Assistant/Associate Professor of Critical Mineral Geology

About the Role

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Science at the University of Texas at Arlington invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Critical Mineral Geology. Exceptional candidates at the Associate Professor rank will also be considered.

Responsibilities

• Maintain an active research agenda by publishing in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and securing competitive external grants
• Mentor undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers
• Teach advanced field-based geology and undergraduate/graduate courses
• Continually refine pedagogical methods through campus resources, including UTA's Learning and Development programs and the STEM Education Research Collaboratorium and Resource Center
• Provide service including departmental committee leadership (graduate admissions, faculty search committees, colloquium series), university governance, and community outreach
• Contribute to the broader scientific community through peer review, national grant panels, and public engagement

Research Focus

The department seeks individuals with expertise in understanding formation mechanisms as well as the petrological and geochemical attributes of sustainable critical mineral resources. Candidates who incorporate modern quantitative frameworks—such as transport and reactive transport modeling, thermodynamic modeling, or data-driven exploration—into sustainable critical mineral research are especially welcome.

Facilities

Research infrastructure features exceptional analytical capabilities, including the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies (housing the Center for Environmental, Forensics, and Material Science) equipped with XRD, XRF, ICP-MS, and EPMA, and a departmental ultraclean laboratory. Additional advanced characterization facilities, including the Characterization Center for Materials and Biology, offer access to SEM, TEM, FT-IR spectrometry, and Raman spectroscopy.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Geosciences or a closely related field
• For Assistant Professor rank: clear potential to establish an independent, externally funded research program in critical mineral geology, supported by a strong record of peer-reviewed publications; strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching and M.S. and Ph.D. student mentoring; postdoctoral or equivalent professional experience is strongly preferred
• For Associate Professor rank: established track record of research excellence and national visibility; sustained record of peer-reviewed publications; proven history of securing competitive external grant funding (e.g., NSF, DOE, USGS, or industry partners); documented excellence in university-level teaching; demonstrated record of guiding M.S. and Ph.D. students through to graduation; active participation in university and professional service

Preferred Qualifications

• Postdoctoral research, national laboratory, or relevant industry experience (strongly preferred for Assistant Professor applicants)
• Demonstrated expertise in combining field geology, laboratory analysis, and data-driven techniques (such as computational modeling or artificial intelligence) to study sustainable critical mineral systems
• Track record of, or strong potential for, securing external research funding from diverse sources, including federal agencies (e.g., NSF, DOE, USGS) and industry partners
• Proven ability to build interdisciplinary research collaborations spanning geosciences, environmental science, materials science, chemistry, or engineering
• Experience designing field- or laboratory-based courses that support the Geology curriculum and create synergies with the Environmental Science degree program
• (For Associate Professor rank) Demonstrated leadership in building collaborative research centers, managing multi-investigator grants, or mentoring early-career faculty