Assistant Professor, Energy/Climate Planning in Organizations and Communities

Western Washington University is seeking an Assistant Professor in Energy/Climate Planning for a full-time, tenure-track position. The role involves teaching, research, and service within the Institute for Energy Studies, focusing on local energy policies and community planning. The position emphasizes a commitment to undergraduate and graduate education and aims to support diverse student backgrounds. The position is based in New York, NY, and is not remote.
Position Title Assistant Professor, Energy/Climate Planning in Organizations and Communities

About the University Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

About the Department

The Institute for Energy Studies (IES) is a multi-college collaboration at WWU, which is designed to meet growing demand, from students and from Washington's growing clean energy economy, for interdisciplinary education related to the science, technology, policy and business aspects of human conversion and use of energy. Our energy programs are designed to provide both breadth and depth, with a practical toolkit of technical and analytic skills from classroom and experiential learning. This is a unique opportunity to help develop new programs and link with WWU programs in business and sustainability, urban planning and policy, etc. We take a problem-based approach to blending technical and social science concepts in the design of energy-climate solutions from multiple societal perspectives. These programs attract a wide range of students and are designed to be accessible to students of diverse backgrounds and preparation levels, especially in STEM topics.

The Institute for Energy Studies supports Western?s mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.

About the Position

The Institute for Energy Studies (IES) at Western Washington University (WWU) invites applications from candidates for a full-time, tenure-track position in Energy Studies, focusing on energy/climate planning in organizations and communities. The position is at the Assistant Professor rank and begins on September 16, 2021. We seek an individual with teaching and research interests in fields such as local energy/climate policies and strategies, enterprise energy management, or urban/community energy planning, along with a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education. The person chosen will have an ongoing and formal affiliation with the Institute for Energy Studies and a full-time appointment in an academic Department based on their specialization. The position entails teaching, advising, research and service to support the Department, the Institute, and the University.

The position requires a strong commitment to teaching, scholarship, and inclusive success for all students. The successful candidate will maintain a research program involving undergraduate and/or masters-level students, and collaborate effectively with researchers in and beyond the institute. Teaching responsibilities will include core energy studies courses as well as advanced courses in their area of specialization. Key areas of interest for the program are local energy and climate policy, energy management, and low-carbon/net-zero energy planning for organizations and cities. Relevant courses in the current WWU course catalogue include Business of Energy, Community Solutions to Climate Change, Stakeholder Engagement in Energy Planning, Northwest Energy System Transitions, Electricity Resource Planning, and Energy Management in Organizations.

The IES recognizes that a variety of academic perspectives address energy/climate planning in organizations and communities, including local environmental policy and engineering, energy and carbon management, energy-related data analytics and spatial analysis, urban and environmental planning, project siting and management, and energy and technology policy. We seek candidates who bring a scholarly background in one or more of these fields, plus a strongly multidisciplinary approach, to scholarship and teaching in the evolving nexus of energy technology and systems, climate change and energy policy, management and urban/environmental planning. The successful candidate will also be expected to demonstrate teaching and mentoring experiences that support equitable and inclusive learning environments for all students.

Required Qualifications
• Doctorate (at time of application) or ABD (at time of application) in energy and carbon management, local energy or environmental policy, energy-related data analytics and spatial analysis, urban and environmental planning, or a field related to energy/climate planning in organizations and communities. If ABD, all degree requirements must be completed by June 15th of the first year of employment.
• Teaching and scholarship interests and experience aligned with the Institute for Energy Studies? mission
• Ability to maintain a relevant program of scholarly activity working with undergraduate and Masters-level graduate students
• Demonstrated potential for effective teaching in energy analysis, management, planning or related topics
• Ability to work effectively with diverse students and colleagues, and the commitment and ability to cultivate equitable and inclusive learning environments for students with diverse social identities and backgrounds
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications
• Doctorate at time of application
• Relevant expertise in energy systems science, energy and climate policy, management, planning, etc.
• Recent, relevant experience in the technical, economic, planning and policy dimensions of energy systems
• A record of research in the energy field in academia, government or industry
• Evidence of ability to develop an externally-funded research program
• Experience teaching interdisciplinary course(s)

Salary

Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Bargaining Unit

United Faculty of Western Washington