistant Professor: $79,400 - $135,000

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University is engaged in pioneering pursuit of inclusive, purpose-driven science. As Cornell University’s second largest college, with discovery for impact at its core, we work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through equitable, world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy, and environmental resources; and social, physical, and economic well- being. CALS is fundamentally invested in improving the lives of people, their environments, and their communities both in New York state and around the world.

Cornell University seeks to meet the needs of dual career couples, has a Dual Career program, and is a member of the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium to assist with dual career searches including positions available in higher education in the upstate New York area.

The new faculty member will join a collaborative, interdisciplinary community on the main campus in Ithaca, New York. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League and Land-grant university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.

Cornell's regional and global presence includes state-wide Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and offices in all counties and boroughs, global partnerships with institutions and communities engaged in life-changing research and education, the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

The Cornell community embraces diversity and inclusion. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. We value AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and seek candidates who will create a climate that attracts and retains persons of all races, ethnicities, and genders. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations.

Pay Range:

Refer to Posting Language

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
• Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
• Unique applicable skills.

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Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected] .

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected] .

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing [email protected] .

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EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. 

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

2023-10-26