Assistant or Associate Professor - Coastal Social Sciences

East Carolina University is a Doctoral University with high research activity. We are also a teaching institution that is renowned for academic excellence. As an R1 university, we make a significant investment in faculty research by providing support related to travel, technology, research databases, and development. We are one of the largest universities in North Carolina with almost 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

The Department of Coastal Studies ( DCS) (https://coastal.ecu.edu/coastalstudies/) was formed in 2018 as part of an initiative to link the ECU main campus in Greenville with the expansion of its Outer Banks campus, the Coastal Studies Institute ( CSI), near Manteo, NC (https://www.coastalstudiesinstitute.org/).Led by East Carolina University ( ECU), CSI is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System including North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and Elizabeth City State University. CSI has active collaborations with North Carolina Aquariums, the National Park Service, and the UNC Sea Grant College Program.

The Department of Coastal Studies coordinates and enhances research communities across ECU's Greenville campuses, the Outer Banks campus, and our partner Institutions, and provides ECU with a strong center and point of contact to expand its leadership role in addressing interdisciplinary coastal and marine issues. Existing DCS faculty have expertise in Applied Geography, Coastal Engineering, Remote Sensing, coastal Ecology, Water Resources, Physical Oceanography, Fisheries, and Ocean Governance.

The Department of Coastal Studies at East Carolina University is seeking applicants for a tenure-track, nine-month faculty position beginning August 2026. We are looking for a social scientist with an active, interdisciplinary research program focusing on coastal and marine environmental issues including, but not limited to fisheries, aquaculture, ocean renewable energy, climate change, ocean governance, marine spatial planning, blue carbon, and similar research areas. This tenure-track position is part of a major ECU investment in research and teaching programs focused on natural, social, physical, and engineered dimensions of ocean margins.

This position is research intensive, and the successful candidate is expected to conduct research on the human dimensions of coastal or lacustrine environments, secure extramural funding, and publish in high-impact journals. The annual teaching load for this position is a 1-1, which includes one graduate course on interdisciplinary theories in the ECU Integrated Coastal Sciences ( ICS) PhD program and one high-enrollment undergraduate course in economics, geography, anthropology, coastal studies or similar courses in the College of Arts and Sciences. Additional duties include mentoring of ICS PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, undergraduate students, interns, and master students as part of an active research lab and service to the students, university, community, and profession. This position is an opportunity to be part of an exciting and dynamic environment in a collaborative, interdisciplinary department.

The candidate can be based either in Greenville or the Coastal Studies Institute in the Outer Banks.

Contingent upon availability of funds.

For any questions, please contact Nadine Heck heckn19@ecu.edu.

Doctoral degree in Anthropology, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Economics, or a related discipline.

None

A history of applying for and receiving funding from organizations like the National Science Foundation, NOAA, Environmental Protection Agency, NGOs, or philanthropic organizations will significantly improve a candidate's prospects for selection.

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, a teaching statement (additional document #1), a research statement (additional document#2) and a list of three references, including contact information, online.

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