WLW ECOS Professor in Residence

The school of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) at Florida Atlantic University is seeking to recruit a collaborative, dynamic, and nationally recognized leader in environmental science to serve as the WLW ECOS Professor in Residence.  As a Professor in Residence, you will play a pivotal role in driving innovative environmental research, inspiring students, and collaborating with faculty to tackle today’s most pressing environmental challenges. This role offers a prestigious platform to develop collaborations, conduct cutting-edge research, and to engage deeply with FAU students, faculty, and the broader environmental science community of south Florida. The WLW ECOS Professor in Residence serves as a prestigious sabbatical opportunity serve lasting from a semester to up to 6 months. This position is supported by a generous budget of up to $90,000 that can be used for salary, student support, travel, and research. The professor in residence will also come with an additonal $10,000 budget for communications and outreach that can be used to support workshops, organizing symposia or engaging in other synergistic activities that elevates environmental science research and ECOS.

Key Responsibilities

Invited Lecture: Public research presentation that also outlines the goals of the Professor in Residence while in Residence at FAU.

Symposia/Workshop: Organize a symposium or run a workshop for faculty and/or graduate students with a focus on innovative environmental research, applications of cutting-edge methods and technologies, or examples of translational science for real-world applications.

Research Leadership: Lead and collaborate with one or more FAU faculty on a groundbreaking research project, publication(s) in high-impact journal(s), or large grant proposal.

Mentorship: Serve as an example, guide and mentor for FAU faculty and students, fostering their development as future researchers and leaders in environmental science.

Community Engagement: Build partnerships with local and global organizations to address environmental issues and promote and raise the visibility of ECOS.

Qualifications

  • A distinguished record of research, including publications in high-impact journals and successful grant acquisitions.
  • Demonstrated excellence in environmental research and collaboration.
  • Strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.
  • Proven leadership abilities and a vision for advancing the field of environmental science.

Why Florida Atlantic University?

ECOS

Comprised of a broad array of disciplines and units, ECOS was created to integrate Florida Atlantic University's environmental research, teaching, and community engagement to create a comprehensive environmental hub at the university. ECOS was established in 2023 via a collaboration between the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Florida Atlantic’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Faculty, postdocs, and graduate students from across Florida Atlantic can join ECOS as affiliate members, which provides access to timely information, events, seed funding, and other collaborative opportunities.

Collaborative Community

The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is the second largest college at Florida Atlantic in terms of enrollment, and its research and teaching span four of FAU’s campuses. The College is home to esteemed scientists covering a diversity of academic disciplines, from biological sciences and chemistry to physics and urban planning, that are essential for solving complex environmental problems. With more than 50 years of groundbreaking marine discoveries, FAU Harbor Branch, the university’s northernmost campus, located in Fort Pierce, is a renowned leader in education, outreach and applied research in coastal and ocean environments. Through ECOS, the scientific discoveries underway at Harbor Branch are linked more directly to the academic mission of the university.

Innovative Environment

Florida Atlantic University is a multicultural public research university with ten colleges, 30,000 students, and six campuses spanning over 100 miles of coastline. The University has seen remarkable growth in its programs and reputation in just the last few years, including doubling research expenditures, enrolling an all-time high number of National Merit Scholars, setting new records for private gifts to the Florida Atlantic Foundation, increasing graduation and academic progress rates. Florida Atlantic is now ranked among the nation's top public schools by U.S. News & World Report, landing at No. 112 in 2024, moving up from No. 131 in 2023; this is the largest rise of all public universities in the state of Florida for the second year in a row. 

Impactful Work

The university is situated in a region at the nexus of rapid urbanization and accelerated environmental risk. Rising temperatures, coastal erosion, more frequent and intense storms and floods, habitat destruction, environmental contamination, harmful algal blooms, and invasive species are concerns of everyday life that require quick understanding and solutions. Through ECOS, Florida Atlantic is forging a path toward a resilient future, both with research and through training the next generation of scientists, problem solvers, and policymakers. The university is in a prime location to study the environment and its intersection with urban areas - with the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, the Everglades, and numerous freshwater ecosystems converging in the largest metropolitan area in the state.

To Apply

Applications are open and currently being accepted. All applicants should identify a FAU Faculty sponsor and submit application materials as a single file via email to ECOS ecos@fau.edu, with subject line “Professor in Residence Application.” Informal inquiries can be directed to Interim Director of ECOS Jay Baldwin (jbaldwin@fau.edu) or Associate Director of ECOS Mike McCoy (mccoym@fau.edu).

Required Documents

  1. Cover letter/Proposal (5 pages)
    • Statement of interest in the position
    • Relevant experience and expertise of applicant
    • Proposed research objectives and anticipated products
    • Proposed communications and outreach activities
  2. Budget and Narrative
  3. Curriculum vitae
  4. Names and contact information of other FAU faculty with potential synergistic interests
  5. FAU faculty sponsor letter of support

Background Screening

Selected candidates must successfully complete and pass all employment screenings prior to the start of employment. Employment screenings may include a criminal background check (level I and level II), motor vehicle check, credit check, reference checks, alcohol, and drug screening check.

Accommodations

Individuals requiring accommodation, please call 561-297-3057.