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Assistant Professor of Connectivity Science

Employer
Department of Geography
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia (CA)
Closing date
Dec 30, 2020

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Sector
Academic / Research
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Ecology, Sustainability, Zoology, Biology
Job Level
Entry level
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Permanent

 

 

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CONNECTIVITY SCIENCE  (Posted:  October 30, 2020)

CLUSTER HIRE at the University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia seeks applicants for a Connectivity Science tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor. This position is one of five new tenure-track positions in the thematic area of restoring and conserving global biodiversity.  The Faculty of Science, together with the Faculties of Arts, Forestry, and Land and Food Systems, is sponsoring this unique cluster hire, which builds on existing excellence in this area at UBC.  New hires will join an interdisciplinary research and scholarship team focused on solutions-oriented approaches to biodiversity loss and its connection to sustainability and adaptive capacity for humanity. For further information see https://biodiversity.ubc.ca/cluster-hire.

 The Departments of Geography and Zoology are jointly seeking a scholar in Connectivity Science (broadly conceived) who can contribute to the overall goals of the Biodiversity Solutions team. Applicants may be trained in one or more of the following: ecology, evolutionary biology, applied ecology, geography, sustainability science, or related disciplines. The search is open to a wide range of scholars; those whose work is primarily field-based, theoretical, or statistical are all equally welcome to apply. We encourage applications from scholars who demonstrate innovative approaches to understanding the role of connectivity in biodiversity science and conservation, and encourage submissions from candidates with a diverse range of possible areas of expertise, including but not limited to:

●    movement ecology

 

●    functional connectivity across fragmented landscapes and/or seascapes

 

●    applied land and/or marine management approaches that enhance connectivity for biodiversity and/or ecosystem services

 

●    protected area design

 

●    population and/or landscape genetics

 

●    spatial biodiversity science and/or spatial analysis for enhancing connectivity science

 

  • socio-ecological analysis, including addressing the underlying economic and governance drivers of biodiversity loss, and the determinants of transformative change, restoration and conservation of biodiversity
  • use of connectivity science to explore tradeoffs and synergies with human land use

●    new tools, including computational techniques and statistical approaches, for understanding organismal movement, addressing applied habitat connectivity issues, and supporting adaptive management decision-making

 

The successful candidate will be expected to (i) develop an independent research program in their area of specialization and (ii) contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching and training within Geography and Zoology. We expect that this candidate, in addition to developing their own research program, will work collaboratively with other members of the Biodiversity Solutions cluster, which aims to collectively develop approaches to address social-ecological challenges related to biodiversity conservation. 

Applicants should submit:

  1. Cover letter (up to 2 pages). You should make a clear and compelling case regarding:
  2. How your expertise, scholarship and planned research would advance the stated goals of the Biodiversity Solutions Cluster;
  3. How you have demonstrated a strong interest or experience in conducting collaborative, interdisciplinary work; and
  4. How you have displayed leadership through existing or proposed research, teaching, service, community engagement, outreach or other relevant activities.  We encourage candidates to supply evidence of their productivity and/or potential in community building, community engagement, policy-making, acting as an agent of change (particularly with respect to historically underrepresented communities), leading collaborative projects, working with stakeholders, and supporting others through mentorship (including contributions to equity, diversity and inclusivity initiatives).
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • Research Statement (up to 2 pages) describing your current and proposed research program. Please address how your work advances understanding of biodiversity and solutions to biodiversity crises, highlighting aspects of cluster goals to which you might contribute directly, and making reference to interdisciplinary and collaborative scholarship.
  • Statement (up to 1 page) of teaching interests, accomplishments, and other evidence of teaching effectiveness. Please address how you could teach core undergraduate courses in a biology program and an interdisciplinary environmental program.
  • Statement (up to 1 page) identifying your past contributions to equity, diversity and inclusion, along with your ability to work with a culturally diverse student body (use specific examples where possible); as well as your philosophy of, and potential future contributions to equity, diversity and inclusion.
  • Two sample publications (while published material is preferred, unpublished manuscripts are also acceptable).
  • Names and contact information for 3 referees.

Applicants should be prepared to upload in the above order and in a single PDF (maximum size 15MB) via this online form: https://geog.air.arts.ubc.ca/position-00056136/

 Equity, inclusivity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

 

Applicants will be asked to complete an equity survey. The survey information will not be used to determine eligibility for employment, but will be collated to provide data that can assist us in understanding the diversity of our applicant pool and identifying potential barriers to the employment of designated equity group members. Your participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential. This survey takes only a minute to complete. You may self-identify in one or more of the designated equity groups. You may also decline to identify in any or all of the questions by choosing "not disclosed".

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2020 and continue until the position is filled. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

 

Further information

The anticipated starting date for positions is July 1, 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter, dependent on immigration and travel restrictions.

The UBC Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.  UBC is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world.  UBC embraces innovation and challenges to the status quo. UBC is dedicated to ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded throughout the university’s academic and work life, recognizing that significant work remains to be accomplished.  For example, UBC’s vision is to be a world leader in the implementation of Indigenous people’s human rights and is guided in a mission of reconciliation as articulated and called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It is firmly committed to recruiting Indigenous faculty, students, and staff as outlined in its Indigenous Strategic Plan.  As one of the world's leading universities, UBC creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world. 

The Zoology Department includes more than 38 principal investigators and promotes integrative research in biology (https://www.zoology.ubc.ca/). Its faculty and students pursue cutting edge questions in Comparative Animal Physiology and Biomechanics, Evolution, Ecology, and Cell and Developmental Biology. The Geography Department, with 31 research faculty members, is one of the largest and strongest Geography Departments in North America, and is regularly ranked in the Top 10 worldwide. It offers a wide range of educational programs, including the largest undergraduate program in Environment and Sustainability at UBC (https://geog.ubc.ca/). The Department’s research clusters include: Biodiversity, Ecology, Politics; Cities, Economies, Transnational Flows; Climate: Science, Change, Action; Digital Geographies, Geospatial Analysis, GIS; Gender, Race, Class; Power, Colonialism, Justice;  War, Security, States; Water, Ice, Landscapes.

The successful applicant will also join the Biodiversity Research Centre (http://www.biodiversity.ubc.ca/).  The centre includes more than 90 faculty across the two UBC campuses (Vancouver and Okanagan) and provides exceptional opportunities to interact with an outstanding and collegial research community, develop strengths in research and graduate teaching, study and contribute to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's collections (http://beatymuseum.ubc.ca/), and participate in the Museum’s educational programs and outreach efforts.  The Beaty Biodiversity Museum comprises a research collection of over 2.1 million natural history specimens over several major collections: the Spencer Entomological Collection, Cowan Tetrapod Collection, Fossil Collection, Fish Collection, Marine Invertebrate Collection and the Herbarium which holds major collections of bryophytes, lichens & fungi, macroalgae and vascular plants.

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