Associate Professor/Professor – Environment and Climate in Caribbean Studies

Closing Date: 01/07/2025, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 39888; Job Category: Faculty – Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science; Department: School of the Environment and New College Centre in Caribbean Studies; Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

The School of the Environment and the Centre for Caribbean Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto invite applications for a full-time tenure stream position in the area of Environment and Climate in Caribbean Studies. This will be a joint appointment between the School of the Environment (51%) and the Centre for Caribbean Studies (49%). The appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. The successful candidate will be named the New College Professor in Caribbean Studies for a three-year term, which is renewable following a favourable review.

We seek candidates conducting interdisciplinary research on the broader nexus of Caribbean ecological crises and ecological futures and the intersecting areas of food, water, health, and biodiversity in the Caribbean region. Crucial to the field is a commitment to understanding not only how Caribbean peoples resist ecocide historically, intellectually, politically, and in practice, but also, how Caribbean ecological epistemologies offer new ways to enact just ecological futures. Candidates’ research areas and expertise may include (but are not limited to): climate migration, environmental racism, environmental activism, and intersectional approaches to gender justice; conservation traditions and management including Indigenous approaches to environmental governance and biodiversity conservation; just sustainabilities as they relate to food, water, health, pollution and community survival; climate impacts and adaptation, and the interaction of climate change with related risks including pandemics, natural disasters, resource conflict, and extractivism; environmental themes in Caribbean food, language, culture and literature. Candidates’ research must be grounded within the Caribbean context. Experience and engagement in community action on climate mitigation or adaptation, local or regional conservation, environmental policy, or resource management in the Caribbean region will be an asset.

Applicants must have earned a PhD degree with a focus addressing critical Caribbean environmental issues. They must also demonstrate a record of excellence in research and teaching, and experience in research supervision. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance our existing strengths in both departments and who can take on a leadership role to enhance our international profile. Candidates will have an established international reputation and will be expected to sustain and lead innovative and independent research at the highest international level and to maintain an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence as demonstrated by a record of sustained high-impact contributions and publications in top-ranked and field-relevant venues, the submitted research statement, presentations at significant conferences, distinguished awards and accolades for innovative work, other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline, and strong endorsement by referees of high international standing.

The successful candidate is expected to strengthen the Faculty of Arts & Science’s undergraduate and graduate education in Environment, Climate Change, and Caribbean Studies. Evidence of excellence in teaching and experience in research supervision will be demonstrated through the teaching dossier submitted as part of the application (with required materials outlined below), as well as strong letters of reference.

Salary and rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The School of the Environment is an interdisciplinary hub within the Faculty of Arts & Science, running undergraduate and graduate programs in environment and sustainability. The School brings together multiple perspectives on today’s pressing environmental challenges. We are a hub for researchers and students from many different disciplines spanning the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.

The New College Centre for Caribbean Studies is the only program in Canada with degrees specifically dedicated to the study of the Caribbean and its people. The program consists of courses in Caribbean history, literature, and thought which deal with a wide range of issues including gender, religion, politics, culture, ethnicity, race, development, language, colonialism, environment and regional common markets.

The appointment will be held at the University of Toronto campus in downtown Toronto (St. George campus). Toronto is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, one of the most desirable cities in the world in which to work and live.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Applicants must submit a cover letter; a current curriculum vitae; a research statement outlining current and future research interests; one recent publication; and a teaching dossier to include a strong teaching statement, sample syllabi and course materials, and teaching evaluations.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to academic excellence as articulated in University of Toronto’s Statement on Equity, Diversity and Excellence. We seek candidates who share these values and who demonstrate throughout the application materials their commitment and efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment.

Applicants must provide the name and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee the day after an application is submitted. Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that references submit recent letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date. At least one reference letter must address the candidate’s teaching. More details on automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQ.

Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Steve Easterbrook, Director of the School of the Environment (director.environment@utoronto.ca).

All application materials, including recent reference letters, must be received by January 7, 2025.

The University of Toronto has adopted the AAU Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia, including the requirement that applicants release personnel information from prior employers regarding sexual misconduct. Full details and requirements can be found here.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission. As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission. The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

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