Volcanology or Petrology Professor and ERI Director

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) invites applications for a tenured faculty position in volcanology or petrology (broadly defined) at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, who would also serve as the Director of the Earth Research Institute (ERI). We seek applicants whose records are commensurate with that of an associate or full professor with tenure, who are passionate about teaching and mentorship of diverse undergraduate and graduate students, and whose research interests complement existing strengths in the Department of Earth Science and across campus.

Increase your chances of an interview by reading the following overview of this role before making an application.

The Earth Research Institute

The Earth Research Institute (ERI) is a multidisciplinary Organized Research Unit (ORU) that operates alongside academic teaching departments at UC Santa Barbara to promote innovative research and education in the sciences of our solid, fluid, and living Earth. The 14 professional staff at ERI administer over $69 million in extramural and intramural funds for over 400 research projects and education outreach programs for scientists spanning six academic units on campus in addition to the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration and the UCSB Natural Reserve System.

Desirable Attributes

Broadly trained, with interdisciplinary experience in volcanology or petrology, the successful candidate is expected to lead, promote, and advance the research enterprise of ERI across a broad front of activities, while continuing their own, extramurally funded research program, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, participating in ongoing graduate and undergraduate teaching programs, and contributing to other university service and professional activities.

UCSB is particularly interested in applicants who have made and continue to make significant contributions to Earth science and have demonstrated successful leadership and development skills. As the ERI Director, the candidate is expected to provide scientific and organizational leadership, and foster an environment that inspires collaborations across a broad spectrum of researchers. The Director will hold a tenured faculty position in the Department of Earth Science at UC Santa Barbara. The appointment as ERI Director is for five years, and is renewable for additional five-year periods.

The University is especially interested in candidates who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service as appropriate to the position. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at UC Santa Barbara. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values.

Banneker Initiative

In 2024-25, UC Santa Barbara departments are partnering with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to launch a special faculty recruitment initiative named after Benjamin Banneker, the 18th-century African American mathematician, astronomer, antiracist, engineer, ecologist, and peace advocate. Funded by an Advancing Faculty Diversity grant from the UC Office of the President, the Banneker Initiative will recruit scholars, scientists, and engineers whose disciplinary and interdisciplinary work would take place within the community of concerns exemplified by Banneker’s intellectual, ethical, and social commitments as an African American scientist, especially his desire to advance scientific and humanistic knowledge for the public good. With the goal of creating a diverse community around such concerns, applicants may be eligible to be fellows in the Benjamin Banneker Initiative. The community of Banneker Fellows will receive funding for cohort building and professional development activities.

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