JOB – Research Assistant/Associ. Prof., Climate Change Communication Science
George Mason University, Department of Communication
Review of applications begins 17 May 2016
Description
The George Mason University Department of Communication seeks superior applicants—ideally at the associate professor level—for a unique research and leadership position in Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication (Mason 4C). The state-supported research position (nontenure-track) comes with a 12-month state-supported salary, a multiyear renewable contract, and an opportunity to be appointed as Associate Director of the center. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.
The George Mason University Department of Communication seeks superior applicants—ideally at the associate professor level—for a unique research and leadership position in Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication (Mason 4C). The state-supported research position (nontenure-track) comes with a 12-month state-supported salary, a multiyear renewable contract, and an opportunity to be appointed as Associate Director of the center. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.
Founded in 2007, Mason 4C conducts unbiased public engagement research—and helps government agencies, civic organizations, professional associations and companies apply the results of social science research so that collectively, we can stabilize our planet’s life-sustaining climate and prevent harm from climate change. The center currently has over a half dozen tenure-track faculty, three research faculty, several research associates, two post-doctoral fellows, and a half dozen Ph.D. students.
The center is funded through state support, government (National Science Foundation, NASA, and National Park Service [NPS]) and foundation grants, and philanthropic donations. It currently has four major research and outreach projects: (1) the Climate Change in the American Mind audience research project (in collaboration with Yale’s Project on Climate Change Communication); (2) Climate Matters—an initiative to support TV weathercasters as climate educators (in collaboration with Climate Central, American Meteorological Society, NASA, NOAA and Yale); (3) the Program on Climate and Health—an initiative to support doctors and nurses as climate educators; and (4) republicEN (formerly known as the Energy and Enterprise Initiative)—an initiative that engages with politically conservative Americans to encourage free-enterprise leadership on America’s energy and climate change challenges. The center is also actively involved with a wide range of other government agencies (e.g., U.S. Global Change Research Program, NPS), museums (e.g., Smithsonian, Science Museum of Virginia), professional societies (e.g., American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy of Pediatrics), faith communities (e.g., Interfaith Power and Light; Catholic Climate Covenant), and other civic organizations.
Responsibilities
Duties include playing a leadership role in the center (by helping to identify and pursue new strategic opportunities for the center), conducting research, collaborating with external organizations on their climate change public engagement initiatives, and mentoring graduate and post-doctoral students and junior colleagues.
Qualifications
Candidates must hold a doctoral degree, preferably in communication science or a closely related discipline, and have quantitative and qualitative research skills. Candidates must also have a proven record of research and leadership in the area of climate change communication or a closely aligned field, and a strong record of publications and extramural funding consistent with their career stage.
For full consideration, applicants must apply for position number F057Az online; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter (including a statement of research interests), CV, and a list of three professional references with contact information.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Ed Maibach with questions about the position, and to alert him when applications have been submitted. Review of applicants will begin after May 17, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled.
George Mason University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer encouraging diversity.
