College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

 

MTU attracts world-class faculty, staff, and students committed to advancing a sustainable future through innovative research, education, and outreach addressing real-world challenges. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, MTU offers access to diverse natural environments that enable hands-on learning, field research, and outdoor adventure, fostering a one-of-a-kind and immersive experience for students and faculty alike. Applicants who are committed to promoting a learning environment based on respect for all and academic excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

 

The successful candidate will establish and lead a world-class research program in their area of expertise related to Environmental Data Science, mentoring graduate students and conducting impactful research. The candidate will teach classes that contribute to a new B.S. degree in Environmental Data Science (EDS) including introductory and senior EDS courses, as well as other courses in the candidate’s area of expertise. Responsibilities also include participating in service to the department, university, and broader academic community.

 

 

A Ph.D. in a field related to environmental data science, biostatistics, or similar disciplines.

 

 

Evidence of scholarly productivity, commensurate with the candidate’s experience level, with a research emphasis related to environmental data science and the potential to generate external grant funding for this work.

 

 

Experience teaching undergraduate courses as the lead instructor or as a teaching assistant.

 

Ability to mentor and engage undergraduate and graduate students across major disciplines within CFRES such as Forestry, Wildlife, Genetics, and Applied Ecology.

 

 

Demonstrated experience with R, Python, Julia and/or other programming languages used in data science.

 

 

Research specializations that complement existing strengths within CFRES, aligning with the diverse fields represented by our academic majors.

Strong written and oral communication skills that indicate potential for excellence in research and teaching.

Experience writing grant applications.

Strong foundation in quantitative methods and computational tools applied to natural or coupled human-natural systems. Relevant areas may include but are not limited to: Data science, informatics, or machine learning; Biostatistics; statistically or computationally intensive applications in forestry, ecology, or wildlife biology; Remote sensing, geospatial
science, or GIS.

Demonstrated success in working with people with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints.

 

Potential to support interdisciplinary research that is aligned with one of Michigan Tech’s Research Institutes and Centers designed to facilitate research, teaching, and mentoring collaborations across campus. Research Institutes include the Great Lakes Research Center, and the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems, and others. The Great Lakes Research Center houses research centers including the Ecosystem Science Center, and the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute.

 

 

 

The work environment is that of a typical office and/or classroom setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

 

 

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following four required pieces of training; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview
• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Training
• Annual Data Security Training
• Annual Title IX Training

 

Background Check:
Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Other Conditions of Employment:
The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. This is not an E-Verified Position.

 

 

1

 

 

Exempt

 

 

9 months

 

 

 

Dependent on experiance and qualifications

 

 

Internal & External

 

 

No

 

 

Applicants will need to upload the following documents:
● Curriculum Vitae
● Cover Letter
● Research Statement (approximately 2 pages)
● Teaching Statement (approximately 2 pages)
● Names and contact information for at least three references (this is part of the application)
● One or two top publications to which they have made significant contributions

 

We strongly encourage applicants to address the required and desired qualifications in their cover letter along with an explanation of how they will contribute to the Vision and Mission of Michigan Tech.

For full consideration, please apply by October 1, 2025.

 

 

Michigan Tech, ranked an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, attracts world-class faculty who enrich the educational experience of smart, motivated, and adventurous students. Applicants who are committed to promoting a learning environment for all are strongly encouraged to apply. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula adjacent to Lake Superior, the Houghton community offers a small-town environment with outstanding four-season recreational opportunities.

Michigan Tech recognizes the importance of supporting faculty members’ partners; candidates selected for on-campus interviews will be invited to bring a guest. Additional details on our Partner Engagement Program can be found at https://www.mtu.edu/provost/programs/partner-engagement/.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer, that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

For more information contact the search committee chair, Dr. Kristin Brzeski at kbrzeski@mtu.edu.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Other Conditions of Employment:

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of your appointment, and maintain eligibility without sponsorship throughout your appointment.

If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or accommodations during Michigan Tech’s hiring process please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or hr-help@mtu.edu.