University of Michigan, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering

The Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP) at the University of Michigan invites applications and nominations for the position of Department Chair, starting as early as June 2025.
Our mission in CLaSP is to provide scientific, technological, and educational leadership in climate and space research to Michigan and the world. The CLaSP research agenda covers atmospheric science and meteorology, climate processes and impacts, the Earth’s space environment from the thermosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere to the Sun and the heliosphere, as well as planetary bodies, their surfaces, atmospheres, and magnetospheres.

CLaSP has 26 core faculty members (tenured and tenure-track), 30 research faculty, 16 affiliated faculty, 30 staff, over 50 undergraduates and 110 graduate students. We greatly value interdisciplinary collaborative relationships with faculty in other areas, leading to a large variety of joint and courtesy appointments. Our department faculty bring together forward-looking observational and computational capabilities for research, leading-edge technology, and the next generation of student scientists. We hold a significant research portfolio that covers experimental and theoretical research, building instruments, observation systems and spacecraft. Please explore the CLaSP website to sample the breadth and depth of our research.
The intellectual community of CLaSP values academic and scholarly freedom, inventiveness, interdisciplinary teamwork, diversity, and entrepreneurial thinking. Our values exist within the context of the people-first strategic vision of Michigan Engineering . An important part of Michigan Engineering’s vision is its (and our) commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) . We seek to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of that commitment.
The successful candidate for Department Chair will be an outstanding scholar with an earned doctorate in climate, space sciences, or a related engineering field, and will have an exemplary record of achievement in research, teaching, and service at a level commensurate with appointment as a tenured full professor. The candidate must possess visionary leadership that applies to our department, a broad appreciation for the diverse perspectives within the department, and strong interests in promoting impactful research across all areas in CLaSP and mentoring faculty. The candidate will lead and support the faculty to ensure that learning of the highest quality flourishes at all levels, from undergraduate education to graduate and postdoctoral research, and will help the department grow its educational reach, e.g., through experiential learning initiatives. The candidate will work with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, and administrators to achieve common goals and to maintain rapport with alumni and industry representatives.

Applicants should electronically submit a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, research statement, teaching statement, and diversity statement. In addition, applicants are asked to submit a two-page vision for the department. Applicants should be prepared to share a list of names and contact information for at least five references should they advance to the department interview stage.

The deadline for ensuring full consideration of an application is October 31, 2024, but the position will remain open and applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled. The search will be conducted in confidence until finalists are identified prior to a public campus visit.

Please submit your application here: http://apply.interfolio.com/145375

If you have any questions regarding the search, or would like to nominate someone, please contact Professor Mark Flanner, search committee chair, at flanner@umich.edu.

Employment will require both a criminal background check and an institutional reference check
regarding any misconduct. Candidates will be required to submit a self-disclosure form as well
as an authorization to release information form.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and is responsive to the needs of dual career families.