Description
Associate or Full Professor,
Climate Justice and Energy Policy
Urban and Environmental Policy Department
POSITION SUMMARY
The Urban and Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College invites applications for Associate or
Full Professor of Climate and Energy Policy with appointment to begin Fall 2027.
The Urban and Environmental Policy Department is searching for an Associate/Full Professor in the field of
Climate Justice and Energy Policy. We seek a broadly trained community-engaged social scientist whose
research and teaching is situated in the political economy and policy context for climate change, energy, and
sustainability. Candidates should have demonstrated experience working and thinking across
interdisciplinary theory, methods, and applied and community-engaged approaches in teaching and
research related to the political ecology of climate change and energy and be able to teach the following:
Environment and Society (UEP 101), Environmental Law and Policy (UEP 300), the Senior Policy Seminar (UEP
410), as well as elective courses in climate and energy. Our new colleague will help our students diagnose
root causes of the global climate crisis, think both locally and globally about the climate crisis, and, just as
importantly, outline solutions and work with community partners to bring about real-world change.
We are looking for a colleague who understands the obstacles to addressing the climate emergency as
not just environmental but also political and economic, and who can mentor students in becoming
advocates for climate justice. We are particularly interested in a colleague who can teach courses that
would meet Core requirements and that relate to the city and communities of Los Angeles. As
necessary, the new hire may contribute to the First Year Seminar program (which focuses on writing),
mentor undergraduate researchers in Oxy’s renowned Summer Research Program, engage with the
Urban & Environmental Policy Institute’s programs, including the Center for Community Food and
Resilience and the Justice Summer Internship program. The new hire will have an active research
agenda, producing scholarship commensurate with rank, and will participate in the life and
development of the department, advise students, and serve on broader college-wide committees.
Our department is unique in that it integrates environmental and urban studies, recognizing that
environmental and urban policy and solutions are inextricably related. Our students are drawn to our
department because they want to understand e how the climate crisis is exacerbating inequality, how it
has crossed multiple tipping points, and how to achieve climate justice. Our students are also attracted
to our interdisciplinary and applied curriculum that offers opportunities for research, internships, and
community-engaged learning. UEP students gain skills in analytic and critical thinking, writing, research,
and community organizing that they successfully translate into graduate studies and careers. Our
students are routinely accepted into top graduate school programs in public policy, law, public health,
social work, urban planning, environmental and sustainability studies including UCLA, Columbia
University, UC Berkeley, Harvard, NYU, and USC. Our interdisciplinary major has also led some of our
students to other academic and career paths, including medical school and programs in theology.
Our faculty are committed teacher-scholars who bring critical inquiry and discovery into the classroom.
The UEP curriculum provides our students with classroom learning as well as field experience with our
community partners that addresses understanding the root causes of social injustice and inequality while
training students as thought and application leaders for social justice, public service, and public policy.
Our curriculum directly aligns with the Occidental Promise, the College’s strategic plan.
Our faculty establish themselves as exceptional researchers and practitioners in their fields. And they
provide departmental and college-wide service, as well as service to their professions. Our new colleague
will fill our department gaps while expanding our translocal and transnational connections, engaging
policymakers, leveraging professional visibility to the department, impacting policy debates, and
expanding internship and professional networks for our students.
As a small institution with a commitment to Shared Governance, faculty across the College collaborate in
maintaining the excellence of the College’ academic program.
Located within the vibrant city of Los Angeles, Occidental is committed to community-engaged partnerships
for learning and research. Occidental is also committed to undergraduate research, regularly mentoring
students in Occidental’s hallmark summer research program. For decades, Occidental has been a leader in
creating access for a diverse student body. That diversity enriches the education of all students. We seek an
innovative teacher, scholar, mentor, and colleague who wishes to work in such an environment and who
shares the commitments articulated in the mission of the College.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
Candidates will hold the Ph.D. degree or terminal degree in their field.
Demonstrated leadership and contribution to departmental planning, cross departmental
collaboration, and College initiatives. This includes:
o Experience in departmental leadership and management responsibilities (e.g., curricular
development, annual assessment, long-term departmental planning, creativity with
resource management and organization, etc.).
o Experience and success in working collaboratively with colleagues from different
departments, administration, and other campus constituencies.
o Ability to support, manage, and evaluate departmental personnel (e.g., department staff,
tenure-track faculty, and non-tenure-track faculty).
o Willingness and ability to organize and participate in programming, events, exhibitions.
Our ideal candidate will be an effective and engaged teacher-scholar able to inspire and teach our
students to understand and use various methods to understand race, place, poverty, and
inequality in the context of a global political economy and inform practical solutions at the
community, local, state, national, and global levels. Our new colleague will have:
o Experience and interest in teaching elective courses focused on climate justice and energy
policy.
o The ability to teach several required courses: Environment and Society (UEP 101),
Environmental Law and Policy (UEP 300), and the Senior Policy Seminar (UEP 410). A list of
the most current syllabi is here.
o A clear pedagogical approach and a demonstrated record of effective teaching and
advising, particularly teaching and mentoring underrepresented and historically
marginalized students
o Experience in applied and/or community-based research.
o A strong record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate to the level of appointment.
o A clearly articulated research agenda and commitment to involving and mentoring
undergraduate researchers.
o An expressed interest and commitment to teaching in an urban liberal arts college located
in Los Angeles.
Preferred Qualifications
Willingness and ability to teach community-engaged courses.
SALARY
EXPECTED SALARY RANGE (for Academic Year, Nine-month Appointment):
- If hired at Associate rank: $103,000 - $116,000
- If hired at Full rank: $120,000 - $145,000
If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be
determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition
to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among
current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is
the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to
allow for future and continued salary growth.
APPLICATION DEADLINE & INSTRUCTIONS
To be assured full consideration your application materials must be received by midnight Eastern time (9:00
pm Pacific time) on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Applicants must submit a complete application package electronically via Interfolio to be considered by the
search committee. https://apply.interfolio.com/191604
A complete application includes all of the following:
- Cover Letter that describes the education, experience, and/or skills you possess that are relevant to
the Required and Preferred Qualifications listed above. - CV
- Teaching Philosophy/Statement. Please include pedagogical innovations and demonstrated
commitment to creating equitable learning opportunities and inclusive pedagogies for a diverse
student body. - Research Statement.
- Names and email addresses of three references (letters will be solicited if candidates advance;
please do not submit letters in your initial application).
If you have any questions about the position, the application materials, or the application instructions, please
contact: UEP Search Committee/Department Chair Martha Matsuoka at matsuoka@oxy.edu or call (323) 259-
2971. If you have questions about Interfolio or the application process, please contact the Academic Support
Administrator, Beatrice Gonzales, at facultysearch@oxy.edu.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or
applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital
status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military
and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly
committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an
inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive.
Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and
experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from
groups that are underrepresented in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that
includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse,
domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For
a detailed description of benefits: https: //www.oxy.edu/offices-services/humanresources/benefitsinformation
All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner
consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair
Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with
qualifying disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the
application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).
As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires
that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they
have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check,
along with pre-employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only
as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring
Ordinance
