Instructor, Geospatial Data Science

Department: CAS Geography | Full-time, nine-month professional-track appointment at the rank of Instructor, beginning August 16, 2027. Initial one-year appointment renewable contingent on dean's approval, satisfactory performance, departmental needs, and funding availability. Teaching load is 4:4 (four courses per semester). This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship; applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at time of hire.

About the role

The Department of Geography in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences invites applications for a full-time, professional-track faculty position with a clear pathway for promotion through USC's standard professional-track faculty promotion process. The department comprises nineteen tenured/tenure-track faculty and one full-time instructor, with research interests spanning resource politics, environmental hazards, human rights, coastal geomorphology, energy geographies, health, GIS and remote sensing, biogeography, migration, and climate change. Faculty lead several institutes and centers including the Hazards, Vulnerability and Resilience Institute (HVRI), Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, and the Center for GIScience and Geospatial Big Data. The department offers PhD, MS, MA, BS, and BA degrees.

We seek a scholar-teacher in geospatial data science and innovation who will contribute to local and national priorities through excellent teaching, student mentorship, and engagement with our growing GIScience community. The successful candidate will teach foundational GIScience courses along with advanced offerings that may include, but are not limited to, Spatial Programming, WebGIS, Geostatistics, GeoAI, Geospatial Intelligence, and courses in the candidate's specialization. The candidate may also contribute to the development of data-intensive, computational, and interdisciplinary applications of geospatial technologies across USC. The teaching load may include online instruction, and additional opportunities for summer instruction may be available.

Responsibilities

• Teach four courses per semester (4:4 load), including foundational GIScience courses and advanced offerings such as Spatial Programming, WebGIS, Geostatistics, GeoAI, Geospatial Intelligence, and specialization courses
• Contribute to development of data-intensive, computational, and interdisciplinary applications of geospatial technologies across the university
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students
• Participate in departmental service as appropriate
• Deliver online instruction as needed
• Pursue summer teaching opportunities when available

Requirements

• Master's degree in Geography, GIScience, Geospatial Analytics, Geo-Informatics, or a related field by time of appointment
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate courses in GIScience and related areas
• Prior experience as instructor of record or teaching assistant
• Authorization to work in the United States (position not eligible for visa sponsorship)

Qualifications

The department is particularly interested in candidates with:

• Experience teaching geospatial data science or related topics
• Curriculum development experience
• Professional engagement related to teaching and learning
• Advanced graduate training in geospatial data science or related areas

Benefits

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities