Director of Environmental Studies
Bowdoin College invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of Environmental Studies at the Associate or Full Professor rank, beginning in Fall 2008. The director will hold a joint appointment in the Environmental Studies program and a department appropriate to his/her disciplinary specialization.
Founded in 1970, Environmental Studies at Bowdoin is an outstanding multi-disciplinary program. It has grown dramatically in recent years and now comprises a large and committed cadre of affiliated and jointly-appointed faculty at all ranks, drawn from the natural and social sciences, the arts, and the humanities. Environmental Studies offers a rigorous coordinate major in which students achieve disciplinary depth within a departmental major while gaining interdisciplinary breadth from a carefully chosen mix of ES-specific and cross-listed classes. It is one of the largest and most popular majors at Bowdoin. The program has been a leader in promoting collaborations between faculty through teaching and research and also has a longstanding commitment to integrating community-based service learning and faculty-directed summer research into the classroom.
In the position of director, we seek a scholar of distinction and a dedicated teacher who possesses the vision and leadership to guide this vital program at a juncture when it is poised to become a signature program for the college. The ability to nurture and foster interdisciplinary and collaborative work is a key qualification for this position. The successful candidate will hold a PhD and be an active scholar in an academic discipline relevant to environmental studies. A demonstrated ability to work in collaboration with humanists, social scientists, and scientists is an essential characteristic of the candidate we seek. Opportunities exist for building on established relationships with Bowdoin faculty working in coastal and arctic studies. Prior experience leading similar programs is desirable, but not essential.
Bowdoin College offers strong support for faculty research and teaching. The normal teaching load at the College is two courses per semester (with potential adjustments when lab courses are involved). It is expected that the Director will be an active teaching member of the program, but some course relief will be provided in recognition of the director’s responsibilities. These include working with students outside of the classroom and linking Environmental Studies to many facets of the campus and broader community. The Director also oversees staff who provide administrative and curricular support for the program.
Some college resources of particular interest to a prospective candidate for this position include the only collegiate Arctic Museum in the US, a Coastal Studies Center and marine lab (located on Orr’s Island, approximately thirteen miles from the campus), and a scientific field station on Kent Island, New Brunswick.
Nominations and applications should be sent to:
Cristle Collins Judd
Dean for Academic Affairs
Environmental Studies Search Committee
Bowdoin College
5800 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011
Please include a letter describing your scholarly research and teaching experience, a vita, and names and contact information of three referees. Materials must be received by December 1, 2007 in order to receive full consideration.
Bowdoin is a highly selective liberal arts college on the Maine coast with a diverse student body made up of 25% students of color, 4% International students and approximately 15% first generation college students. Bowdoin College is committed to equality and diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will enrich and contribute to the cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity of our college. Bowdoin College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or disability status in employment, or in our education programs.
Bowdoin recognizes that recruiting and retaining faculty may involve considerations of spouses and domestic partners. To that end, where possible, the College will attempt to accommodate and respond creatively to the needs of spouses and partners of members of the faculty. For further information about the College and the Environmental Studies Program, see our website at www.bowdoin.edu.