Located in the scenic Mid-Hudson Valley, Vassar College is a highly selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Vassar is strongly committed to fostering a community that reflects the values of a liberal arts education and to promoting an environment of equality, inclusion and respect for difference. Vassar College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, and applications from members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged.
Position Summary and Responsibilities: The Department of Earth Science and Geography at Vassar College invites applications for a full-time, one-year position for the 2019-2020 academic year in paleontology or biogeochemistry at the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor beginning in the Fall 2019 semester.
Vassar College is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and promoting an environment of equality, inclusion, and respect for difference. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising, and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding are particularly encouraged to apply.
The successful candidate will teach historical geology, paleontology or biogeochemistry at the intermediate level, and will develop an introductory-level First-year Writing Seminar based on his or her expertise. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Geology or Earth Science at the time of appointment.
Vassar is a highly selective, coeducational liberal arts college of about 2450 undergraduates located in the Hudson River Valley seventy-five miles north of New York City. The Earth Science program emphasizes surficial processes and is active in the environmental studies program. The program has ~20 students and graduates 4-8 students per year.
Instrumentation in the department includes rock crushing and thin sectioning equipment; Bruker Phaser X-ray diffractometer; particle size analyzer; lake and soil coring equipment; sedimentology, paleoclimatology, and clay mineralogy laboratories; and GIS computer lab.
In addition, the department shares an ICP-MS, a Dionex ion chromatograph, and a Bruker Tracer portable XRF spectrometer with the Department of Chemistry. The College also owns a 500-acre ecological preserve with a laboratory field station, groundwater teaching wells, and a meteorological station. These resources are available to faculty for teaching and research. Department majors frequently work with faculty on field- based and laboratory research. Faculty are also encouraged to pursue their own research and funds are available for research supplies and travel to present work at conferences.
In addition, departmental resources allow for field trips to areas throughout the United States.
Qualifications
Candidates should send a letter of application, C.V., graduate school transcript (unofficial copies accepted for initial application), at least three letters of recommendation, a statement of teaching experience and philosophy, a diversity statement highlighting contributions to and/or future plans for promoting diversity and inclusion through teaching, research and/or professional involvements, and descriptions of the proposed intermediate and introductory writing courses to Jill Schneiderman, Chair, Department of Earth Science and Geography, Vassar College, schneiderman@vassar.edu. Please place the text “Visiting Assistant Professor position” in the subject line of the email. Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2019 and continue until the position is filled.
Required Applicant Documents
Vita
Cover Letter
Contact Information for 3 References
Transcripts 1
Personal Statement
Diversity Statement
