Job description
Department: Earth, Ocean & Atmo Sci (OAS)
Position Title: Assistant Professor (Teaching)
Appointment Type: Academic Faculty
Job Location: Corvallis
Benefits Eligible: Full-Time, benefits eligible
Job Summary
The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 9-month, fixed-term, Assistant or Associate Professor of Teaching position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Dean.
Appointment at the Assistant Professor rank is anticipated; however, higher rank may be considered depending upon the qualifications of the successful candidate.
The responsibilities of this position in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) at Oregon State University (OSU) are teaching on-campus and online (Ecampus) courses in geography and geospatial science, especially cartography, geographic information systems, and remote sensing; advising student research at the undergraduate and graduate levels; establishing or continuing an independent research program; serving on unit, college, and university committees; and professional service and community engagement. Teaching and advising are 70% of the position, research and scholarship are 20%, and service is 10%. This is a 9 month, 1.0 FTE academic appointment. Opportunities for summer salary may be available through teaching additional courses or through the candidate securing extramural funding to support research or other sponsored activities.
This position is within the Geography and Environmental Sciences unit and its Geography and Geospatial Science undergraduate and graduate programs. The position supports delivery of practical and career-applicable teaching both in and out of the classroom. The incumbent will leverage their teaching, research, and engagement activities to increase the breadth of opportunities for experiential learning, career preparation, and professional networking by students. Professors of Teaching in Geography and Environmental Sciences are integral and valued members of the unit who contribute to teaching, scholarship, service, and the unit’s future.
The Geography and Environmental Sciences unit is particularly interested in research in one or more of the following pedagogical or disciplinary areas: experiential and community-engaged teaching, including place-based learning; partnerships with industry, government, and non-governmental organizations; flipped learning and inquiry-based learning; experiential learning or development of career skills; online teaching; community-building in online degree programs, scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL); physical, human, or human-environment geography; or spatial analysis.
Oregon State University plans to open the new Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex in 2026. The complex will serve as a dynamic space for highly collaborative, team-based transdisciplinary research; house one of the nation’s most powerful university supercomputers; and provide specialized research and innovation spaces. Among the foci of the university’s 2024-2026 strategic plan is research that capitalizes on artificial intelligence and high performance computing.
OSU and CEOAS are committed to maintaining and enhancing its collaborative and inclusive community that strives for equity, and equal opportunity. All OSU faculty members are responsible for helping to ensure that these goals are achieved. CEOAS faculty are expected to demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion across all their duties, including promotion of equitable outcomes among learners from diverse and underrepresented identity groups.
Why OSU?
Working for Oregon State University is so much more than a job!
Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don’t wait for challenges to present themselves – we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.
FACTS:
* Top 1.4% university in the world
* More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined
* 1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.
* 2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties
* 7 cultural resource centers that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone
* 100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates
* 35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color
* 217k+ alumni worldwide
* For more interesting facts about OSU visit: https://oregonstate.edu/about
Locations:
Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.
Oregon State’s beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America’s best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.
Total Rewards Package:
Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
* Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
* Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
* Retirement savings paid by the university.
* A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
* Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
* Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
* Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.
Oregon State University is deeply committed to the principles of a Health Promoting University. This commitment drives a collaborative approach across OSU’s safety and well-being programs, reducing silos and coordinating efforts to enhance employee safety and well-being. By prioritizing resources that support the health of both employees and students, OSU fosters a culture of care and a healthier campus environment where everyone can thrive.
2025 Best Place for Working Parents® Designation!
Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.
Key Responsibilities
70% – Teaching and Advising
Develop and teach on-campus and online courses as assigned by unit and college leadership. Courses likely will include geospatial science, cartography, remote sensing, and other topics aligned with the incumbent’s area of expertise and programmatic needs.
Demonstrate command of the subject matter taught and develop courses, curricula, and pedagogy. Prepare and present class materials and assignments, grade assignments, and post student grades. Maintain office hours for courses. Maintain and update course content to meet programmatic needs and facilitate student success. Collaborate with other program faculty and OSU Ecampus on curriculum content and development. Coordinate course content and maintain consistent learning outcomes across modes of delivery. Dependent on course size, may supervise teaching assistants. Contribute to social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts; provide mentoring and opportunities for students from underrepresented groups; enable the advancement of diverse perspectives; and promote equitable outcomes among learners from diverse and underrepresented identity groups. Interact professionally, effectively, and in a timely fashion with students and university staff.
Advise students, especially undergraduates and graduates majoring in Geography and Geospatial Sciences or Environmental Sciences or pursuing a certificate in GIScience, in credit or non-credit experiential learning and research. Mentor and support students in defining and executing projects and communication of results.
20% – Research and Scholarship
Develop, establish, and maintain an active program of scholarly research that contributes to the effectiveness of educational programs in pedagogy; physical, human, or human-environment geography; or spatial analysis. Achieve distinction in research as evidenced, for example, by national and international recognition or external funding. Establish and maintain research that supports timely promotion in rank and contributes to the field or benefits society. Publish scholarly work in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, books, or other media as appropriate to the research emphasis. Disseminate research results by participating in national and international meetings and other outreach and engagement efforts. Supervise research staff, graduate research assistants, or other student employees as needed.
Research may address pedagogical or disciplinary topics and, if place-based, may focus on any region. Research is expected to include substantial and meaningful engagement of OSU undergraduate or graduate students. Such engagement may include but is not limited to integrating research or practice into classroom activities, advising undergraduate thesis students or MS project students, or developing new programs for engaging undergraduates in research, practice, or career-integration activities.
10% – Service
Provide service to the college, university, and scientific and local communities to sustain and promote the college’s and university’s educational, research, and outreach missions. This may include, but is not limited to, any of the following.
- Serve on or lead college and university-level committees and advise student clubs.
- Participate in strategic planning and student recruitment efforts.
- Serve professional societies or community organizations.
- Participate in activities that increase and promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, such as diversity training, anti-racism pedagogy, or mentoring students from underrepresented groups.
- Participate in outreach and engagement activities related to the academic program.
What You Will Need
Minimum qualifications for both ranks:
- PhD in geography, geospatial science, or a closely related field.
- Relevant teaching experience in geography and geospatial science.
- Evidence of or commitment to excellence in inclusive teaching, mentoring, or student success.
- Experience in cartography, geographic information systems (including expertise in ESRI software applications such as ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online), and remote sensing.
- Experience with programming in Python, R, or JavaScript.
- Expertise with geospatial information workflows, such as acquisition, manipulation, analysis, and visualization.
- Vision for a research program on pedagogical or disciplinary topics that meaningfully engages students.
Minimum qualifications for Associate Professor (Teaching) rank:
- Experience in course design and curriculum development.
- Record of excellence in teaching at the university level commensurate with rank.
What We Would Like You to Have
Preferred qualifications for both ranks:
- Demonstrated ability to teach in person and online and proficiency with course management platforms such as Canvas.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor or advise students, including those who are members of underrepresented groups.
- Experience in the use of GeoAI.
- Experience with or vision for incorporating effective pedagogy into geography and environmental sciences course design and teaching, including but not limited to experiential learning, community-engaged teaching, inquiry-based learning, and development of career skills.
- Experience in addressing use of generative artificial intelligence in courses.
- Past experience and accomplishments in pedagogical or disciplinary research commensurate with rank.
Working Conditions / Work Schedule
This position is located in Corvallis, Oregon. The position primarily is on-campus, with reasonable flexibility as agreed on with their supervisor.
Pay Method: Salary
Pay Period: 1st through the last day of the month
Pay Date: Last working day of the month
Recommended Full-Time Salary Range: 63,981 – $70,380 (Assistant Professor)
Link to Position Description: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/position_descriptions/174829
Number of Vacancies: 1
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: 09/16/2026
Closing Date: 02/19/2026
Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search
Competitive / External – open to ALL qualified applicants
How to apply
When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1) A resume/CV; and
2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.
3) Statement of Research
4) Statement of Teaching
Letters of Reference will be requested on finalists only. When applying, you will be asked to provide the email address and telephone number for 3 referees who will be sent a secure quicklink that will allow them to upload the requested letters of reference on your behalf.
For additional information please contact: Jim Thatcher at [email protected]
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.
OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.
