Associate Professor or Professor and Director of the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

The faculty of the Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus, invites applications for a 9-month, full-time, tenure-track/tenured position at the rank of advanced Associate Professor or Professor of Geography who will also direct the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute (HVRI). The position will begin August 16, 2026. Candidates must have a PhD in Geography, Urban Planning, Climate Science, GIScience, or related fields.

The Department of Geography currently consists of twenty faculty. Current research areas of the faculty include resource politics, environmental hazards, human rights, coastal geomorphology, energy geographies, GIScience, biogeography, migration, and climate change. The Department has about 25 full-time graduate students and offers PhD, MS, MA, BS, and BA degrees. For more information about the Department of Geography, please visit our website at:

https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/geography.

• Candidates must have a PhD in Geography, Urban Planning, Climate Science, GIScience, or related fields.

• Candidates must have a PhD in Geography, Urban Planning, Climate Science, GIScience, or related fields.
• As a tenured advanced Associate or Full Professor in Geography, the successful candidate will provide leadership in advancing the core mission of HVRI by maintaining its excellence in interdisciplinary and convergent research on hazards, climate change adaptation,
• Emergency and disaster management policy and practice, and training the next generation researchers and specialists for successful careers in academe, public agencies, and private sectors.
• HVRI has been a leader in developing geospatial approaches for understanding the distributional impacts of disasters and providing evidentiary support for equitable approaches to community resilience and disaster risk reduction.
• We seek an innovative scholar to maintain and grow HVRI as a national and international leader in this field.

Applications must include: (1) a cover letter addressing interests and qualifications for the position, (2) a curriculum vitae, and (3) the names and email addresses of 3 references. Reference letters will be solicited from candidates best meeting the qualifications of this position. Applicants may submit up to 2 research publications (optional). Applications will be reviewed beginning October 1, 2025.

Inquiries about this position may be directed  to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. April Hiscox, at hiscox@mailbox.sc.edu.

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This position is open until filled. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
 

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.