Assistant Professor of Environmental Chemistry

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science•Solomons, MD

8d•$115,000 - $135,000•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) invites applications from innovative and collaborative scientists for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Environmental Chemistry. We seek applicants with organic or inorganic chemistry expertise in estuarine and marine systems that complement existing strengths at UMCES. Potential areas of expertise in new, rapidly expanding fields include, but are not limited to: geochemical cycling, carbonate chemistry, hydrogeochemistry, emerging and legacy contaminant tracing, and/or analytical methods development and application. A strong analytical focus is desirable including the use of powerful tools such as autonomous chemical sensing, isotopic tracers, biomarkers, or the chromatographic or spectroscopic characterization of complex environmental samples. The position is based at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL), in Solomons, Maryland. CBL is part of UMCES, a statewide network of research-focused labs, with robust research portfolios spanning aquatic biogeochemistry, ecotoxicology, coastal resilience, ecosystem dynamics, ecology, and fisheries science with a mission for both fundamental and applied research. The CBL Environmental Chemistry program has a long and distinguished history and currently houses an array of advanced analytical capabilities such as nutrient and stable isotope analyses, measurements of greenhouse gases, trace and heavy metals and organic contaminants, and gamma counters. Some of these instruments are used in the newly-opened Anthropogenic Changes in Estuarine Systems (ACES) center to identify harmful contaminants in waterways and assess their risk to environmental and human health. Others are associated with the well-established Nutrient Analytical Services Laboratory (NASL), a nationally-accredited laboratory specializing in determining nutrient concentrations in natural waters, sediments, and plant and animal tissues. A broad array of additional instrumentation and analytical capacity is available through the UMCES network, including stable isotope analysis of trace materials, genomic and molecular analysis, and pigment analysis.

Requirements

PhD in chemistry, marine science, oceanography, environmental science, or other related field
Demonstrated research excellence and a strong record of scholarly works
Demonstrated potential for securing external funding
Demonstrated potential for mentoring

Nice To Haves

Translatable experience that allows applicant to build upon or maximize current analytical capacity at CBL
Teaching or mentoring experience at the graduate level
Demonstrate an interest in strengthening community and/or broadening participation in aquatic chemistry and related fields

Responsibilities

Develop and sustain an externally funded research program to advance science in a specific area of environmental chemistry
Produce discipline-specific scholarly works (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, new methodologies, and/or patents)
Teach graduate-level courses (average course load is 1 class per year)
Mentor graduate students through the Marine Estuarine Environmental Science graduate program that is shared across several units of the State University System of Maryland
Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across UMCES and other national and international institutions