Assistant Professor - Climate Change and Sustainability in Africa

Date Posted: 10/05/2022
Closing Date: 12/05/2022, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 26092
Job Category: Faculty - Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: School of the Environment
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

 

Description:

 The School of the Environment and the African Studies Program, New College, in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto invite applications for a full-time tenure stream position in the area of Climate Change and Sustainability in Africa. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an expected start date of July 1, 2023, or shortly thereafter. This will be a joint appointment between the School of the Environment (51%) and New College (49%).

Candidates must have earned a PhD degree in environmental studies, or a related field in the social sciences or humanities or interdisciplinary studies with specialization in African Studies by the time of appointment, or shortly thereafter, and must have a demonstrated record of excellence in interdisciplinary research and in teaching. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and strengthen our existing strengths in the School of the Environment and strengths in the African Studies Program, New College. The successful candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research at the highest international level and to establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

We seek Africanist candidates conducting interdisciplinary research on the broader nexus of climate change and sustainability studies, and the intersecting areas of food, water, and health in Africa. Candidates’ research areas and expertise may include (but are not limited to): impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change; sustainable solutions to food, water, health, and community resilience; the interaction of climate change with related risks including pandemics, natural disasters, resource conflict, and extractivism. Candidates’ research must be grounded within the African context and seek to decolonize the field of African environmental studies. Additionally, experience and engagement on climate action and sustainability or continental, regional or international climate policy dialogue and community action in Africa will be an asset.

 

Candidates must provide evidence of excellence in research, which can be demonstrated by a record of contributions and publications in top-ranked field-relevant journals or forthcoming publications meeting high international standards, the submitted research statement, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, and strong endorsements by referees of high standing.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be demonstrated by teaching accomplishments, and the teaching dossier, including a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of superior performance in teaching-related activities submitted as part of the application, as well as strong endorsements by referees. Other teaching-related activities can include performance as a teaching assistant or course instructor, experience leading successful workshops or seminars, student mentorship, or delivering conference presentations or posters. Professional or lived experiences that enhance the ability to teach a diverse student body are highly valued. 

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. We seek candidates who value diversity and whose research, teaching, and service bear out our commitment to equity. Candidates must therefore submit a brief (up to one page) statement of contributions to equity and diversity, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): research or teaching that incorporates a focus on underrepresented communities, the development of inclusive pedagogies, or the mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. 

 

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The School of the Environment brings together multiple perspectives on today's pressing environmental challenges. We're an interdisciplinary hub for researchers and students from many different disciplines spanning the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. The African Studies Program, one of the oldest area studies programs in Canada, is a vibrant intellectual hub of academic excellence offering students opportunities to study the dynamics, challenges, and processes of socio-economic, cultural, environmental and political transformations in Africa along with the varied histories, societies, intellectual thought, institutions of Africa, and its diasporas through interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary lenses. The appointment will be held at the University of Toronto campus in downtown Toronto (St. George campus). Toronto is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, one of the most desirable in the world in which to work and live.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Applicants must submit a cover letter, a current curriculum vitae including a list of publications, a research statement, a statement of contributions to equity and diversity (see details above), and a teaching dossier to include a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations, or evidence of superior performance in other teaching-related activities as listed above.

Applicants must provide the name and contact of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each once an application is submitted (this happens overnight). Applicants, however, remain responsible for ensuring that references submit letters (on letterhead, dated and signed), by the closing date.

 

Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Christian Abizaid, Acting Director of the School of the Environment, at: director.environment@utoronto.ca.

All application materials, including reference letters, must be received by December 5, 2022.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

 

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

 

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

For additional information and to apply: https://jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-Assistant-Professor-Climate-Change-and-Sustainability-in-Africa-ON/563932817/