Associate Professor of Aquatic Ecology and Associate Director of PEREC (Tenure-Track) 

The George Mason University Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP) and itsPotomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) are seeking an energetic and experienced individual for a full time, 9-month, tenure track position to serve as AssociateProfessor and Associate Director of PEREC beginning in August 2022. It is anticipated that this hire will also qualify as the Associate Director of PEREC, and be in line for the Directorship within 2-3 years of joining Mason. 

George Mason University, a Carnegie Research I institution, is the largest, most diverse, and innovative public university in Virginia with more than 38,000 students from all 50 states and over 135 countries. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, Mason is part of the Washington, D.C.,metropolitan area, offering easy access to the scientific and political resources of the nation’s capital. Mason has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence anddiversity among its faculty and staff, and it strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. 

PEREC occupies about 20,000 ft2 at the waterfront Potomac Science Center located on the tidal Occoquan River in the Belmont Bay section of Woodbridge, Virginia, about 30 minutes fromMason’s Fairfax Campus. PEREC has an excellent infrastructure of research labs, teaching labs, support rooms and offices with a team of eight faculty researchers from 3 College ofScience (COS) departments: five from ESP, two from Chemistry, and one from Atmospheric,Oceanic and Earth Sciences; collaborating on multiple studies of the tidal Potomac River. The team has numerous research projects including the 38-year Gunston Cove ecosystem study and the more recent ecosystem study at Hunting Creek. Other research foci include micropollutants, microplastics, harmful algal blooms, coral reef studies, and molecular approaches. 

Responsibilities/Duties 

Participate in leading PEREC’s program and funding initiatives,

Contribute to PEREC’s administrative management,

Lead interdisciplinary research teams to obtain substantial external funding,

Participate in PEREC’s long-term ecological studies of Gunston Cove and Hunting Creek on the tidal freshwater Potomac,

Conduct normal academic duties of teaching, research, and service,

Maintain an extramural research program. 

Required Qualifications 

Successful completion of a Ph.D. in environmental science, biology, botany, aquatic ecology ,or related field prior to the first day of the appointment,

Demonstrated research experience in algal ecology, plankton ecology, and/or aquatic macrophyte ecology,

The ability to share the department’s commitment to interdisciplinary education and research,

An established record of scholarly activity demonstrated by publication record in peer-reviewed journals,

Demonstrated experience in establishing independent extramurally funded research program, student mentoring, and strong academic leadership,

Commitment and interest in teaching lecture and laboratory courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels,

Effective interpersonal communication skills; and

The ability to collaborate with other natural scientists and social scientists in research, teaching and outreach. 

Preferred Qualifications

Ability to use computational and/or genomic approaches to research problems,

Expertise in multivariate and univariate statistical approaches to analysis of field and laboratory data,

Ability to communicate scientific knowledge to a broad range of stakeholders,

Knowledge of higher education practices and procedures,

Proven ability to lead and obtain funding for multi-investigator research programs.

See Job Announcement here: https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/52276​