Sarah Lawrence College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Environmental Social Sciences, beginning in Fall 2026. We seek candidates with a social science disciplinary background whose research and teaching bring social science perspectives to environmental issues and changes. Their work should examine aspects of the interconnectedness between political, cultural and social factors and environmental systems (the ecosystem, energy system, and/or climate system). We welcome candidates from all Environmental Social Science fields, but particularly those whose research and teaching interests fall in one or more of the following areas in a local, national and/or international context: sustainability/environmental planning and management; environmental law and policies; environmental justice; political ecology; environment and Indigenous societies; environmental and resource conflicts; social, political and/or cultural movements centered on environmental actions.

 

Tenure-track faculty will teach two courses in a seminar or lecture format each semester. Seminar courses are typically capped at 15 students and include a seminar class (meeting two times per week) and mandatory meetings with individual students every other week to develop a semester-long independent project – conference work. Lecture courses, typically capped at 45 students, meet two times per week and include small group conference meetings every other week.

 

The successful candidate will be a highly effective teacher and mentor in multiple pedagogical settings with a diverse student body. They will coordinate their course offerings as part of a multidisciplinary social science faculty group, which currently consists of anthropology, economics, geography, politics, public policy, and sociology. They will also participate in the Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE), a campus-wide environment-focused collaborative initiative involving faculty and students in multiple disciplines. To learn more about SLICE, please visit https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/slice/. There are also opportunities to work with the Center for the Urban River at Beczak and local community partners. 
Applications should include the following: cover letter; curriculum vitae; statement of teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness; two course proposals relevant to the position (preferably one at an intro-/lower level and one at an intermediate/upper level); a writing sample;  Ph.D. transcripts; and three letters of recommendation.

Compensation listed for this position is for a full-time tenure-track faculty position and will be contingent on teaching experience.

Candidates are expected to have a Ph.D. degree in an environmental social science discipline in hand or have fulfilled all degree requirements by the start of the appointment. The successful candidate should demonstrate excellent ability to teach environmental social science courses at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels, produce high-quality scholarly work, engage and supervise undergraduate student research, and contribute to the overall intellectual growth of the college in an interdisciplinary community.

Experience and ability of teaching and research in a liberal arts environment.

Review of applications will begin on Friday September 26th, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.