Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship

The School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SEBE) of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU) invites applications for a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship position focused on the reengineering of infrastructure systems in the face of rapid technological, social, and environmental change to meet critical needs of the 21st century and beyond. As an institution, ASU is committed to use-inspired research that can catalyze social change and sustainable futures through deep engagement with its local community.  ASU’s commitment is epitomized in the Charter which states that ASU takes fundamental responsibility for the economic, social and overall health of the local and global community. Existing expertise in SEBE covers all aspects of the natural and built environments, including but not limited to energy futures, transportation, structures and construction, water and air quality, and human health.   

For this fellowship, SEBE is particularly interested in recruiting a scholar who is focused on the design of resilient and adaptive infrastructure systems, with an emphasis on empowering and advancing communities that have historically been under-represented in infrastructure-related higher education and research.  The successful applicant will be expected to have the knowledge and experience necessary to address infrastructure and sustainability questions relevant to issues of disparity faced by Black communities and by communities of Color more broadly. SEBE is committed to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and is actively developing and participating in programs, policies, and partnerships which enhance access, and confront and address learning disparities. The Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was launched in Fall 2020 to contribute to a national agenda for social justice, which seeks to challenge the status quo by breaking down barriers and building new policies and practices that move communities toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive society. 

Primary job duties will include:

• Advancing research and developing a research agenda appropriate for a tenure-track academic position. This includes publishing peer-reviewed articles, presenting research at national and international conferences, and pursuing research funding.
• Pursuing teaching and/or other educational opportunities such as co-teaching, delivery of seminars, or other creative mentoring activities.

SEBE is committed to providing individualized, postdoc-centric mentorship and career development to ensure each candidate is well prepared to succeed in a future tenure track appointment. Once hired, postdoctoral fellows will develop a postdoctoral career development plan with their mentoring team, which will be comprised of a primary mentor and senior faculty members drawn from diverse backgrounds.

The SEBE postdoctoral scholars will join a cohort of 10-15 other postdoctoral scholars as part of the ASU’s Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The goal of the program is to support the career development of outstanding PhD graduates who demonstrate a strong potential for advancing the ASU Charter in a future tenure-track appointment at ASU. All postdoctoral fellowship positions are for an initial one-year appointment. An additional year of post-doctoral fellowship funding and a transition to a tenure-track position after one or two years may be offered, depending on each fellow’s mentoring needs and progress. Prospective tenure-track faculty appointments will require review and approval of the designated unit and college that will serve as the tenure home of the candidate. The fellowship program seeks applicants whose professional preparedness, experience, and accomplishments are informed by experiences working with and within groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields in the United States.