Postdoctoral Associate in Urban Climate Mitigation and Adaptation

Overview

The Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University (Cornell AAP) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate as part of the center's High Impact Initiative on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.

We invite applications from candidates who will have completed their Ph.D. degree no earlier than September 1, 2018, in City Planning, Urban Studies, Urban Design, Architecture, Public Policy, Geography, or a field related to urban sustainability, climate adaptation, or environmental justice. The expected start date for this full-time position is July 1, 2024. As per university academic policy, the initial appointment will be for one year and is renewable up to 2 years, contingent on valid work authorization, available funds, and satisfactory performance.

The Postdoctoral Associate will have the opportunity to align with the most relevant academic department in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and teach one course per year subject to department needs. The Postdoctoral Associate will be a member of the host department and will be invited to participate in department activities and events.

About the College

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University (Cornell AAP) is home to nearly 1000 students, 120 faculty, and 65 staff members who come together from around the world to take up some of today's most urgent challenges and advance research, inquiry, and design to build a more just and sustainable future.

A vital college at one of the nation's foremost research universities, Cornell AAP bridges fields and faculty with five departments, 20 degree programs, 18 faculty-led labs, and the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities, a platform for building partnerships that make a positive impact in our cities and communities nationally and internationally.

Cornell AAP's departments include Architecture, Art, and Planning, as well as the new multicollege Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate, jointly led by the S.C. Johnson College of Business, and the multicollege Department of Design Tech, administered by Cornell AAP in partnership with Cornell Bowers CIS, Cornell Engineering, the Cornell Human Ecology, and Cornell Tech. The college is housed across three locations (Ithaca, New York; New York City; and Rome, Italy), each offering world-class facilities and cutting-edge technologies.

Cornell AAP is about acts of transformation. We are committed to building a caring, inclusive, and rigorous community around our shared priorities — Creative + Critical Practices, Sustainability + Social Impact, Design + Emerging Technologies, and the Future of Cities + Development — that enable us to reimagine and reshape the world in radically new ways, every day.

Qualifications

The scholar should have interest and experience in conducting research on urban climate change mitigation and adaptation. Cities concentrate people, wealth, and infrastructure, and, as a result, cities concentrate vulnerability to the growing risks posed by climate change. People who are already socially and/or economically marginalized, such as communities of color, families living in poverty, and the elderly, are particularly vulnerable to climate risks. In many cities, this is compounded by rising income inequality and unequal access to infrastructure and services.

The ideal scholar would be interested in analyzing climate change vulnerability data at the household level as well as measures of civil society and public sector capacities for climate change adaptation across New York City and in other locations where the center works. We seek a scholar who is comfortable working with faculty, students, public officials, and our civil society partners. The ideal candidate would have strong experience in some or all of the following areas: quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, geospatial data analysis, urban design, data visualization, and community engagement skills. The Postdoctoral Associate will work closely with the center Director and staff, AAP faculty associated with the initiative, and the center's strategic partners.

We seek applicants with a strong research capacity, the ability to assist with project management and administration tasks, and the ability to teach a course in one of AAP's academic departments. The Postdoctoral Associate is expected to spend approximately 50% their time working on their own research and teaching and 50% of their time supporting the center's Urban Climate Mitigation and Adaptation research and projects.

Presently, the center's work in this area focuses on New York City; however, there are existing international partnerships and room to expand the center work in this area to other geographic contexts. The Postdoctoral Associate is required to work in person on the Ithaca campus and should be available to travel to New York City and other locations up to 30% of the time. The starting salary for this position is $65,000 per year, a generous benefit package, a moving allowance, and up to $3,000 per year in research allowance.

Eligibility

Applicants must have received their Ph.D. degree no earlier than September 1, 2018. Applicants who will complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree (including filing the dissertation) before appointment are eligible to apply (in all cases before July 1, 2024). The completion date for the Ph.D. degree cannot in any circumstance be waived or extended.

Required Application Materials

• a letter of application, including discussion of how you research relates to urban climate mitigation and adaptation;
• a full curriculum vitae;
• a writing sample (of less than 30 pages);
• brief descriptions (200 word maximum for each) of 3 courses you are prepared to teach; and
• the names and contact information of three references.

Deadlines

Applications will be reviewed beginning March 1, 2024. Final applicants will be invited to campus to give a talk and in-person interviews. The expected start date for this full-time position is July 1, 2024. As per university academic policy, the initial appointment will be for one year and is renewable up to 2 years, contingent on valid work authorization, available funds, and satisfactory performance.

Benefits

$56,484–$80,000

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
• Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary).
• Unique applicable skills.

Questions and Additional Information

Questions about the position or the application process should be addressed to the Director of the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities at centerforcities@cornell.edu.