CSP2 Director - Position, Candidate Profile, and Qualifications

As part of Portland State’s continuing investment in research, teaching and academic 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.

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

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. Interested applicants should refer to the 2008 Sustainability Report: Informing the Sustainability Investment Plan 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 at 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.