The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor position in Social Science and Sustainability. We seek a collaborative and innovative social scientist whose work addresses the human dimensions of sustainability with an emphasis on natural resource management, environmental conservation, and/or environmental governance. The specific topic of sustainability research is open, and we welcome diverse candidates whose substantive and methodological expertise complements and strengthens our program. This position will contribute to our department’s ongoing efforts to integrate rigorous social science into our interdisciplinary curriculum and research portfolio. The successful candidate must develop a productive externally funded research program and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in areas such as leadership for sustainability and other topics aligned with their expertise. Individuals must have a PhD in a social science field relevant to sustainability.

Job responsibilities will include:

Research (50%)
• Develop and maintain a robust, externally funded research program focused on the human dimensions of sustainability.
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across campus and with external stakeholders, such as natural resource agencies, NGOs, and community organizations.
• Advise and mentor graduate students.

Teaching (50%)
• Teach 2–3 courses per academic year relevant to the Environmental Conservation & Society major, with a specific expectation to teach “FREC 2554 Leadership for Global Sustainability”
• Contribute to curriculum development and departmental service.

About the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech is one of the top forestry, natural resource management, and conservation programs in the United States. Our vision, mission, and values statements can be found here: https://frec.vt.edu/vision_mission_values.html. We are an inclusive and collaborative department that values knowledge and innovation; ethics and integrity; diversity and inclusivity; opportunity and affordability; and sustainability. Our exceptional education, research, and outreach programs are diverse and approach critical natural resource issues from many perspectives. The department offers master's and doctoral programs, as well as five undergraduate majors: environmental conservation and society, environmental data science, environmental resource management, forestry, and water resources policy and management. Faculty research areas of focus include forest biometrics, modeling, and remote sensing; forest biology, physiology, and genomics; ecology, silviculture, and wildland fire; hydrology, soils, and watershed management; forest management, operations, and business; resource economics and policy; human dimensions of natural resources and sustainability; environmental education, interpretation, and communication; and urban forestry. Department faculty also are engaged with industrial cooperatives, as well as extension and outreach efforts such as landowner education, SHARP logger, Master Naturalist, learning networks focused on environmental education and interpretation, and geospatial education programs.

• PhD by appointment date in a social science field relevant to sustainability, natural resource management, or a closely related field.

• Demonstrated commitment to or excellence in teaching or designing courses related to environmental sustainability at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Demonstrated potential for, or success in, securing external funding to support research.
• A record of high-quality research and publication in relevant fields.
• Methodological expertise that complements existing departmental strengths and enhances opportunities for interdisciplinary research and external funding. Relevant expertise may include quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, computational, spatial, participatory, or other rigorous social science approaches.
• Ability to work across disciplinary and methodological boundaries.

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

$85k - $95k (Asst. Prof. rank), or $115k - $125K (Assoc. Prof. rank)

40

10/15/2026

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.