GESTAR II Director

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) invites applications for a Director for its Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research II (GESTAR II) Center. The incumbent should hold a Ph.D. in a related field and qualify for appointment as a tenured full professor within an academic department at UMBC. The position is available in the Summer of 2022.

GESTAR II is funded primarily by a Cooperative Agreement with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It has a research staff of approximately 120 scientists and faculty, many of whom collaborate with scientists at GSFC and other entities in research related to the observation, analysis, and modeling of physical processes within the Earth-Sun system, and to global climate change issues on Earth. Additional GESTAR II partners include Morgan State University (MSU), Arizona State University (ASU), Colorado State University (CSU), Penn State University (PSU), and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA). More information about the program is available at gestar2.umbc.edu.

The GESTAR II Director provides the overall scientific vision and leadership for the Center and serves as the Center's principal interface to GSFC, to the UMBC leadership and academic community, and GESTAR II partner directors. The Director, in collaboration with the GESTAR II partners, is responsible for the overall management of the Center, and for the scientific quality and integrity of the research performed by the Center's research faculty and staff, who are located at GSFC, at UMBC, and at GESTAR II partner institutions.

The GESTAR II Director brings a demonstrated portfolio of scientific and technical expertise in Earth, Atmospheric, and Oceanic sciences and holds a distinguished research portfolio and national reputation in a related and relevant area. As part of this position, the GESTAR II Director will be expected to devote a significant amount of time on research and teaching at UMBC and is expected to actively contribute to the education and mentorship of graduate students and junior scientists.

As GESTAR II Director the incumbent reports directly to the Vice President for Research at UMBC.

UMBC has a history of over a quarter Century of successful cooperative partnerships with GSFC, with over 200 faculty, scientist and researchers actively working in several research centers. In addition to GESTAR II, UMBC is working with GSFC under the Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST – csst.umbc.edu), the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET – jcet.umbc.edu), and the Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI – gphi.umbc.edu). UMBC is currently ranked at #15 in NASA funding among all U.S. Colleges and Universities.

UMBC is proud to be one of the fastest growing and most diverse public research universities in the nation, with just over fifty percent of its 14,000 students self-identifying as students of color. The University’s vibrant campus is regarded as a new model for American higher education – a place where talented students, faculty, and staff thrive in a culture that embraces new ideas and strong shared governance. In 2022, U.S. News and World Report ranks UMBC as the #6 institution for undergraduate teaching in the nation, and it has consistently ranked as one of the "most innovative" national universities and one of the nation’s leading institutions for social and economic impact.

In 2022, UMBC was classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Doctoral University with Very High Research Activity – also known as a Carnegie R1 institution. More information about UMBC’s extensive research portfolio and our institutional commitment to inclusive excellence in research and teaching is available at research.umbc.edu.

UMBC’s campus is located on 500 acres just off I-95 between Baltimore, MD and Washington DC, and less than 10 minutes from the BWI airport and Amtrak station and in close proximity to many federal laboratories including GSFC. The university was founded in 1966 and has grown to approximately 14,000 students including some 3,000 graduate students.

Application Requirements:

All applications must be submitted as PDF files. Individual applications will not be reviewed until all four of the following materials are received:

1. Cover Letter
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Statement regarding research plans
4. Statement regarding experience and commitment to diversity and inclusion
5. Names and contact information of at least three references

For inquiries regarding this position, please send email to Dr. Karl V. Steiner, Vice President for Research, steinerk@umbc.edu. Review of applications will begin on June 1, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.

In order to receive full consideration all application materials should be submitted prior to this date.