• Unit: Climate studies
• Job type: Faculty members
• Location: Nashville, Tennessee
• Opening date: September 13, 2025
• Closing date: December 15, 2025

a description

Vanderbilt University is seeking an Assistant Professor in the Practice of Climate and Environmental Policy. This non-tenure-track position is located within the interdisciplinary Climate and Environmental Studies program which is part of broader initiatives on climate and environmental sustainability, governance and policy across the university.

Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with scholarly interests and strong teaching skills from the social sciences, public policy studies, or related fields. Preference will be given to an interdisciplinary social scientist with scholarly engagement in the subnational, national and/or international dimensions of climate and/or environmental policy – ​​its process and development, its societal and environmental impacts, as well as methods of analysis and evaluation (including basic quantitative skills). Special educational interests related to policy may include, but are not limited to, energy, transportation, built environment, food systems, pollution, waste, economic development, biodiversity, natural resources, climate, and/or environmental justice. Applicants are expected to have a doctoral degree in a related field by August 1, 2026.

The successful candidate’s responsibilities include teaching interdisciplinary courses in climate and environmental policy, methods and practices in climate and environmental policy courses, upper-level subject courses, and immersion projects related to climate and environmental policy. The position carries a 3-2 cycle load. Other responsibilities include advising, co-curricular programming, and contributing to program leadership. This is a non-tenure-track appointment for a three-year term with the possibility of renewal pending review of performance and curricular needs.

Application instructions

Please submit your application by December 15, 2025, with the following materials: a cover letter addressing your research and teaching interests; the biography; The names of three people who have agreed to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf; Teaching statement (with a list of courses taught in recent years); Teaching evaluations (one to two years, if available); Two curricula (from existing or planned courses in climate and environmental policy or related fields); And a writing sample (an essay or a chapter from the thesis).

Applications are only accepted through Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/173713

The successful candidate will begin the position in August 2026.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Vanderbilt University must comply with the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Furthermore, these regulations require that prime contractors and subcontractors provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

Questions may be directed to Joe Bandy (Associate Professor of the Practice of Climate and Environmental Studies) at: joe.bandy@vanderbilt.edu.