Full Professor and Director, Center for Climate Change Communication

George Mason University is seeking a Full Professor and Director for the Center for Climate Change Communication. This full-time, 9-month position involves leading climate communication research and public engagement programs. The role is based in Fairfax, VA, and offers a hybrid eligible workplace. The department emphasizes diversity, innovation, and community service, providing comprehensive programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: 9-month Instructional Faculty

Job Category: Instructional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: N/A - I/R Faculty

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and
experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

About the Department:

Mason’s Communication Department has a diverse and collegial
faculty committed to excellence, innovation, community and public
service, inclusion, and social equity. All department faculty
participate in the life of our campus community, including career
fairs, faculty functions, recruiting sessions and other events.
Located just 15 miles from Washington, D.C., we offer a broad
undergraduate program; five minor programs; a vibrant MA program
including strategic, health, and science communication specialties;
and a highly ranked PhD program emphasizing health, risk,
strategic, and science communication, and media and culture. The
department also offers a graduate certificate in science
communication. We serve a diverse population of undergraduate and
graduate students who bring a wide variety of cultures and
backgrounds to our classrooms. Additionally, the department
supports several co-curricular activities, including debate,
forensics, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA),
Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ), and a comprehensive
student media program.

The research life of the department includes both undergraduate and
graduate research, and is reflected in the activities and outreach
of its faculty, including those of the Center for Climate Change
Communication, the Communication, Health, and Relational Media
(CHARM) research lab, the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the
Center for Health and Risk Communication, the Character
Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP) research lab, and the
Pop Culture Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access Studies (IDEAs)
Lab. For more information on the Department of Communication at
George Mason University, visit communication.gmu.edu.

About the Center:

The mission of George Mason University's Center for Climate Change
Communication (Mason 4C) is to develop and apply social science
insights to help society make informed decisions that will
stabilize the earth’s life-sustaining climate and prevent further
harm from climate change. An academic “think-and-do tank,” Mason 4C
conducts cutting-edge climate communication research and develops
public engagement programs that support communities of practice of
trusted communicators in communities across America. For more
information about the center, see the Mason 4C website
(https://www.climatechangecommunication.org) and this recent
overview:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2024.2304571.

About the Position:

The Department of Communication at George Mason University seeks to
fill the position of Director of the George Mason University Center
for Climate Change Communication. This is a full-time 9-month
tenured faculty appointment at the Full Professor level in the
Department of Communication. The additional assignment of 4C
Director is a 12-month position that includes summer
responsibilities. Our university has a strong institutional
commitment to achieving excellence and diversity among its faculty
and staff and strongly encourages candidates who will enrich
Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment to
apply.

About the Position:

Working in close collaboration with a range of internal
stakeholders (including the leadership of the Department of
Communication and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences,
other Mason climate-related centers [e.g., Virginia Climate Center]
and institutes [e.g., Institute for Sustainable Earth], and Mason
4C faculty, program directors, staff, and students) and external
stakeholders (including funders, partner organizations, government
agencies, civil society organizations, and policymakers), the
Director leads the Center’s strategic research and programming
initiatives and ensures the necessary resources are in place to
advance the Center’s mission to the fullest extent possible.

The Director advances the Center’s mission and the Department of
Communication’s educational responsibilities by:

●Establishing the Center’s research and communication programming
priorities;

●Being ultimately responsible for all Center activities and
operations;

●Leading the collaboration between the Center and internal and
external stakeholders, including the Center’s Advisory
Council;

●Leading Center development and fundraising activities and ensuring
that Center fiscal resources are utilized strategically and in
compliance with university and sponsor regulations;

●Supervising the Center’s faculty, Associate Director, and program
leads;

●Overseeing all core functions of the Center including marketing
and communication activities, program management and reporting to
program sponsors, administrative infrastructure including IT and
financial management support systems, and financial operations and
human resource requirements; and

●Building and sustaining community and engagement among Center
faculty, staff, students, and collaborators.

Responsibilities:

Center Leadership and Management
• Program development, strategic oversight, and operational
supervision for Mason 4C communication programs. This includes
Climate Matters, Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health,
republicEn, and other initiatives;
• Supervises 4C faculty and staff;
• Acquires and manages partnerships with external organizations
in academic, government, and the civil and private sectors;
• Oversight of all Mason 4C development, fundraising, marketing,
and communication activities;
• Financial oversight for all 4C activities;
• Participates in media interviews to represent the work of the
Center; and
• Engages with the Mason 4C Advisory Council.

Research
• Writes grant proposals to support 4C research;
• Conducts disciplinary (communication) and interdisciplinary
(climate change) research with Mason faculty, students, and
colleagues beyond Mason; and
• Publishes research in journals, monographs, and books,
including self-published Mason 4C polling reports and research
briefs.

Teaching and Mentoring
• Teaches graduate courses in climate & sustainability
communication and other undergraduate courses;
• Serves as faculty advisor for doctoral and master’s
students;
• Serves on comprehensive examination committees for doctoral
students;
• Chairs or serves on doctoral dissertation committees for
students;
• Mentors Mason 4C post-doctoral fellows; and
• The typical teaching load for tenure-line faculty is (2/2) with
the potential for adjustment based on other responsibilities.

Service
• Serves on standing and ad hoc committees for the Department of
Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the
university;
• Conducts peer reviews for relevant journals, funding agencies,
and APT committees at other universities; and
• Advises government agencies, civic organizations, professional
societies, and other organizations seeking to enhance their climate
communication initiatives (e.g., National Academies of Science,
Engineering, and Medicine).

Required Qualifications:
• Terminal degree in a related field;
• A doctoral degree in communication or a related field;
• Progressively responsible leadership and management experience
including proven effectiveness in conducting strategic
communication research and public communication programs to advance
important societal goals;
• A track record of supervisory, administrative experience, and
fundraising effectiveness to support applied research and/or
strategic communication initiatives;
• Must be eligible for appointment with tenure at the rank of
full professor;
• A strong understanding of climate change including its causes,
impacts, and risk management options to interact effectively on a
peer basis with senior internal and external stakeholders,
community members, scientists and policymakers from science to
society; and
• Capacity for long-term strategic planning to advance the
center's mission and goals.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience with supervising grants or research center, and
collaborative work; and
• Ability to secure external grants.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Full
Professor and Director, Center for Climate Change
Communication at https://jobs.gmu.edu/.
Complete and submit the online application to include three
professional references with contact information, and provide a
Letter of Intent which includes a vision statement for 4C and a
complete Curriculum Vitae for review.

Posting Open Date: October 24, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: January 5, 2025

Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement

Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in
Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135
countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in
Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning
locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason’s diversity is a
campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is
meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.

If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at
our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at
jobs.gmu.edu/!

George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action
employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its
community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for
employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or
veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

Campus Safety Information

Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at
http://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/