Southern California HERC

The Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of California Riverside invites applicants for a full-time Assistant Professor of Soil Physics. Exceptional candidates in all areas of specialization in soil physics will be considered, with preferences given to qualifications in one or more areas described below. The appointment will consist of a split 0.4 FTE I&R (Instruction and Research) and 0.6 FTE OR (Organized Research) appointment in the Agricultural Experiment Station (https://cnas.ucr.edu/resources/agricultural-experiment-station).

The successful candidate will fulfill Department's excellence in soil science, hydrology, and water resources both at the undergraduate- and graduate-level. This hire will complement existing departmental and campus-wide faculty working on areas related to soil science, water resources, hydrology, water policy, climate change, and aquatic ecology. The successful candidate will have a strong track-record of peer-reviewed publications, proven record of, or exceptional promise for, developing a vibrant externally-funded research program, and a portfolio of high-quality teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

This faculty member will conduct research on soil physics and vadose zone hydrological processes that address local, regional, and national issues in agricultural and environmental sciences, including environmental remediation, environmental stress, soil health, and/or carbon storage in soils. Potential research areas may include, but are not limited to, modeling and experimental approaches to investigate coupled soil physical, hydrologic, biogeochemical, and rhizosphere processes in natural and agricultural environments that affect water, solute, and sediment transport in relation to land use and management practices (e.g., managed aquifer recharge), as they affect soils, crops, vegetation, mineral weathering, microbial interactions, and the groundwater, and link to overarching global environmental and societal issues such as soil degradation, salinization, and desertification, water quality, water scarcity, food production, and ecosystem functioning. Candidates should have broad conceptual and methodological knowledge of the soil-water-plant environment. Candidates should have demonstrated research experience using field-based experimental investigation of agricultural and/or natural ecosystems and relevant numerical (as well as GIS-based) modeling approaches in soil and environmental physics, along with experiences in some of the following areas: irrigation practices, nutrient biogeochemistry, microbiology, rhizosphere carbon dynamics, and soil health.

The successful candidate is encouraged to contribute and/or provide leadership to the campus-wide multidisciplinary initiative in water research (R'Water) through research and outreach activities. The faculty member may assume responsibility for teaching ENSC 107 (Soil Physics); and rotate in the teaching of ENSC 100 (Introduction to Soil Science), and a new graduate-level course depending on faculty's expertise, interests, and departmental needs (e.g., advanced environmental soil physics). The anticipated start date is September 01, 2024.

Evidence of securing competitive extramural funding at the federal-level is preferred.

UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate and graduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Advancement through the faculty ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every 2-3 years, each of which includes substantial peer input.

To apply: For consideration at an Assistant level, submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, three letters of references, a Statement of Research, a Statement of Teaching, and a Contribution to Diversity Statement to https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF01781. Review of applications will commence on November 30, 2023, and proceed until the position is filled. For full consideration, applicants should submit their complete applications prior to the above date.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Jirka Simunek, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of Environmental Sciences, at Jiri.Simunek@ucr.edu. For questions on application procedures and requirements, please contact Ashley Lawson, Academic Personnel, at ashley.lawson@ucr.edu.