Department/Organization
204431 - Geography

Rank
Associate/Full Professor

Position Summary
The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences invites applications for an Associate or Full Professor rank, tenured or tenure-track position at the interface of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) in Geography, with an expected starting date in August 2025.

Detailed Position Information
The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences invites applications for an Associate or Full Professor rank, tenured or tenure-track position at the interface of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) in Geography, with an expected starting date in August 2025.
Successful candidates for the AI/ML in Geography position can specialize in any subdiscipline of Geography. The University of Alabama Department of Geography and the Environment has strengths in water resources, agriculture, global hydrology, natural disasters, remote sensing and UAVs, transportation, geomorphology, climate change and GIS, and the department has ongoing relationships with the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), the Alabama Water Institute, the USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, and the Alabama Transportation Institute. The successful candidate’s research will focus on developing and applying AI/ML techniques in one of these strengths or at the boundary between geography and other natural sciences. More information about the department can be found at geography.ua.edu
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with the newly established Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, as well as collaborate with other UA faculty actively involved in AI research across campus. Additionally, they will be expected to take advantage of a new $96 million High-Performance Computing and Data Center that will come online in 2024-2025.
The minimum qualifications for this position are a Ph.D. or equivalent in Geography or a closely related field, scholarly publications, and experience with modern techniques in AI/ML. Preferred candidates will have an outstanding research record commensurate with their career, including a national/international reputation with an active research program, a record of securing multiple external research grants, and an outstanding record of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Candidates with prestigious achievements in the field and exceptional national and international reputations will be eligible for consideration for significant endowment support through appointment as a Shelby Distinguished Associate/Professor, https://provost.ua.edu/Shelby/.
The review of applications will begin January 2, 2025, and the review will continue until the position is filled. Applications should consist of a curriculum vitae, including descriptions of the applicant’s accomplishments, research interests and teaching philosophy, and a list of publications with citation counts.

Minimum Qualifications
The minimum qualifications for this position are a Ph.D. or equivalent in Geography or a closely related field, scholarly publications, and experience with modern techniques in AI/ML.

Preferred Qualifications
Preferred candidates will have an outstanding research record commensurate with their career, including a national/international reputation with an active research program, a record of securing multiple external research grants, and an outstanding record of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Applications should consist of a curriculum vitae, including descriptions of the applicant’s accomplishments, research interests and teaching philosophy, and a list of publications with citation counts.

About the Division/College/School
The College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Alabama offers an exciting and dynamic environment for faculty seeking to make an impact in their field and in the lives of the innovators and changemakers of tomorrow.

As the largest college at The University, we house over 8000 students and 1000 faculty and staff across our 25 departments.

With nationally recognized programs and award-winning faculty, our College has positioned itself as a leader in higher education. Our facilities and resources include state-of-the-art laboratories, research centers, and performance venues, providing students with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for research and creative expression.

The College is committed to the liberal arts philosophy that fosters creative and critical thinking and a lifetime of learning.

About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf