Associate/Full Professor - Advancing the Sustainability of Critical Technologies

Cornell University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Ithaca campus) invites applications for a tenured faculty position in Environmental Engineering from exceptional scholars whose work is redefining the sustainability of critical technologies that underpin modern society.

About the role

We seek a creative, forward-looking experimentalist who is poised to lead transformative advances at the interface of fundamental science and real-world systems. The successful candidate will establish a bold, internationally recognized research and teaching program that addresses pressing environmental challenges at any scale—from molecular and materials design to process and systems-level implementation.

We are particularly interested in researchers developing new experimental approaches rooted in materials science, chemistry, or microbiology to enable breakthroughs in water and air quality, resource recovery, and circular manufacturing. The ideal candidate will couple fundamental discovery with a clear vision for translation into scalable, impactful technologies.

The School has recently completed a 2,000 square-foot state-of-the-art wet laboratory ready to support a world-leading research program in these areas. We are especially interested in candidates who engage deeply with sustainability challenges emerging from critical, resource- and energy-intensive sectors, including (but not limited to) critical minerals extraction, artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.

The successful candidate will pioneer and experimentally validate new processes, materials, and treatment strategies that dramatically reduce environmental footprints, enhance resource efficiency, and strengthen system resilience. Their work will not only advance fundamental understanding but also reshape how industrial systems are designed and operated under real-world constraints.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a rigorous, well-funded program of leading-edge research.
• Contribute to undergraduate and graduate course curricula.
• Lead large interdisciplinary research teams that leverage Cornell’s broad collaborative expertise.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in a relevant field.

Pay

Associate Professor: $99,200 – $250,900
Full Professor: $121,200 – $357,900

The hiring rate of pay will be determined considering prior relevant work or industry experience, education level, academic discipline, and unique applicable skills.

Benefits

• Dual Career program and membership in the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium to assist with dual career searches.