Assistant Professor, Environmental Education

Job Summary

The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University is seeking candidates for Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies. The Water School is an interdisciplinary enterprise that focuses on the environmental, economic, and human dimensions of coastal resilience, ecosystem integrity, health and wellbeing, and restoration and remediation. It presents a good opportunity for professional couples looking for a new academic home.

About the Role

The Assistant Professor of Environmental Education will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, develop new courses, build a productive program of research/scholarship involving students, participate on university committees, and perform other duties as assigned. The position is part of a comprehensive university dedicated to quality education, research, and service.

Responsibilities

• Develop and teach assigned courses: prepare syllabi and instruction materials, coordinate lectures, evaluate students, and maintain highest possible standards of classroom instruction.
• Collaborate with other faculty to develop/revise curriculum.
• Develop and maintain an independent and productive research/scholarship program that also involves students.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students, as appropriate, in research.
• Seek external funding to support research program, including students.
• Demonstrate quality of research through peer-review.
• Stay current with new developments in field of instruction and maintain disciplinary skills through professional development activities appropriate to higher education faculty.
• Actively serve on university committees and participate in institutional meetings.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Environmental Education, Science Education, or related discipline from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.
• Teaching, research, and scholarly interests that align with the programs and mission of The Water School.
• Experience in science communication and a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate scientific concepts to various audiences and bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public by making complex scientific concepts accessible, engaging, and understandable.
• Experience teaching as instructor of record and post-doctoral experience.
• Experience in grant writing and in assessment/evaluation of non-formal environmental education programs.
• Experience integrating innovative educational tools into environmental science curricula.
• Demonstrated experience in university-level program assessment.
• Demonstrated experience or potential interest in teaching across the undergraduate and graduate curriculum of programs in The Water School.
• Evidence of scholarly expertise related to environmental education, with a record of research with potential for publication in scholarly journals.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Environmental Education, Science Education, or related discipline from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.
• Preferred qualifications include experience in science communication, teaching as instructor of record, post-doctoral experience, experience in grant writing, experience in assessment/evaluation of non-formal environmental education programs, engagement in scholarship that uses a framework of social-ecological systems, strong research agenda with evidence of scholarly expertise in the study of environmental education, outdoor education, science communication, non-formal education or related discipline, experience integrating innovative educational tools into environmental science curricula, demonstrated experience or potential interest in teaching across the undergraduate and graduate curriculum of programs in The Water School, and evidence of scholarly expertise related to environmental education, with a record of research with potential for publication in scholarly journals.

Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of the use of various and innovative teaching approaches to engage students and ensure student learning.
• Demonstrated development and use of skills appropriate to the discipline.
• Ability to conduct independent research and involve students in research.
• Ability to mentor students in research with the students' learning and training in mind.
• Prominent ability to think strategically and approach challenges with creativity.
• Demonstrated track record of reliability, meeting goals, and holding oneself accountable.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively across teams.

Institutional Values & Behavioral Expectations

• Seek out new approaches to improve outcomes.
• Remain open to feedback and new ideas.
• Lead with integrity; consistently produce high-quality work; persevere to overcome obstacles to meet deadlines and achieve deliverables.
• Share information and insights thoughtfully; build partnerships across departments; communicate respectfully; support colleagues to achieve common goals.

Special Instructions

To Applicants: Appointment will be made on a 9-month multi-year appointment basis with an anticipated start date of August 2026. Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida’s Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU. Under Florida’s Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials

• Unofficial Transcripts
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research Interests
• Five (5) Professional References