Title Assistant Professor (Ocean Governance and Marine Resources)

Hiring Unit: College of Arts, Languages & Letters

Location: Department of Pacific Island Studies

Date Posted: November 7, 2023

Closing Date: Continuous - application review begins January 15, 2024

Salary Information: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Monthly Type: 9 Month 

Tenure Track: Tenure

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Temporary/Permanent: Permanent

Funding: General Funds

The Department of Pacific Island Studies in the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UHM) invites applicants for a 9-month, tenure-track, full-time assistant professorship, to begin Fall 2024, pending availability of funds. We are looking for a collegial and talented colleague whose teaching, research, and scholarship will be centered on subtropical and tropical fisheries of the Pacific, with a demonstrated expertise in Marine Policy and Ocean Governance bearing on the diverse dynamics and concerns surrounding Fisheries in the Pacific Islands region of Oceania. Special consideration will be given to candidates whose work engages with relevant issues through an Indigenous, place-based, or regional lens. UHM is a leading institution for the study of the Pacific Islands and Oceania, and the Department of Pacific Island Studies is committed to providing students with an interdisciplinary, holistic understanding of the region. 

This position is part of a series of coordinated hires across multiple schools and colleges at UHM. Island nations across the Pacific are faced with increasing challenges in managing marine and coastal resources stemming from globalization, growing demand, changes in governance systems, and the impact of climate crisis. A broad understanding of the ecological, social, cultural, economic, governance, and policy dimensions of these often data-poor fisheries is required to develop creative and effective management strategies and policy options that can ensure the longevity of fisheries and the benefits they provide to people.

To address the sustainability of tropical island and ocean fisheries, initial positions at UHM are located in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, the Department of Oceanography, the Sea Grant Grant College Program, and the Department of Pacific Island Studies. In addition to research activities, all four faculty will be expected to contribute to the creation and instruction of a new accredited graduate degree in fisheries to serve the needs of Hawai‘i and the Pacific region. It is envisioned that this program will have multiple tracks to accommodate foci in both the natural and social science components of the field. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and teach four Pacific Islands Studies courses per year based on the needs of the department;
• Advise undergraduate and graduate students; 
• Serve on graduate committees;
• Maintain an active agenda of scholarly research and publication;
• Participate in the UHM fisheries collaborative program-building, and other service work for the department, college, university, and the academic community;
• Work collaboratively and collegially with diverse groups of students, faculty, and community in collaboration with the Center for Pacific Islands Studies;
• Other duties as assigned by the Chair.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Earned PhD in the natural or social sciences, Pacific Studies, or related interdisciplinary field with emphasis on ocean governance, marine resources, and Pacific fisheries from a college or university of recognized standing (ABDs will be considered, all requirements for doctoral degree must be completed by August 2024);
2. Demonstrated expertise in a Pacific Islands language and evidence of active research agenda in the Pacific Islands of Oceania; 
3. Ability to develop and teach innovative interdisciplinary courses at the undergraduate and graduate level courses relevant to environmental humanities and environmental justice concerns confronting Pacific Islander communities from local to national to regional scale;
4. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collegially with students, faculty, staff and administration, and community populations;
5. Demonstrated commitment to community outreach and engagement.

Desirable Qualifications

1. Demonstrated research that centers environmental humanities and environmental justice issues relevant to understanding contemporary dynamics in Oceania with a sensitivity to scholarly currents in Pacific Studies and intersectional challenges (including diaspora, mobility and migration, sea level rise, climate change, environmental degradation, marine and terrestrial pollution, biodiversity loss, among others) through place-based or Indigenous lens;

2. Expertise in policy- or governance-relevant areas of research and/or experience engaging with fisheries practitioners;

3. Demonstrated ability to support the university’s mission of diversity, equity and inclusion.

To Apply:

Click on the “Apply” button on the top right corner of the screen to complete an application and attach the following required documents:

1. Cover letter describing experience and qualifications;

2. CV;

3. Academic transcripts showing the highest degree received (copies are acceptable but official transcripts are required at the time of hire);

4. Teaching statement (1-2 pages, including a concise summary of teaching evaluations if available);

5. Research statement (1-2 pages); 

6. Statement that summarizes evidence of engagement with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through research, teaching, and/or service (1-2 pages); 

7. Three confidential letters of recommendation should be emailed directly by the letter writers to Jennifer Mercado at jm8@hawaii.edu. Please let your references know to submit the letters directly; invitations/links will not be sent.

Additional materials (e.g., teaching samples, published work) may be requested at a later date.

Review of applications will begin January 15, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Inquiries: Department Chair, Alexander Mawyer or 1.808.956.2670

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, marital status, breastfeeding, income assignment for child support, arrest and court record (except as permissible under State law), sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, national guard absence, or status as a covered veteran. For more information or inquiries regarding these policies, please refer to the following link: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/eeo-coordinators/
Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.
In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.
Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/