Assistant or Associate Professor in Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition– Tenure Track
School of the Environment
Position Summary:
The School of the Environment at Washington State University on the Pullman, Washington Campus invites applications from emerging scholars to join our community as a permanent, full-time, nine-month, tenure-track faculty in critical minerals and mineral resources at the Assistant or Associate Professor level as part of an 8-position cluster hire for the newly established Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF). It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on August 16, 2025, January 1, 2026, or August 16, 2026, depending on availability of candidate and needs of the program. Our planet's rapidly changing climate dictates that we must quickly transition to a carbon-neutral energy future. This transition will require an increasing domestic supply of mineral resources containing critical minerals, such as lithium, copper, nickel, aluminum, zinc, cobalt, manganese, platinum, and rare-earth elements. For this position, we seek applicants who work on fundamental Earth science questions related to critical minerals sources, such as the processes that concentrate and transport elements, and the economic viability of their extraction and production—all done within an equitable, just, sustainable, and environmentally sound framework. We seek applicants in research areas that include, but are not limited to, economic geology, ore recovery, deposit formation including processes that involve the concentration, mobilization and separation of minerals from the deep crust to the critical zone. We are particularly interested in candidates who conduct research with innovative experimental, geochemical, geochronological, and other analytical techniques enabled by the School of the Environment's existing laboratories (FE-EPMA, LA-MC-ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS/MS, XRF, 900 ft2 Class-1000 clean lab). Job duties: The hired individual will be expected to: (i) teach undergraduate and graduate courses and play an important role in recruiting undergraduate Earth sciences majors; (ii) publish research in high-impact, peer-reviewed outlets; (iii) develop an externally-funded research program; (iv) recruit and mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students and undergraduate research assistants; (v) work collaboratively with other faculty, staff, and students from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds; and (vi) serve university, professional, and/or public organizations. The workload of this position will be 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service. To learn more and pply: Visit wsu.edu/jobs, select your appropriate employment status, and search for R-12853. Salary/Benefits: Assistant Professor Rank: $82,500-90,000 per nine-month academic year Associate Professor Rank: $95,000 - $110,000 per nine-month academic year
Inquiries should be directed to Marc Kramer, marc.kramer@wsu.edu.
Posting Close Date: Applicants must submit their completed application by Monday, February 3, 2025, at 12:00a.m.
Required Qualifications for All Ranks:
Completed Ph.D. in geoscience or closely related field by appointment date.
Record of research accomplishment, demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications.
Research with clear applicability to domestic resources.
Demonstrated record of or potential for commitment to equitable and inclusive educational experiences in alignment with WSU’s land grant mission.
Additional Required qualifications for candidates for Assistant Professor rank:
Demonstrated ability or potential to successfully teach and mentor students at the graduate and undergraduate levels in the field of critical elements and minerals or other related topics.
Demonstrated ability or potential to establish an externally funded research program.
Established record of peer-reviewed publications.
Additional Required Qualifications for candidates for Associate Professor rank:
Record of accomplishments in teaching, research and service commensurate with school, college, and university standards for tenure at the level of associate professor.
Evidence of teaching excellence in undergraduate courses and the potential for, or evidence of, teaching excellence in graduate courses in in the field of critical elements and minerals or other related topics.
Established record of peer-reviewed publications and a record of receiving grant funding as a PI or co-PI.
Encompassing more than 30 departments, schools, and research institutes on five campuses statewide, the College of Arts & Sciences is the heart of WSU. Together our 730+ faculty and staff deliver more than 50% of WSU’s total undergraduate and graduate instruction, including the vast majority of WSU’s core curriculum. We also drive wide interdisciplinary research in public and community health, environmental change, equity and social justice, and data and technology at the boundaries. As Arts & Sciences celebrates its 10th anniversary as a unified college, we seek to lead a reimagining of WSU’s land-grant mission for the 21st century, expanding the boundaries of creativity and discovery while simultaneously recognizing more completely our obligations to Native and Indigenous peoples. For more about the College of Arts & Sciences at WSU, please see https://cas.wsu.edu.
