GIST Lecturer (Mt Ida Campus)

About UMass Amherst - Mount Ida Campus

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst is located in Newton, MA adjacent to the Newton-Needham Innovation District, and the tech-focused Route 128 corridor. At Mount Ida, UMass Amherst offers an array of experiential learning opportunities to its undergraduate students, as well as a growing number of graduate and professional degree programs. The campus is growing its undergraduate career development programs with expanded access to internships and co-ops in the thriving Greater Boston area.

Job Summary

The University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a calendar year (12-month), lecturer position in Geographic Information Science and Technology at its Boston-area Mt. Ida Campus. We seek a geographer with expertise in one or more of the following areas: CyberGIS, cartography and geovisualization, spatial database design and implementation, geocomputation, big data analytics, and/or spatial modeling and analysis. Successful candidates will be able to teach courses in those areas as well as WebGIS, GIS Programming, and other courses in their specialty.

Competitive candidates will have a strong passion for teaching technical GIS courses with interests in designing state-of-the-art courses and curriculum to prepare learners for 21st century GIS applications and careers. The ability to collaborate with other instructors on building holistic and relevant GIS coursework is a priority for this position. Applicants should be able to demonstrate skills in designing inclusive, accessible, and equitable courses, as well as courses delivered in flexible format that combine in-class, online, teleconferenced, Zoom, synchronous, and asynchronous hybrid designs. Designing courses for summer and winter sessions serving students' needs is also a priority.

The Mt. Ida-based GIST lecturer is a member of the UMass-Amherst Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences, a core faculty member in the MS Geography - GIST program, and a valued addition to the new UMass community in Newton. The lecturer will deliver coursework in diverse modalities, with evening, summer, hybrid, and online courses possible methods of delivery. Further, this lecturer will help develop and design future degree programs, certificates, and coursework to serve UMass students and the greater Boston area in geospatial technologies. We encourage and will support the lecturer in seeking research and outreach opportunities concerning GIS and GIS education, as well as building connections with local industries, governments, non-profits, and other educational entities.

As a member of the faculty, the Mt. Ida-based GIST lecturer will have service responsibilities supporting the administration of the MS Geography - GIST program, which may include student advising and recruitment, curriculum design, and other work in support of the program, in addition to service to the department, college, and university.

Although based at the Mt. Ida campus, the GIST lecturer will be welcome to attend meetings and events at the Amherst campus and will be provided office space as needed in Amherst in addition to space at the Mt. Ida campus.

The UMass Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences is a multi-disciplinary department that spans the physical and social sciences. Our teaching, research, and outreach are cutting edge and socially relevant. In addition to academic degree programs (BA-BS-MS-PhD) we host research and outreach organizations including the Climate System Research Center, the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the World Climate Research Program's Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Project Office, the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge (CBIKS), and the Massachusetts Geological Survey. Many of our faculty serve in national and international leadership roles in professional organizations.

Other Functions

• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality and inclusiveness.
• Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean's strategic priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master's degree in geography or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• PhD in geography or a related field.
• Demonstrated skills in designing inclusive, accessible, and equitable courses, as well as courses delivered in-class, online, teleconferenced, and with synchronous/asynchronous hybrid designs are also highly desirable.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday.

Salary Information

• Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with your application, please submit a letter of application, resume, a statement of diversity (see below), and contact information for three (3) professional references. Apply by February 1, 2024 in order to ensure priority consideration. The search may remain open until a suitable candidate has been identified.

As part of a commitment to their own multicultural community, CNS seeks an individual with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and one who will understand and embrace university initiatives and aspirations. In addition to application materials above, candidates will need to submit a Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Diversity Statement should identify past experiences and future goals. These contributions may result from lived experiences, scholarships, and/or mentoring, teaching, and outreach activities. ( )

The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University's goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual's record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.