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ANNOUNCEMENT: FACULTY OF PRACTICE IN CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION
| Institution: | Old Dominion University |
| Location: | Norfolk, VA |
| Category: | Faculty - Science - Geology, Earth Sciences & Oceanography |
| Posted: | 08/08/2013 |
| Applications Due: | 09/01/2013 |
| Type: | Full Time |
Faculty of Practice in Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation (Assistant or Associate Professor level), Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.
Location: ODU, Climate Change & Sea Level Rise Initiative, Norfolk, VA.
The Virginia Sea Grant (VASG) program and Old Dominion University (ODU) have entered a partnership to support a Faculty of Practice in Climate Change Adaptation at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. Located at ODU, this position will fill a critical gap in the region for outreach, coordination, and scientific synthesis and integration capacity. The Faculty of Practice will serve the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, and the U.S., and will be a part of the national network of climate extension specialists in state Sea Grant programs (http://sgccnetwork.ning.com/). The faculty member will be an employee of ODU and a VASG extension staff member, reporting to the ODU Vice Provost and evaluated by the Vice Provost with input from VASG. This position is funded jointly through VASG and ODU under a 4-year Memorandum of Understanding, with possibility of extension beyond that duration.
Virginia Sea Grant is a Commonwealth-wide network of partner academic institutions. VASG is a state-federal partnership, with federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce (see http://vaseagrant.vims.edu/). VASG is headquartered at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), which is the graduate School of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary. Current VASG partner institutions include: VIMS/College of William & Mary, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia. VASG's mission is to enhance the ecological, economic, and social sustainability of coastal and ocean communities and the ecosystem services they depend upon through university-based research, extension, and education. VASG is a scientific broker, supplying science-based information to citizens, businesses, educators, resource managers, and policy makers.
Old Dominion University, located in the City of Norfolk in the metropolitan Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia, is a dynamic public research institution that serves its students and enriches the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation and the world through rigorous academic programs, strategic partnerships, and active civic engagement. ODU's Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative (CCSLRI) seeks to leverage the university's and the region's foremost experts to find solutions to the anticipated effects of climate change on the economy, housing, ports, and infrastructure (see http://www.odu.edu/research/initiatives/ccslri). The CCSLRI has taken several steps toward establishing ODU's leadership role on this critical issue for our region. ODU has hired a leading climate scholar to significantly elevate its research capacity and international reputation in climate change. Thus, the research and education foundation has been built and new partnerships across the Commonwealth are emerging (including partnerships with adaptation planning, landscape architecture, and policy and legal analysis capacity at VASG partner institutions, including the University of Virginia, College of William & Mary, VIMS, and George Mason University).
Responsibilities
The Faculty of Practice in Climate Change Adaptation will extend science-based information to coastal communities, resource managers, and interest groups in Virginia and the region with the goal to reduce disaster risk, increase resilience and improve adaptation capabilities related to climate change and sea level rise. The faculty member will lead coordination, communication, and scientific synthesis and integration efforts. S/he may also contribute to applied research motivated by community adaptation needs and provide hands-on operational and technical support to coastal communities addressing their adaptation needs. The Faculty of Practice member will participate in VASG's quarterly outreach meetings among the portfolio of outreach sub-awardees, which currently includes William & Mary Law School's Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic, VIMS's Marine Advisory Services Center, and Virginia Tech's Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research & Education Center in Hampton. The Faculty of Practice member will prepare a detailed two-year work plan collaboratively with ODU and VASG and with input from community stakeholders and advisors. Travel within the region, state, mid-Atlantic, and occasionally nationally is expected.
Position Objectives and Activities
- Lead efforts to synthesize, integrate, and facilitate the transfer of science-based information on coastal hazards to coastal communities, businesses, governments, and individuals.
- Promote on-going dialogue within the climate change and hazards community in the region to continue sharing and developing knowledge, best practices, strategies, and coordinate partnership formation, priority setting, and implementation monitoring.
- Engage other researchers and Sea Grant specialists throughout Virginia, the region, and the nation in the development of on-going extension programs on resilience and adaptation to coastal hazards, and serving as a liaison between universities and the public.
- Initiate and nurture partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to develop a coordinated approach to serving these specific groups and the general public.
- Initiate, lead, and partner on funding proposals with colleagues from ODU, the Hampton Roads region, and the VASG network.
- Transfer research-based knowledge about resilience to coastal hazards and climate change adaptation to Virginia's urban communities, rural coastline, undeveloped shorelines, and other vulnerable communities in Hampton Roads and Virginia's Tidewater region, including regional government and business leaders, property owners, and other critical stakeholders.
- Lead the development and delivery of educational programs to reduce risks of coastal flooding and other climate change hazards to people and property and increase resilience to these hazards, in collaboration with existing hazards and climate change capacity in the region, state, and VASG network.
- Design and implement program and project evaluation activities to ensure adequate feedback, analysis, and modifications in programming and to promote an organizational culture of continuous improvement.
- Prepare detailed 2-year work plans with specific duties and activities collaboratively with ODU and VASG and with input from community stakeholders and advisors, likely to include, but not limited to: extension programming (e.g., workshops, direct technical assistance, presentations); interdisciplinary applied research; performance reporting; grant development; student assistants supervision.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in a climate adaptation related field (e.g., coastal science, geosciences, atmospheric sciences, geography, land use planning, policy, or other appropriate field).
- Experience in public outreach and engagement.
- Experience communicating science information to non-scientists.
- Experience producing and communicating scientific synthesis and integrating across disciplines.
- Excellent computer and communication skills (written and oral) required.
- Experience with coastal hazards and/or planning preferred.
- High level of analytical, organizational and planning skills.
- Evaluation and research experience.
- Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
- Demonstrated proficiency in grant writing.
Location
The incumbent will work out of the main offices of the Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative (CCSLRI) at ODU in Norfolk, VA.
Compensation
Competitive and commensurate with experience.
To Apply:
Applications should be sent electronically to: CCSLRI Search Committee, attention of Elizabeth Smith (exsmith@odu.edu), 4111 Monarch Way, Norfolk, VA 23529. Applicants should include a letter of interest that outlines how the applicant meets the requirements and would approach the position, a curriculum vitae, and three professional references with email addresses and phone numbers provided. Review of applications will begin September 1, 2013; the search will remain open until an appointment is made.
For more information contact: Hans-Peter Plag (hpplag@odu.edu) or Larry Atkinson (latkinso@odu.edu).