Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Environmental Health

About the role

Rice University invites applications for multiple tenured and tenure-track positions at the senior and junior levels in Environmental Health, with preferred focus areas in environmental and occupational epidemiology, environmental exposures and sustainability, environmental risk assessment, toxicology, infectious diseases, global environmental health, climate impacts on health, and the intersection of these areas with environmental justice. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2027. Primary academic appointment will be in the Department of Kinesiology (ranked #1 nationally by Niche™ rankings, home to Rice’s Public Health Sciences and Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology undergraduate degrees), with robust joint appointments in the Departments of BioSciences, Chemistry, and Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences as appropriate. These positions are part of an initiative to support interdisciplinary environmental health scholarship, including a new Climate + Health Excellence Center (FORECAST) funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Cassandra Diep (csdiep@rice.edu) and Dr. Scott P. Egan (scott.p.egan@rice.edu).

Responsibilities

• Establish a vibrant, externally funded research program.
• Collaborate across disciplines.
• Teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Connect to exercise science themes such as impacts of extreme heat, air quality, and toxicants on human physiology and performance (optional).

Requirements

• PhD, DrPH, or equivalent degree in public health science or a relevant field of natural science or engineering.
• Degree requirements must be completed by July 1, 2027.

Qualifications

• Interdisciplinary approach leveraging quantitative training in biostatistics, epidemiological modeling, spatial analytics (GIS), or AI/data science.
• Experience analyzing clinical (e.g., electronic medical records), registry (e.g., Texas Cancer Registry), or administrative (e.g., American Community Survey) health data.
• Interest in climate impacts on human health, infectious disease, sustainability, or One Health principles.

Skills

• Biostatistics and epidemiological modeling.
• Spatial analytics (GIS) and AI/data science.
• Experience with health data sources (clinical, registry, administrative).
• Ability to foster diverse and inclusive research groups and classrooms.

Benefits

• Joint appointments in BioSciences, Chemistry, and Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.
• Participation in the Climate + Health Excellence Center (FORECAST) funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
• Opportunity to contribute to interdisciplinary environmental health scholarship.