Working Title: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Applied GIS / Geographic Information Science (Two Positions)

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

College/Division: College of Integrated Science and Engineering

Department: 100060 - Integrated Science and Technology

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 11/10/2024

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Geography program in the School of Integrated Sciences (SIS) at James Madison University invites applications for two tenure-track assistant professor positions in applied GIS starting August 2025, part of a broader hiring initiative across SIS themed “Technology for Resilient Futures.” This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving, student-centered program with research and curricular strengths across physical, human, human-environment geography, and geospatial computing. We are seeking colleagues who can integrate and develop GIS and geospatial technology to build our students’ skills and bring new understanding to critical environmental and human challenges.

As part of a supportive faculty team and with 200 Geography majors, successful candidates will thrive in a collaborative, outward-looking context and bring a passion for inclusive engaged learning. Our faculty are dedicated to innovatively shaping the future of geographical scholarship and education in this student-focused setting. Our award-winning Geography program (recently recognized as an AAG national “Program of Excellence”) is part of a larger unit with other multidisciplinary programs totaling over 700 majors and 50 faculty, and advanced computing and lab facilities. We encourage collaborative research and cross-curricular efforts across our dynamic programs. We welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including those with professional expertise using geospatial technologies.

We are seeking new colleagues to deepen our well-integrated GIS and applied geospatial technology teaching at a range of levels, and who bring versatility to foster skills across the curriculum. We enthusiastically invite those who can help develop geospatial, programming, analytic and visualization skills for students of all backgrounds, within and beyond the Geography major, including in companion programs in SIS. Candidates’ technical focus should be integrated with areas of topical interest.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Successful candidates will be dedicated to creative geographical teaching, with a focus on inclusive GIS skills development and the innovative application of such technologies. They will offer a keen commitment to widening access to geospatial technologies and expanding the understanding of their utility, especially among our undergraduate students. The typical teaching load is 9 contact hours per semester, and we also offer support for diverse research and scholarship activities. This position will require an active scholarly program that engages undergraduate students. Primary course area assignments for this hire will include introductory GIS and, depending on the areas of expertise, classes in programming, intermediate and advanced GIS, qualitative GIS, field technology, data analysis, cartography/visualization, or other applied GIS upper-level offerings. Successful candidates will also offer courses in their areas of topical expertise, and courses that fuse geospatial tools with global or local issues.

As an applied geospatial focused position, candidates should be able to productively connect technical skills with relevant areas of topical geographical interest. Such application areas might include: urban resilience/sustainability/vulnerability, planning, natural resources, landscape dynamics, hazard response, intersections of physical geography and resilience, and more.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Geography, or closely related field with demonstrated expertise in GIS.
• A strong potential for excellence in undergraduate education, student mentoring, and dedication to innovatively expanding access to--and expertise in--geospatial computing and geography.
• Versatility and creative adaptability in teaching across our curriculum and collaboratively pursuing research that includes undergraduate students.
• Potential for developing an active scholarly agenda that augments the strengths of our Geography program, including the pursuit of external funding.
• A track record of effectively integrating computing tools with areas of topical interest.
• Ability to shape an inclusive applied geospatial/GIS curriculum, widen access to skills development, and broaden our student community.

Additional Posting Information:

The following documents are required for application:
• A cover letter outlining how the candidate’s professional experiences, goals, and qualifications align with this role, including discussion of commitment to widening undergraduate student access to geospatial skills.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Statement of teaching philosophy (2 pages maximum).
• Statement of research interests (2 pages maximum). (Other Document #1)
• Names and contact information for three references, who must be able to address potential teaching skills.

As we build our community, we seek candidates who have a demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment. For more information about our School and its programs, please visit: https://www.jmu.edu/cise/sis/

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.