Irvine, CA

Position Title: Academic Coordinator II for UCI CLIMATE Justice Initiative

Organization: University of California, Irvine

Location: Irvine, CA

Organization Overview: UCI’s CLIMATE Justice Initiative aims to culturally transform the geosciences through multidirectional programming that brings on-the ground challenges of environmental justice and sustainability into the heart of geoscience research and education. The specific project objectives are to: 1) Train and empower postbaccalaureate and PhD students from historically marginalized communities to pursue graduate education and careers related to climate change, 2) Increase participation of scientists from traditional STEM disciplines in environmental justice and community-engaged research, 3) Build strong cross-disciplinary collaborations between geoscientists and experts from other fields, such as social science, 4) Develop equitable partnerships with community-based organizations, and 5) Transform the culture of geoscience by building a learning ecosystem that spans traditional institutional, disciplinary, and hierarchical boundaries. The project is funded through the US National Science Foundation’s Cultural Transformation in the Geoscience Community program.

The Department of Earth System Science (ESS), founded in 1995, is the first US university department dedicated to understanding the Earth as a coupled system. Current departmental research focuses on environmental and climate science, including biogeochemistry of the land, ocean and atmosphere; climate dynamics; atmospheric science; ecosystems; glaciology and cryosphere science; and human systems. The ESS mission is to contribute through research and teaching to a fundamental scientific understanding of the Earth as a coupled system, to train the next generation of Earth scientists, and to inform and educate policy makers and the public-at-large. They envision a society that understands the impact of human activities on the global environment and the interactions within the Earth system that preserve the habitability of the planet. Inclusive Excellence is a core value of the Department of Earth System Science and they aim to foster a positive, inclusive, and healthy climate for all of their departmental members.

The Research Justice Shop (RJS), co-founded in 2018, seeks to transform research practices to be more inclusive by facilitating equitable collaboration between the university and the communities most impacted by their collective social and environmental problems. As such, the RJS contributes to UC Irvine’s aspiration to be a Minority Thriving Institution, a great partner to Orange County’s diverse communities, and at the forefront of interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research. RJS trains individuals and organizations in research justice and community-based research methods; they consult on and implement community engagement strategies and conduct research projects that use community-based research methods such as participatory action research and photovoice; they also study community-campus partnerships and the pedagogy of engaged scholarship.

Position Overview:  The Department of Earth System Science (ESS) at the University of California, Irvine seeks an Academic Coordinator for a new initiative to develop a Cultural, Learning, and Institutional Model to Accelerate Transformations for Environmental Justice (CLIMATE Justice). The Academic Coordinator will collaboratively vision, plan, implement, evaluate, and operate their postbaccaulaureate and graduate fellow education and training programs and coordinate with UCI faculty, staff, students, and community partners, with the goal of building a CLIMATE Justice learning ecosystem.

Duties: 

• Establish strategic plans and objectives in partnership with the CLIMATE Justice Steering Committee, Community Research Board, and External Advisory Board.
• Contribute to CLIMATE Justice curriculum design and implementation.
• Organize recruitment and selection of CLIMATE Justice fellows.
• Provide inclusive pedagogy and mentorship resources for faculty, students, and staff.
• Strategize on retention, persistence, and success by using empirical research, best practices, and emergent data on program participants.
• Design and implement programs, workshops, and events for the CLIMATE Justice initiative (e.g. annual research symposium, professional development workshops, research seminars, community-building activities, networked mentorship program).
• Help build and sustain connections with STEM professionals in public agencies, non-profits, industry, and/or academia to provide professional development, training, and career opportunities, for program participants
• Help build and sustain equitable partnerships with community-based organizations
• Represent the CLIMATE Justice initiative in school and campus-wide committees focused on environmental justice, climate change, outreach, community-engagement, and education.
• Help build and sustain partnerships with other campus units to develop the UCI CLIMATE Justice learning ecosystem.
• Prepare and submit external funding proposals that will support CLIMATE Justice initiative goals
• Implement reporting structures to capture relevant data for CLIMATE Justice assessment
• Conduct empirical research and publish results on CLIMATE Justice initiative outcomes
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis to inform programmatic efforts

Qualifications:

Start/End Dates: Flexible, Spring. 1-4+ years appointment.

Salary/Pay: $74,896 – $ 145,892

Application Deadline: Next review date: April 10. Open until May 31.

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.