Description

The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Political Science and Geography in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering and School of Architecture and Planning in the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Biology, Health and Environment in the College of Sciences, and Department of Finance in the Alvarez College of Business, invite applications at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, to be appointed as a University of Texas System (UT System) Research Excellence Regents' Professor. Successful candidates will be part of a strategic cluster hiring initiative focused on Weather Ready Texas, with an anticipated start date in the Fall of the 2026-27 academic year.

The University of Texas System approved the creation of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program across its four Emerging Research Universities (ERUs), including UT San Antonio. UT System has allocated funds across all four ERUs to fund the recruitment of research-active faculty to dramatically grow its national research prominence and federal funding opportunities. The university’s allocation from UT System translates to approximately 40 new faculty positions for new, mid- to senior-level faculty over the next several years who will add expertise in research areas that will enhance competitiveness, help solve societal needs, and advance the university’s capacity to meet UT System and state goals as outlined by the Texas Legislature.

UT San Antonio is utilizing our Clustered & Connected Hiring Program (CCP), which is designed to recruit and hire some of the best and brightest minds of varying backgrounds and experiences in select fields to UT San Antonio to join in efforts to address some of today’s most significant challenges.

For the Weather Ready Texas cluster, the five positions open are: 

• Remote Sensing of Weather Extremes (Dept of Political Science and Geography).
• Wildfire Scientist (Dept of Earth and Planetary Sciences/Dept of Biology, Health and Environment).
• Weather Resilient Transportation Systems (School of Architecture + Planning).
• Modeling and Prediction of Energy System Weather Resiliency (Dept of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering).
• Finance and Weather Resilience (Dept of Finance).

The University of Texas at San Antonio 

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a nationally recognized, top-tier public research university that unites the power of higher education, biomedical discovery and healthcare within one visionary institution. As the third-largest research university in Texas and a Carnegie R1-designated institution, UT San Antonio is a model of access and excellence — advancing knowledge, social mobility and public health across South Texas and beyond. UT San Antonio serves approximately 42,000 students in 320 academic programs spanning science, engineering, medicine, health, liberal arts, AI, cybersecurity, business, education and more. With 17,000 faculty and staff, UT San Antonio has also been recognized as a Top Employer in Texas by Forbes Magazine. 

College of Liberal and Fine Arts

UTSA’s most academically diverse college, the College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) contributes to the education of virtually every student at UTSA. In addition to exemplary teaching, the college produces quality research and creative works in the arts, humanities and social sciences. COFLA has exceptional faculty, drawn from outstanding institutions nationwide. Their academic interests are diverse and well balanced, with commitment to teaching and mentoring, research and creative achievements, and service to the university, their profession, and the community. The college has 175 tenured and tenure-track faculty, two endowed chairs, and two endowed professors.

Department of Political Science and Geography

With 22 full-time faculty and over 700 undergraduate and graduate students, the Department of Political Science and Geography is one of the largest in COLFA. The department is home to nationally and internationally recognized faculty who represent a wide variety of theoretical and methodological approaches within Political Science and Geography, teach and publish on topics central to the major fields of our two disciplines, and are among the most honored and highly rated classroom instructors at UTSA. The department offers four undergraduate programs: Geography and Environmental Sustainability, Global Affairs, Politics and Law, and Political Science. Our undergraduate programs in Geography and Environmental Sustainability and Political Science also have teaching tracks that allow students to receive a secondary social studies certification upon completion of the program. The department offers three graduate programs in Geography, Global Affairs, and Political Science.

Requirements

Position Summary

We seek a remote sensing scientist with expertise in transdisciplinary research focused on weather extremes. The scholar will have experience applying remote sensing to help monitor, predict, and/or recover from extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, or others. The successful candidate is expected to continue an externally funded research agenda, contribute to teaching in both the in person and online geography and environmental sustainability degree programs, and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations associated with the cluster hire.

Qualifications

• PhD in Geography, Geoinformatics, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science, or a closely related discipline
• Evidence of robust external funding that supports an interdisciplinary research agenda
• Experience with machine learning algorithms, object-based image analysis, GeoAI, and/or other quantitative approaches to monitor extreme weather events utilizing remote sensing platforms

 Application Procedure

To apply, applicants must upload the following in a single PDF document: 

• A current curriculum vitae
• Complete contact information for at least three professional references
• A research statement (2-page limit)
• A teaching statement (2-page limit)
• A statement highlighting potential areas for transdisciplinary collaboration (1-page limit)

The positions are open until filled but preference will be given to applications received by December 1, 2025.

For any questions or additional information, please contact Neil Debbage (Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Sustainability) at neil.debbage@utsa.edu.

This is a security-sensitive position. Employment is contingent upon a successful background check. Applicants selected must be able to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States at the time of hire. Tenure is contingent upon Board of Regents approval, and applicants must show a demonstrated commitment. This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.

Cluster Hiring Interview Process

The University of Texas at San Antonio aims to bring transdisciplinary and collaborative groups of faculty researchers to the university through its CCP program. As such, the on-campus interview for these positions will be conducted as a collaborative group interview, during which all on-campus candidates for a position will meet with UT San Antonio faculty and staff simultaneously. This collaborative process allows candidates to discuss potential research collaborations with fellow candidates and current university faculty. Additionally, each candidate will be given the chance to present their job talk and engage the faculty, staff and students from their discipline’s home department.

 Equal Employment Opportunity

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information, and veteran status. The University is committed to the Affirmative Action Program in compliance with all government requirements to ensure nondiscrimination.