Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Employer
- Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
- Location
- Pullman, Washington State
- Salary
- $130,000 to $220,000 per year, plus benefits
- Closing date
- Nov 9, 2024
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- Specialty
- Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering
- Position Type
- Chair / Dean
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Organization Type
- Academia
Position Summary:
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA) at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, is seeking a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as its next Chair, tasked with continuing the advancement the CEE department has achieved in recent years. The permanent position is open to Associate or Full Professor ranks for an anticipated 12-month full-time appointment. It is anticipated that the successful candidates will begin their appointment by August 1, 2025.
Washington State University is the land-grant institution of the state of Washington, and the Department is one of five schools/departments in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. The department has over 350 undergraduate students, 70 graduate students, and 20 tenured/tenure-track faculty members. Degrees are offered in Civil Engineering and in Construction Engineering (the latter in collaboration with WSU’s School of Design and Construction) at the undergraduate level, in Civil Engineering and in Environmental Engineering at the Master’s level, and in Civil Engineering and in Engineering Science at the Doctoral level.
Faculty in the Department collaborate internationally, nationally, and with numerous disciplines across the WSU campus. The department benefits from long-term affiliations with industry stakeholders and regional and state agencies. Endowment support includes multiple generous scholarships and an active endowment campaign for excellence. The CEE department at WSU is recognized as one of the top land-grant civil and environmental engineering programs in the nation with strong research areas covering a broad spectrum of traditional, emerging, and interdisciplinary areas of interest, including (1) Structural Engineering, Materials, and Sustainability, (2) Hydrology and Water Resources, (3) Transportation and Geotechnical Engineering, and (4) Environmental Engineering (with both Air and Water emphases). The CEE department has a solid history of high-impact research in Resilience of Natural and Built Environments and Decarbonization of Civil Infrastructure. Faculty in the department have interdisciplinary collaborations broadly across the university, with impact in areas ranging from sustainability and resiliency of civil engineering resources and infrastructure to environmental research. Departmental faculty and students frequently receive awards from the National Science Foundation and collaborate extensively with institutions including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Washington Department of Transportation. In addition, the school has developed productive international, national and regional partnerships including collaboration with various regional tribes and communities. Candidates are invited to consult the department’s website for additional details on our academic and research program (https://ce.wsu.edu/).
The candidate shall be able to further support and promote existing research strengths in synergistic areas across the university and within the department including but not limited to the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach (https://cereo.wsu.edu/), the Composite Materials & Engineering Center (www.cmec.wsu.edu), the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability and Life-Extension (https://tridurle.wsu.edu/about/), the Washington Center for Asphalt Technology (https://wcat.ce.wsu.edu/), WSU’s Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory (https://labs.wsu.edu/geotech/), WSU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (www.lar.wsu.edu), and WSU’s Risk-Informed Decision-Making Lab: Infrastructure Systems and Community (https://labs.wsu.edu/jiyunlee/).
The successful applicant will bring a strategic vision and innovative thinking for leading the Department to a higher level of excellence, and will implement this vision with constituents including academia, government agencies, industry and alumni.
Job duties:
• Direct the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) to a higher level of excellence in research, education, and service.
• Develop and implement a vision for the department and direct the progress toward it.
• Direct the CEE’s budgetary and planning process in consultation with the Dean.
• Provide leadership and facilitation to faculty, staff, and students.
• Communicate CEE’s vision and programs to constituents including academia, government agencies, industry, and alumni.
• Philanthropic engagement.
Required Qualifications for Associate rank:
• Candidates must have an earned doctorate in Civil Engineering or a closely related field by the hire date.
• Outstanding record of excellence in research and teaching commensurate with appointment rank with demonstrated visionary leadership credentials and strong commitment to diversity and service to their organization.
Additional Required Qualifications for Associate Professor Rank:
• Must have served at least 6 years in academia, industry, or a national lab after Ph.D.
• Must have experience in mentoring and leading funded research programs.
Additional Required Qualifications for Full Professor Rank:
• Must have served at least 10 years in academia, industry, or a national lab after Ph.D.
• Must have experience in mentoring and leading funded research programs.
• Must be a recognized leader through national/international awards and honors.
Preferred Qualifications for all ranks:
• Demonstrated experience in leading their organization while promoting an internal culture of cooperation, transparency, and interdisciplinary collaboration within a diverse group of faculty, staff and students.
Annual (12 month) Salary:
Associate Professor: $130,000 to $160,000
Full Professor: $150,000 to $220,000
In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate’s current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.
Benefits:
WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For additional information, please review the detailed Summary of Benefits offered by WSU for Faculty and Total Compensation.
How to Apply:
Screening of applications will begin on November 11, 2024. Visit wsu.edu/jobs, select your appropriate employment status, and search for R-12430. Application materials should clearly communicate how the applicant meets all required qualifications. Documents may be submitted in one file or separate files. Applicants are encouraged to upload as a PDF if possible. Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application.
• External candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of your application.
• Internal candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of your application.
Required Documents: Applicants must submit the following:
1. Cover Letter
a. A cover letter addressing qualifications for this position as well as a response to the following prompt:
i. As a land-grant university, our university has a continuing commitment to ensuring equitable and meaningful inclusion in our classrooms, collaborations, and academic work. The successful candidate for this faculty position will have the experiences, knowledge, and skills to build their research/scholarship/creative practice, pedagogy, curriculum, and service in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Using the job announcement for this position, please list at least three areas of responsibility you see as directly related to fulfilling this promise, and explain, in each case, how your past education and teaching experiences, and resulting knowledge and skills, have prepared you to do this work.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Statements on-
a. (i) Personal research
b. (ii) Commitment to Diversity
c. (iii) Vision for the CEE Department, including goals for the department’s educational and research programs as well as their leadership for achieving those goals.
4. A list of four references (including postal addresses, phone numbers and email addresses).
Posting close date:
Applicants must submit their application by January 15, 2025. Inquiries should be directed to Director and Professor John McCloy (john.mccloy@wsu.edu).
Anticipated Start Date:
August 1, 2025
About WSU, Pullman:
Washington State University, a land grant, multiple-campus Research 1 institution. This position will serve on the Pullman campus, which has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and is located in Southeastern Washington on the homelands of the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people. Located 80 miles south of metropolitan Spokane, Pullman is also a quick drive away from the scenic Idaho panhandle and Moscow Mountain. The rolling hills of the Palouse offer a wide range of activities and a true four-season climate. The area provides ample opportunity to enjoy the cultural and academic hub of both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho. For more information about the region, please see https://pullmanchamber.com.
Washington State University is a recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. Washington State University is building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women and minority groups. Washington State University is also pro-active in exploring opportunities for the employment of spouses, both inside and outside the University. The proximity of the Pullman campus to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) provides exciting opportunities for our students and faculty, including joint appointments with PNNL for successful candidates.
WSU acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native American peoples, who have lived in this region and have been caretakers of the land from time immemorial. The Morrill Act of 1862 established our land-grant institution by providing public and federal lands that are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands, often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation. And as a land-grant institution, WSU is deeply committed to the land-grant mission, its Memorandums of Understanding with Native tribes in the region, and a tradition of service to society. To read the full WSU land acknowledgement, please see https://wsu.edu/about/wsu-land-acknowledgement/.
ABOUT PULLMAN: With a population of 33,000, Pullman is a quintessential college town—one of the top 10 in the nation according to MSN’s 2012 report on the “Best College Towns in North
America.” Recognized by Bloomberg Businessweek as the “Best Place to Raise Kids” in Washington State, Pullman consistently boasts one of the top school districts in the state. Situated to the east of the Cascade Mountains, Pullman enjoys a dry four-season climate, with sunny, warm summers, relatively mild winters, and excellent access to outdoor recreational opportunities. To learn more about the Pullman community, visit: http://www.pullmanchamber.com.
Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Educator and Employer. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veteran, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.
WSU is committed to excellence through diversity and faculty-friendly policy action, including partner accommodation and NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation programs (http://www.advance.wsu.edu/).
WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
WSU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521 (v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
WSU prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates complaint with Title IX. Inquiries regarding Title IX and reports of sex discrimination can be directed to the WSU Title IX Coordinator. More information on WSU’s policies and procedures to respond to discrimination and harassment are available here: Nondiscrimination statement.
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