The Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is seeking applicants for an Assistant Professor level faculty position specializing in GIS and Remote Sensing. The successful candidate will teach graduate and undergraduate courses, conduct research, and provide effective service to the University and the larger community. The candidate is also expected to collaborate with ongoing research in the department and develop a research portfolio in one or more of the following thematic areas: ecosystems, climate, agriculture, and biodiversity. Candidates with experience in socioeconomic analysis of natural disasters and environmental change, linking research to societal benefits will be considered particularly valuable.  Technical knowledge of industry-standard GIS and Remote Sensing software, Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), and creation of geospatial applications for interdisciplinary research is highly desired.  The applicant must have excellent communication skills. Knowledge of Spanish to assist in our interaction and communications with our collaborators, institutions, and government agencies in MesoAmerica is preferred.  Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Atmospheric/Earth/Environmental Science or related fields.  Required application materials include curriculum vitae, contact information including name, address, phone number, and email for three letters of recommendation, and descriptions of teaching and research interests.  The candidate must also outline how they can enhance ongoing research and teaching activities in the department.

Email the application material to sever@nsstc.uah.edu. You can contact Dr. Tom Sever, Chair of the search committee at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for further information Information about the department can be found at: http://www.nsstc.uah.edu/atmos/ and http://www.nsstc.uah.edu/ess . Review of applications will begin Feb 15 until the position is filled. We are an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Title IX employer.

Department Information: The Department has a long history as a graduate-only department. With its primary role as a graduate, academic research unit, the Department recently achieved a top-ten national ranking by the Chronicle of Higher Education for faculty research productivity.  With the closely aligned Earth System Science Center (ESSC), the overall program reported $10M in research expenditures in FY11. 

A cross-cutting theme of the Department and ESSC is the development and application of remote sensing technology to Earth Science disciplines.   These include lightning, chemistry, aerosols, land use/land cover change, climate, data assimilation, nowcasting, remote sensing of clouds, air pollution, archaeological discoveries, hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather.  UAHuntsville operates significant facilities such as the ARMOR (fixed) and MAX (mobile) dual-polarized Doppler radars, MIPS – mobile profiling system, ozone and other lidars, GPS sounding station, radiosonde and ozonesonde stations, lightning mapping array, electronics laboratories and we support NASA activities such as the SPoRT (Short-term Predication Research Transition) center and SERVIR.

The Department consists of ten full-time faculty, nearly 40 funded graduate students, and the recently formed Earth Science undergraduate program.   The ESSC counts 50 scientists and support personnel who considerably expand opportunities for faculty research.  Co-located on the UAHuntsville campus are NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center’s Earth Science Department and the National Weather Service’s local forecast office from which numerous collaborative activities have developed.  Huntsville city is a national center of hi-tech opportunities and was ranked in the top ten of such communities by Kiplinger, U.S. News and World Report, and others.  In addition, Huntsville is home to the nation’s second largest research park (225 companies) which is where the UAHuntsville campus is also located.

Beginning with the 2008 academic year the Department began offering an Earth System Science (ESS) undergraduate degree and beginning in 2012 will offer a graduate (Masters) degree. This graduate degree will train students in transitioning research to decision making arenas including public policy.  These degrees are based upon mathematically and scientifically rigorous programs built upon a set of multidisciplinary core courses including the Earth's climate system, geology, hydrology, pollution problems, remote sensing and biology. ESS students then select among seven specialty tracks: Atmospheric Science, Atmospheric Chemistry, GIS and Remote Sensing, Earth Ecosystems, Hydrology, Earth Science Secondary Education, Human Dimensions and Societal Impacts.  This program is one of the areas of growth identified by the Department and UAHuntsville as a whole.