Visiting Assistant Professor (Coastal Engineering)

University of Massachusetts Boston; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Massachusetts Boston is seeking a Visiting Assistant Professor in Coastal Engineering to teach in environmental sciences and advance coastal engineering research at the Stone Living Lab. The role begins January 1, 2027 for one year with potential renewal, and involves coordinating across the School for the Environment and related programs.

The candidate will contribute to research informing planning, policy, and climate adaptation, mentor students across BA/BS/MS/PhD programs, and

Qualifications

• PhD in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or related field by the start date.
• Demonstrated expertise in measurement/interpretation of coastal processes and coastal engineering.
• Experience teaching/TAing in relevant courses; PE licensure or eligibility.
• Experience planning, designing, implementing, or evaluating coastal engineering projects and nature-based infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Teach one class per semester across Environmental Studies and Sustainability programs.
• Mentor students in BA/BS/MS/PhD tracks and engage in scholarly activities.
• Lead interdisciplinary Stone Living Lab research projects and contribute to publications.
• Develop translational outputs including reports, datasets, and decision-support tools.

Skills

Coastal engineering

Teaching

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Mentoring

Education

PhD in Coastal Engineering

PE licensure or eligibility

Job description

Job no: 530360

Position Type: Faculty Full Time

Campus: UMass Boston

Department: Environ Sci & Sustainability

Pay Grade: No Pay Grade

Date opened: 16 Oct 2026 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close:

The School for the Environment seeks a full-time non-tenure track position as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Coastal Engineering to contribute to teaching in the environmental sciences and research in coastal engineering to begin January 1, 2027. The position is for one year with a potential for a second-year contingent upon performance and funding. This position offers an opportunity to work at the interface of engineering, ecology, and applied coastal management, contributing to research that directly informs planning, policy, and implementation in Boston Harbor and beyond. The candidate will be expected to make significant contributions in the field of coastal engineering for the Stone Living Lab. The teaching load is one class per semester, and the candidate will be expected to mentor students across the Environmental Studies and Sustainability BA and/or Environmental Science BS, MS and PhD programs. The candidate will be expected to contribute to the research program in the Stone Living Lab with a focus on coastal processes, flooding from e.g. storm surges, wave overtopping etc., nature-based/hybrid infrastructure and climate adaptation. The Visting Assistant Professor will be expected to contribute to and help lead interdisciplinary Stone Living Lab research projects and produce peer-reviewed publications and collaborate on translational outputs including reports, datasets and decision-support tools. The candidate will be expected to participate in relevant Stone Living Lab working groups and committees and serve on committees within the university and develop strong engaged scholarship with their scientific community.

The candidate must have a PhD in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or a related field by the start date of appointment. Demonstrated expertise in measurement/interpretation of coastal processes and coastal engineering. Experience applying coastal engineering principles to real-world challenges involving coastal flooding, shoreline change, nature-based infrastructure, and climate adaptation. Evidence of interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and publication. Experience teaching/TAing in relevant courses. Professional engineering licensure (PE) or eligibility for licensure. Experience planning, designing, implementing, monitoring, or evaluating coastal engineering or nature-based infrastructure projects.

UMass Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, whose impact is both local and global. We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minority communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who celebrate the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

The School for the Environment's (SFE) mission is to examine the natural world and explore diverse challenges in natural, built, and social environments, as well as the intersections among them. Using transdisciplinary and equity-informed approaches to research, teaching, and action, we expand environmental knowledge and understanding and create cutting-edge transdisciplinary solutions to environmental and social problems in Boston and beyond. SFE faculty support undergraduate (environmental science, environmental studies), master's and PhD programs (environmental science, marine science and technology).

The Stone Living Lab (SLL) is a research center in the School for the Environment focused on testing and scaling up nature-based approaches to climate adaptation in Boston Harbor and beyond. The Lab is a unique partnership including government agencies and nonprofits: UMass Boston School for the Environment, Boston Harbor Now, the City of Boston, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, the National Park Service, and the Massachusetts Tribe at Ponkapoag. As a "Living Lab," SLL brings research into the real world by engaging scientists and the community in collaborative design and exploration.

Review of candidates will begin as soon as possible.

UMass Boston expects to pay within an approximate range between $70,000 and $90,000 for this position.

The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on the consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend an offer of employment.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, wewill ensure that persons withdisabilitiesare provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [e-mail] or 617-287-5150.

UMass Boston does not provide visa sponsorships for non-academic positions.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

The University of Massachusetts Boston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, genetic information, pregnancy or a pregnancy-related condition, or membership in any other legally protected class. The University of Massachusetts Boston complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the university operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

The University of Massachusetts Boston is committed to providing a safe and secure environment that is supported by qualified employees for all of its students, faculty and staff to carry out the University's teaching, research and public service missions. As a condition of employment, the University will conduct appropriate background check reviews. For more information, please see the University of Massachusetts Boston campus policy and procedures for employee background reviews.