Assistant Professor, Hydrologic Sciences

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); Reno (NV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Fitness center access

Tuition benefits

Job summary

University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a full-time, 9-month tenure-track faculty position in the hydrologic sciences at the rank of Assistant Professor, with a start date of July 1, 2027. PhD required by May 30, 2027 and a strong commitment to teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels will be essential.

The position encompasses both basic and applied research, with an emphasis on addressing water-related societal needs in Nevada.

Qualifications

• PhD in Geological Sciences, Geological Engineering or a closely related field by May 30, 2027.
• Commitment to undergraduate and graduate instruction and development of an externally-funded research program.
• Demonstrated ability to perform both basic and applied hydrologic research.

Responsibilities

• Develop and teach courses at undergraduate and graduate levels in hydrologic sciences.
• Establish and secure externally funded research programs.
• Collaborate with faculty across the DGSE and Nevada Geosciences to address societally relevant water problems.

Skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Graduate instruction

Education

PhD in Geological Sciences or Geological Engineering

Job description

Job Description

The Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering (DGSE) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) invites applications for a full-time, 9-month contract tenure-track faculty position in the hydrologic sciences, broadly defined, which could include a combination of groundwater hydrology (hydrogeology), hydrogeophysics, aqueous geochemistry, geothermal applications, mining hydrology, surface water hydrology, hydraulic engineering and civil engineering that focus on interactions with the natural environment, or other related fields. The position is at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027. Applicants must have a PhD at the time of appointment and demonstrate commitment to both undergraduate and graduate instruction as well as development and vision of an externally-funded program of research in their specialty. Given the pressing needs related to water that our society and Nevada currently face, we expect the hired faculty member will perform both basic and applied research. Building on strengths in field and lab-based teaching and research, the undergraduate and graduate programs offered by DGSE aim to train students to solve societally relevant problems from multi-disciplinary perspectives and to be technically proficient geoscientists for diverse industries.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, Geological Engineering or a closely related field by May 30, 2027.

Compensation

Grade Assistant Professor To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select (9-month contract) Academic Faculty. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Perks of working at UNR

• Health insurance options including dental and vision - Health Insurance
• Generous sick leave, life insurance, and long-term disability – Faculty Benefits
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers an annual or semester membership and family membership options.
• E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments.
• Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty.
• Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University.
• Faculty Senate
• No state income tax!
• Grants-in-aid for Faculty Employees The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents.
• Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate.
• Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.
• Faculty Grants-in-Aid Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs.
• We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada.
• Dual Career Assistance Program

Department Information

The Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering. is part of the dynamic Nevada Geosciences community housed within the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering (MSESE) within the College of Science. Nevada Geosciences also includes two state‑funded Earth Science units, the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory that participate in the Department’s teaching mission and graduate programs. Many faculty participate in the interdisciplinary Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. We offer BS degrees in Geology, Geophysics, Hydrogeology and Geological Engineering. We offer MS degrees in Geology, Geophysics, and Geological Engineering, and PhDs in Geology, Geophysics and Mineral Resource Engineering (joint with Mining). More information about the Department can be found at http://www.unr.edu/geology and the broader Nevada Geosciences program at https://www.unr.edu/nevada-geosciences.

Contact Information

Search Committee Chair: Scott McCoy at [e-mail]

Administrative Contact: Beth Jacobsen at (775) 682‑8787, [e-mail]

Full Consideration

For full consideration, applications must be received by November 1, 2026. This posting is open until filled. Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Posting Close Date Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire. HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment. References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process. Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E‑Verify. As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job‑related tasks. For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver’s license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment. Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land‑grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.” Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus.

The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land‑grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290‑acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early‑career faculty. Collaborating with world‑renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18‑month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry‑level software engineers by graduation. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state. Through its commitment to high‑impact education, world‑improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150‑year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world. The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience. Today, the University delivers on its original land‑grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education. For more information, please visit the University’s website.

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno is the state of Nevada’s leading public research university. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land‑grant university, the University serves more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.” Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been invested in advanced labs, facilities and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nevada, where education, research and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land‑grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a growing technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Founded where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the University’s beautiful, 290‑acre main campus is also a Nevada state arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure continues to expand, with the opening of the John Tulloch Business Building as well as the completion of a new state public health laboratory with groundbreaking for a life sciences building scheduled for 2027. The University has also invested in affordable housing for faculty and staff with its University Village, a series of fully renovated housing parcels located near campus. Collaborating with world‑renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple and Microsoft, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with a new devices and accessories. Through its commitment to high‑impact education, world‑improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150‑year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world. Just one example is how the University is leading the way in the nation’s effort to develop new, clean energy sources that will power the country’s future through its selection as one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs) through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. Nevada’s Tech Hub strengthens America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state. The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience. Today, the University delivers on its original land‑grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education. For more information, please visit the University’s website.

NSHE is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service‑connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

Center for Civil Rights & Equal Access Zeva Edmondson Director, Title IX Coordinator Center for Civil Rights and Equal Access 1664 N. Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557 [phone] [e-mail] The University of Nevada, Reno, does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that it operates. Non‑discrimination on the basis of sex is mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq.) and the corresponding implementation regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106). The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination in its education programs and activities extends to applicants for admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of these provisions may be referred to: Zeva Edmondson, Director, Title IX Coordinator, Center for Civil Rights and Equal Access, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Continuing Education Building, Room 206, m/s 158, Reno, Nevada 89557-0158, Telephone: [phone]; Email: [e-mail]; to The Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202‑1100; Telephone: [phone]‑3481 FAX: [phone]; TDD: 1-800-877-8339; Email: [e-mail]; or to both. Information pertaining to the University’s grievance procedures and grievance process, including how to report or file a complaint of sex discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the University will respond can be found here.

Additional Information

If you need any accommodations to complete an application, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail]. Si necesita alguna acomodación para completar una solicitud, comuníquese con Recursos Humanos en [e-mail]. Information regarding security, personal safety, fire safety, and crime statistics can be found at UNR's website. NSHE Employees are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan in lieu of Social Security. As a result, employment at NSHE may impact your Social Security benefits. Additional information is available at SSA 1945. Job postings are specific to the Nevada System of Higher Education.