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The Office of Research is conducting a search for the Director of the Institute of the Environment. This position, open to tenured members of the UC Davis Academic Senate at the advanced Associate or Full Professor level, will be appointed for 5 years at 50% time. With the possibility of reappointment after administrative review.

The Institute of the Environment (IE) is an Organized Research Unit within the Office of Research, fostering environmental research that transcends disciplinary boundaries across Departments and Colleges. As an ORU, IE is expected to be a campus flagship for environmental research, addressing complex interdisciplinary research challenges that cannot be effectively accomplished within a single academic unit.

The Director of the Institute will provide leadership, vision, and advocacy for several unique established centers within the Institute, while also expanding and seeding new activities in relevant research areas linked to climate science and environmental research more broadly. The Director will foster collaboration and develop comprehensive strategies to address environmental and health challenges.

The Director will both sustain and nurture existing partnerships and lead efforts to develop new connections between campus researchers and with external partners in government, academia, NGOs, and corporations. Within the UC Davis community, the Director will lead environmental research and outreach programs that may attract faculty from a broad range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, biological, chemical, and physical sciences, environmental science and engineering, and both animal and human health sciences. The Director will work to keep UC Davis at the international forefront of environmental research.

The mission of the Institute is to discover, research, and help resolve pressing environmental and health challenges linked to environmental factors. The Institute strives to address major environmental challenges, from climate change mitigation and adaptation, to environmental justice, through innovative research, education, and outreach. It serves as the hub for faculty and researchers to convene, conduct cross-disciplinary, cutting-edge research, engage with and inform policymakers, provide hands-on, experiential education, and work with undergraduate and graduate students who will become future environmental leaders.

The UC Davis Institute of the Environment is more than a research institute — it is an interdisciplinary home driving transformative change through innovation and equity. By integrating applied research, interdisciplinary scholarship, and community engagement, IE transforms knowledge into action to create a resilient future. As the home of major environmental research centers such as the Center for Watershed Sciences, Center for Health and the Environment, and the UC Davis Natural Reserve System, IE serves as a champion and advocate for its sub-units. It works to amplify the impact of research, education, public outreach, programs, initiatives, and partnerships across units. The Institute manages, on average, $70 million in grants per year and contributes more than 1,000 publications. The Institute is also the home to many initiatives; serves as home to multiple self-supporting service units, and supports the Master of Science Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed E-journal, the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, and a Graduate Scholars Program, which provides small awards to student environmental researchers and helps to train future environmental leaders.

Further information can be found at:
IE Director Scope of Work

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. However, for full consideration, please submit your application by May 4, 2026. Please submit the following electronically at [https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07576]:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research (about 2 pages)
• Statement of Teaching and Mentorship (optional, about 2 pages)
• Statement of past administrative experience and vision for IE (about 2 pages)
• Authorization to Release Information

For informal discussions on any aspect of the position or your potential application, please contact Office of Research; HR Analyst Satti Kaur at satkaur@ucdavis.edu

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state for federal law.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400.

UC Davis is also a national leader in inclusive practice. There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.