Assistant or Associate Professor, specializing in Geographic Information Science

The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for three faculty positions as part of a cluster hire in the areas of Maya archaeology, environment and religion.  The cluster represents a critical expansion of UT Austin’s long-existing strengths in the interdisciplinary study of Mesoamerica, a major cultural region defined by what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. It will bring to UT Austin three leading researchers in Maya civilization and culture, all using different approaches to address key questions in archaeology, visual culture, history, religion, and environmental change.  With these three new faculty positions we envision the development of a unique intellectual hub bridging work in the sciences and in the humanities. The three positions will be housed within existing departmental structures but will forge new and strong relationships among the Theresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies (LLILAS), the Departments of Anthropology, Geography and Environment, Religious Studies, and Art and Art History.

Assistant Professor or a tenured Associate Professor specializing in Geographic Information Science with a focus on remote sensing technologies including LiDAR, and specialties in Mesoamerica, Maya Studies, and Complex Societies. This person will complement existing strengths and growing needs in research and teaching in the areas of Geographic Information Science, remote sensing, complex human-environment relations, and long-term environmental change. Applicants should be quantitative, remote sensing specialists with expertise in LiDAR who will advance understandings of how the spatial dimensions of archaeological features inform the diachronic understanding of complex past societies and environmental interactions as broadly defined. Research agendas may include how new spatial analytical technologies such as LiDAR shape and enhance our understanding and modeling of, for example, ancient land and water use, population dynamics, the human and environmental complex, political ecologies, societal structure, sustainability, spatial justice, and related issues. The successful applicate will contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching in the Geography, Environmental Science, Sustainability Studies, Anthropology, and/or Urban Studies degree programs. Questions should be directed to Timothy Beach - beacht@austin.utexas.edu.

These positions are expected to begin in August of 2020, with salaries commensurate with rank and experience. All successful candidates should have a Ph.D. completed by August 15, 2020, should demonstrate potential for a successful publishing and research trajectory, and should have a solid record as an effective classroom teacher and a teaching philosophy helping to ensure success in the classroom.  Applicants to this position should demonstrate ability to teach required undergraduate and graduate courses, to teach specialized language and technique courses of their field, and to contribute to the work of other units on campus, such as the Mesoamerica Center, the LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program.

We expect the successful candidates to develop strong research and publishing programs; to direct dissertations, MA theses, and undergraduate honors theses; to advise students working in relevant units on campus; and to exhibit a commitment of collaboration and service to their department(s), the Center, and other appropriate units on campus. In addition to specific departmental assignments, successful candidates will hold campus affiliations with the Mesoamerica Center, the Theresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, and/or Anthropology, and should connect to partner programs in (for example) the Center for Archaeological and Tropical Studies (CATS), Program for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP), Casa Herrera, the Texas Archaeological Research Lab, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Mexican American Studies, Linguistics, History, Geography and the Environment, and/or Religious Studies.

As noted, successful candidates for these positions will be joining the UT Austin faculty as part of the Cluster and Interdisciplinary Hiring Initiative . This initiative is designed to supplement departmentally-based hiring practices and norms and extend collaborative research and scholarship. This new initiative is authorizing up to 40 new faculty hires whose interdisciplinary areas of knowledge cross the boundaries of existing academic departments. The selected candidate will be expected to actively participate as a core member of the cluster Maya Archaeology, Environment and Religion. Contributions to the cluster will be an important facet of the faculty member’s annual performance evaluations and consideration for promotion/tenure.

Please submit an electronic application via Interfolio, including a statement of interest (cover letter) that indicates the position to which you are applying. Deadline for applications is December 13, 2019, but applications will be considered until the positions are filled. Please include a CV, a diversity statement, a sample of recent scholarship, and a list of three references and their contact information. The University of Texas at Austin is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. Applicants are welcome to include a brief description of how they would contribute to this goal in their cover letter.

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