Assistant Professor

The Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Sustainability. 

The successful applicant will demonstrate the potential to become a leading expert in sustainability research that is distinct from but complementary to research by our current core faculty. We particularly seek candidates whose research is collaborative and applies systems approaches (including but not limited to applied data science, industrial ecology, multi-criteria decision analysis, techno-economic analysis, and quantitative behavioral analysis) to addressing sustainability challenges in areas such as circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, sustainable materials management, food systems/organic waste, energy systems, and transportation systems.

The faculty member will build an externally funded research program to support multiple Ph.D. students and conduct research that is responsive to societal needs and that leads to peer-reviewed, scholarly publications as well as the communication or translation of research outcomes to realize broader impacts.

The faculty member will teach two graduate-level courses each year: one core course in the MS/PhD curriculum (Fundamentals of Sustainability Science, Industrial Ecology, Risk Analysis, Economics of Sustainable Systems, Multicriteria Sustainable Systems, or Technology, Policy and Sustainability) and one elective related to the candidate’s expertise. Course information can be found at https://www.rit.edu/study/sustainability-phd#curriculum. Teaching responsibilities also include recruiting, mentoring, and advising a diverse group of Ph.D. and M.S. students.

The faculty member will contribute to university service by participating on a limited number of department and institute committees and to professional service by engaging with external community groups and/or scholarly organizations.

We seek an individual who has the ability and interest in contributing to a community committed to student-centeredness; professional development and scholarship; integrity and ethics; respect, diversity and pluralism; innovation and flexibility; and teamwork and collaboration. Select to view links to RIT’s core values, honor code, and statement of diversity.

The faculty appointment and listed salary are for a 9-month academic year appointment (salary paid out over 12 months), with the opportunity to augment academic year salary in the summer through external research grants.

 

Department/College Description

The Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) at Rochester Institute of Technology is a leader in sustainability education and research.  The Institute functions as a college at RIT and has two departments: Architecture (offering a Master of Architecture) and Sustainability (offering an M.S. in Sustainable Systems and Ph.D. in Sustainability).  The successful applicant will join the Sustainability Department, which currently has four core faculty and approximately 20 Ph.D. and 20 M.S. students. GIS recognizes and is committed to the value of a diverse graduate student community, with strong recruitment and enrollment of female and underrepresented students. Sustainability faculty typically support research groups of about 4-6 Ph.D. students, 1-2 M.S. students (thesis track), and sometimes a postdoctoral scholar. Faculty also provide academic advising to 2-3 M.S. students on the capstone track. Sustainability faculty collaborate with researchers across RIT and with organizations locally, nationally, and internationally to create solutions to complex sustainability challenges. The flagship of GIS is the LEED platinum-certified Sustainability Hall, a $38 million, 84,000 ft2 facility dedicated to the GIS academic mission.  The building serves as a center for sustainability research, technology transfer, education and outreach, and provides a state-of-the-art showcase for green construction and design. Additional information can be found at https://www.rit.edu/sustainabilityinstitute/.

 

 

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. by August 2025.
• A strong collaborative scholarly research agenda that will apply a systems approach to sustainability and lead to peer-reviewed scholarly publications and broader societal impacts.
• Potential to secure external funding resources to support multiple PhD students.
• Potential to advise graduate students and excel at graduate-level teaching in GIS core and elective courses.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the college’s continuing commitment to cultural diversity, pluralism, and individual differences.
• Potential to develop a research trajectory that will complement but not significantly overlap the research of current GIS faculty.
• Potential to build collaborations within RIT and/or with external manufacturing firms, government agencies, national labs, and/or domestic or international research universities.