Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics and Sustainability

Overview

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

About Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.

2. We strive for excellence.

3. We thrive on diversity.

4. We celebrate collaboration.

5. We champion innovation.

6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.

7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.

8. We act ethically.

9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

About the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs

Founded in 1990, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is dedicated to educating the next generation of scholars and practitioners on approaches to tackling real-world problems to advance the global human condition. As one of the first professional schools of international affairs situated at major technological institute, we provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary, multi-method, and flexible undergraduate and graduate social science programming at the nexus of science and technology, with special attention to strategic, political economy, and comparative political perspectives on international security, global development, and governance.

Atlanta, GA

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty position in Comparative Politics with a focus on environmental sustainability with a preference for regional expertise in Asian (especially Japan or India) or African regional politics. Scholars are strongly encouraged to apply who bring a comparative political perspective to issues such as energy, the environment, natural resource management or infrastructure resilience. The start date for the position could be either August 2025 or August 2026. Applicants should show promise or evidence of outstanding scholarly achievement, exceptional commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels and have an interest in contributing to the advancement of the intellectual community and related outreach efforts. The position will contribute to enhancing the Nunn School's programming in areas of growing interest across campus such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, resilience, peace engineering, environmental security, and innovation.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the teaching and mentoring of students. For further details and to submit an application, please click here.

Teaching:

• Demonstrate exceptional commitment to teaching.
• Contribute to undergraduate and graduate programs in Comparative Politics and/or Global Development.
• Develop and teach courses in Comparative Politics as well as courses on topics related to technology and sustainability, UN Sustainable Development Goals, Environmental Politics, and/or the regional politics of Asia or Africa.
• Deliver courses that integrate perspectives from political science, economics, sociology, and/or other interdisciplinary backgrounds.

Research:

• Conduct outstanding scholarly research in the field of Comparative Politics.
• Show promise or evidence of outstanding scholarly achievement.
• Publish research findings in reputable academic journals.
• Develop a strong research agenda aligned with the goals of the Nunn School
• Contribute to the advancement of the intellectual community through research activities.

Service and Outreach:

• Contribute to the advancement of the intellectual community and related outreach efforts.
• Engage in service activities within the department, university, and broader academic community.
• Participate in related outreach efforts to enhance the visibility and impact of the various programs of the Nunn School.
• Collaborate with other faculty members and departments on interdisciplinary projects and initiatives.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration:

• Collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and expertise within the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and across other relevant departments and schools at Georgia Tech.
• Contribute to joint degree programs with other schools, such as Modern Languages, Economics, and City and Regional Planning.
• Foster interdisciplinary approaches to teaching, research, and outreach activities.

Professional Development:

• Stay current with developments in the field of Comparative Politics, including emerging trends, methodologies, and best practices.
• Pursue opportunities for professional development and growth, such as attending conferences and workshops.
• Mentor and advise graduate students in their academic and research pursuits.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Fulfill administrative duties as assigned by the department or university leadership.
• Participate in faculty meetings, committees, and other departmental activities as needed.

Applicants must have an earned doctorate by the start of the appointment. The degree should be in a relevant field such as International Affairs, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, or a related interdisciplinary area.

Student Success Criteria

• The ability to teach and mentor a distinct student body.
• The ability to promote a welcoming educational/work environment.
• The ability to mentor and assist students interested in pursuing graduate education.
• The ability to design and teach curricula that are responsive to a distinct student body.

Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, a description of teaching interests as well as their advising/mentoring philosophy, examples of scholarly work and the names and contact information for at least three references.

The application requirements for the Assistant Professor position in Comparative Politics at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology, are as follows:

1. Letter of Interest: A letter explaining your interest in the position, your qualifications, and your vision for contributing to the interdisciplinary Global Development Program.
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV): A comprehensive academic resume detailing your education, research experience, publications, presentations, teaching experience, and any other relevant professional experience.
3. Statement of Research Interests: A document outlining your research interests, areas of expertise, research agenda, and any ongoing or planned research projects.
4. Description of Teaching Interests and Philosophy: A document discussing your teaching interests, approaches to teaching, teaching philosophy, and any innovative teaching methods you plan to implement.
5. Examples of Scholarly Work: Samples of your scholarly work, such as published articles, book chapters, conference papers, or other relevant academic materials.
6. List of three professional references.

The deadline for full consideration is April 1^st and review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

For technical questions regarding application submission or other administrative topics, please contact Allyson Tant, Administrative Manager II, allyson.tant@gatech.edu.

Applicants should direct any remaining inquiries to Dr. Vicki Birchfield Search Committee Chair, at vicki.birchfield@inta.gatech.edu.

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

More information on these policies can be found here: https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/c2714 Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).

The candidate of choice will be required to pass a pre-employment background screening. http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/pre-employment-screening.