Assistant/Associate Professor in Social Science & Sustainability

About the role

The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech invites applications for a tenure‑track Assistant or Associate Professor position in Social Science and Sustainability. We seek a collaborative and innovative social scientist whose work addresses the human dimensions of sustainability with an emphasis on natural resource management, environmental conservation, and/or environmental governance. The specific topic of sustainability research is open, and we welcome diverse candidates whose substantive and methodological expertise complements and strengthens our program. This position will contribute to the department’s ongoing efforts to integrate rigorous social science into our interdisciplinary curriculum and research portfolio. The successful candidate must develop a productive externally funded research program and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in areas such as leadership for sustainability and other topics aligned with their expertise. Individuals must have a PhD in a social science field relevant to sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Research (50%): Develop and maintain a robust, externally funded research program focused on the human dimensions of sustainability.
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across campus and with external stakeholders such as natural resource agencies, NGOs, and community organizations.
• Advise and mentor graduate students.
• Teaching (50%): Teach 2–3 courses per academic year relevant to the Environmental Conservation & Society major, with a specific expectation to teach “FREC 2554 Leadership for Global Sustainability”.
• Contribute to curriculum development and departmental service.

Qualifications

Required: PhD by appointment date in a social science field relevant to sustainability, natural resource management, or a closely related field.

Preferred: Demonstrated commitment to or excellence in teaching or designing courses related to environmental sustainability at the undergraduate and graduate levels; demonstrated potential for, or success in, securing external funding to support research; a record of high‑quality research and publication in relevant fields; methodological expertise that complements existing departmental strengths and enhances opportunities for interdisciplinary research and external funding (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed‑methods, computational, spatial, participatory, or other rigorous social science approaches); ability to work across disciplinary and methodological boundaries.

Pay

$85k – $95k (Assistant Professor rank), or $115k – $125k (Associate Professor rank)

Schedule

40 hours per week. Overtime exempt (not eligible for overtime).

Review date: October 15, 2026