*Portland** State University**—Investing in Sustainability *
*Director Search *
At Portland State we do more than just study sustainability. We engage
directly with the community around us to make sustainability real. Our
goal is to harness the strengths of our singular urban university—our
new ideas, our innovative partnerships, our academic rigor—toward
solving the environmental, social, and economic problems of our time.
As part of Portland State’s continuing investment in research, teaching
and infrastructure related to sustainability, the campus is launching a
search for a Director for our sustainability efforts. The Director will
provide leadership for the planned evolution and expansion of PSU’s
current interdisciplinary Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices
(CSP2). Our vision of becoming a premier sustainability research
institution is supported by an investment plan that includes the
recruitment of up to 7 new faculty positions during the next two years.
The Director and new faculty will join an accomplished group of Portland
State faculty engaged with local and global communities to advance the
development and adoption of sustainable strategies and rigorously assess
the impacts of cutting-edge practices on our economy, our communities
and our ecosystems.
For information on the Directorship position, CSP2, and the investment
plan, please refer to
www.pdx.edu/sustainability
* *
*Director—Position, Candidate Profile, and Qualifications *
The Director reports to the Vice Provost for Research and Dean of
Graduate Studies and will hold a 12-month, renewable appointment with
tenure in an academic unit. Successful candidates will demonstrate
interest, capacity and experience in academic leadership with a
particular focus on multidisciplinary research and engagement. They must
have a scholarly record appropriate for the award of tenure that
includes significant scholarly publications, funded research and
engagement activities in at least one of the following four focal
thematic areas:
· Relationships between Human and Natural Systems – /ecological systems,
policy, technology, behavior, social and economic aspects, hard and soft
solutions /
· Sustainable Urban Communities /– the built environment, urban ecology
and, social and economic systems /
· Implementing Sustainable Solutions: Mechanisms for Change – /public
awareness and engagement, human development, consumer choice, lifestyle
and behavior change /
· Making Sustainability Credible: Measurement, Valuation, and Evaluation
– /decision-support systems, integrative modeling, impact assessments /
Interested applicants should refer to
www.pdx.edu/sustainability to
learn more about academic sustainability at PSU and the four focal areas
listed above.
The successful candidate will demonstrate evidence of a deep commitment
to collaborative work in academe and with the community, as well as an
appreciation for the importance of work that integrates multiple
disciplinary perspectives and uses multiple analytical methods.
Characteristics critical to success in this position include both
passion for and understanding of PSU’s mission as an urban university.
*Position Responsibilities *
This leadership position will have the following responsibilities:
· Develop, direct and manage PSU’s academic sustainability initiatives
through the Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices (CSP2)
· Direct the recruitment of additional sustainability faculty positions
as part of the campus investment plan
· Direct PSU’s Graduate Sustainability Certificate Program
· Encourage and facilitate multi-disciplinary research clusters
· Promote the integration of sustainability across the curriculum
· Identify and develop opportunities for securing external funding
· Develop and manage budget to support CSP2
· Enhance interaction and communication with external communities
regarding PSU’s strengths in sustainability
· Co-chair the PSU’s Sustainability Advisory Council, which advises on
academic and operational sustainability programs
· Maintain a scholarly research program in candidate’s area of expertise
· Advise graduate students as appropriate
There are limited teaching expectations of the Director, though
opportunities to engage in instruction as appropriate will be encouraged.
* *
*Search Process *
An interdisciplinary faculty group will conduct the search. Once
identified by the search committee, candidates also will be interviewed
by the academic department that is most appropriate to the candidates’
disciplinary expertise. The Director’s appointment will be shared
between the Center and the disciplinary home department. The position
will remain open until filled.
* *
*Applications *
Interested applicants are encouraged to send a letter of application, a
curriculum vita, and a list of at least three professional references.
Applicants should use the letter to describe their scholarly agenda, its
fit with one or more of PSU’s four focal areas, and should specifically
address their executive leadership experience, experience organizing and
leading activities with significant collaborative multidisciplinary
content, and experience working in concert with the community.
Applications must be emailed to Beth Lloyd (
minor@pdx.edu). For
additional information on the position and PSU’s investment plan, please
contact Dr. Jennifer Allen, Associate Director, Center for Sustainable
Processes and Practices, at
_jhallen@pdx.edu_.
Portland State University is a center of opportunity for more than
25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Portland, Oregon,
one of the nations’ most livable cities, the University’s innovative
approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with
field based experiences through internships and classroom projects with
community partners. The University’s 49 acre downtown campus exhibits
Portland State’s commitment to sustainability with several green
buildings and sustainability operations initiatives, while many of the
124 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability
into the curriculum. PSU’s motto, “Let Knowledge Serve the City,”
inspires the engaged approach teaching and research of an accomplished
faculty whose work and students span the globe. Portland State employees
receive an attractive and comprehensive benefits package.
/Portland State University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity
Institution and, in keeping with the President’s diversity initiative,
welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support
diversity./