Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

Environmental Science or related discipline prior to July 1, 2027 and will be expected to teach 12 contact hours per semester (typically three or four classes); establish their scholarly activities that involve undergraduates; and engage in service to the institution, the community, and the profession.

The successful candidate will teach environmental policy and courses in geospatial technologies, along with courses in their area of expertise. The department is particularly interested in individuals with expertise in one or more of the following areas: environmental policy, resource conservation and management, environmental sustainability, energy and climate, and/or public lands management. Individuals with demonstrated excellence in teaching, a strong commitment to undergraduate education, and a well-developed plan to establish an active research program that integrates undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the core curriculum and engage in departmental and university-level service.

UNC Asheville values interdisciplinary perspectives, often incorporated in teaching within the core curriculum. Multidisciplinary perspectives are welcomed, as is pedagogical collaboration with colleagues from across the campus. UNC Asheville has also been a national leader in undergraduate research for over 30 years, and over 67% of our students graduate each year having been involved in this important learning experience. The University fully embraces mentored undergraduate research as one of the highest forms of teaching, and the institution values success in this facet of a faculty member’s work. Therefore, the successful candidate for this position must be able to articulate a clear vision for sustainable, highly productive, and preferably externally funded scholarly activities that include undergraduates. Successful candidates should also have the propensity to teach in a multitude of modalities, from face-to-face to online/asynchronous format.

Applications for this position should be submitted electronically at https://jobs.unca.edu. Complete applications require a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy that includes interest in or potential for interdisciplinary teaching outside of the department, statement of planned scholarship and creative activities, undergraduate transcripts, and graduate transcripts. Each applicant should also request three letters of reference to be sent separately that address the candidate’s written, verbal and interpersonal skills; ability to teach and mentor undergraduate students; and potential to develop successful, externally funded scholarly activities. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Inquires may be directed to Dr. David Gillette, Chair of Environmental Science (dgillett@unca.edu).

Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in Environmental Science or related field with expertise in Environmental Management and/or Policy earned prior to July 1, 2027 is required for this position. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate through application materials and in the interview that they have demonstrated excellence in undergraduate education, a concrete research agenda that includes the mentoring of undergraduate students, a desire to contribute to general education requirements, and have interests in interdisciplinary work across the university.

Months per Year: 9 months

Division: Academic Affairs

Department: Environmental Science

Special Instructions Summary:

Please note that any documents submitted to Human Resources or the hiring departments become property of UNC Asheville and will not be returned.

Posting date: 07/31/2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Anticipated Start Date: 07/01/2027

Background/E-Verify:

UNC Asheville uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.

Credential Verification:

All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

University Safety:

The UNC Asheville Annual Safety Report is available online at UNCA Safety Report. For more information please contact the Assistant Vice Chancelor for Institutional Integrity & Access/Clery Act Compliance Officer at (828) 232-5658 or email oiia@unca.edu. The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.

Organization

The University of North Carolina Asheville offers a singular experience for original minds.

We’re the original and only liberal arts campus in the University of North Carolina system. We break down conventions, overcome obstacles, expand horizons. We dare to connect curiosity and critical thinking, courage and challenge, imagination and impact, opportunity and responsibility. When the world looks down, we look up.

We’re a public resource that draws on a deep history to make a profound impact—on our students and on the world. We founded the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Our STEAM Studio helped to produce the largest public art installation ever shown in Times Square. We offer majors and concentrations that re-tool the liberal arts and sciences for new challenges and new opportunities. We live in one of America’s great small cities, a mountain town with wit and grit, with an artist’s eye and an explorer’s heart.

We are the originals. We’re rooted in the Land of the Sky, at the intersection of what’s known and what’s possible. This is an education that’s affordable, adaptive, and endlessly relevant. This is an experience where every path leads to a new vista, where there’s room for every voice, and where the future is a frontier—vast and bright and close enough to touch.

UNC Asheville’s national reputation for empowering human potential is rooted in its unique student-centric public liberal arts and sciences mission. UNC Asheville thrives on close-knit connections among students and their faculty and staff mentors. The University’s 3,300 students are innovative, ethical, creative and resilient leaders who seek to understand complex global challenges and find creative, sustainable solutions that benefit our communities and the world. More than 65 percent of UNC Asheville students conduct applied research alongside faculty experts. UNC Asheville consistently ranks as a national top 10 Public Liberal Arts and Sciences University by U.S. News & World Report, and on its list of Most Innovative Schools. UNC Asheville regularly earns several national top 20 rankings in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 386 Colleges,” including Best Quality of Life, Town-Gown Relations, and UNC Asheville has ranked in the top two nationally for the “Best Schools for Making an Impact,” in The Princeton Review’s “Colleges that Pay You Back.”