Department of Landscape Architecture

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

University of Kentucky

Full-time faculty position available: July 1, 2025

Rank: Assistant Professor – Extension Title Series (Tenure -eligible)

Application Deadline: November 11, 2024 (applications accepted until position is filled)
 

The position: The Department of Landscape Architecture, in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a 12-month, tenure-eligible faculty position in the extension title series at the rank of assistant professor. The successful candidate will bring an outreach, teaching, and research agenda with an intellectual focus on climate migration/adaptation/resiliency through landscape architectural design processes at a range of scales. The new faculty colleague will join other extension faculty, specialists, and agents in the college and across the university to provide community assistance for natural and cultural resource planning at the landscape level, specific to the Commonwealth, to address and adapt to complex climate issues and landscape performance. Scholarship in this position could center upon proof-of-concept regarding novel climate adaptation applications of geospatial analysis and other techniques, applied research, and human use and preservation of water resources. This position has an expected distribution of effort (DoE) of approximately 75% extension, 20% instruction (approximately two, 3-credit hour courses), and 5% college/university service.

The Department seeks a colleague who can demonstrate the potential for success in a land grant university environment through extension, instruction, research, and service to the university, profession, and Commonwealth. Development of a documented record of scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications, extension program delivery, creative works, and external funding is essential for promotion and tenure.

The Department and College: The accredited undergraduate landscape architecture program (BSLA) emphasizes creativity, technical competence, public participation, and environmental responsibility. The curriculum incorporates external experiences for students through internships, research experiences, service-learning projects, and international study programs. The Department of Landscape Architecture has a tradition of community engagement utilizing multiple studios that incorporate varied service-learning projects. Current faculty scholarship and service focus includes community design, geospatial analysis, design thinking, green infrastructure, nature play, and cultural landscape preservation.

The Department resides in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, which houses complementary strengths and collaborative opportunities within the environmental sciences, community development, biosystems engineering, horticulture, and other areas. The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky and many other off-campus facilities enrich the Department’s teaching, learning and research environments.

The University: The University of Kentucky is a rapidly growing university with approximately 25,000 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate and professional studies students. UK is the Commonwealth’s flagship university and a land grant institution. The University is positioned near downtown Lexington, offering students and faculty the vibrancy of an urban location and the immediacy of Lexington as a learning laboratory. Lexington is centered in the Bluegrass Ecoregion, an internationally acclaimed cultural landscape and agricultural region. It is a thriving and growing community of 325,000 with a strong commitment to quality of life, education, and the arts.

Qualifications: Candidates must hold a degree in landscape architecture or a related field. In addition, the candidate must hold a doctoral degree. Evidence of scholarly and practically applied activity demonstrating climate resilience, visualization and digital graphic communication should be evident in the application submittal. Landscape architecture licensure or related professional certification is preferred.

Salary: Salaries and benefits at the University of Kentucky are competitive. You are eligible for a generous benefits package as a University of Kentucky faculty member with diverse rewards, focusing on your total well-being. Benefit options include health, dental, and vision insurance. The university offers a variety of wellness and well-being programs. Additional information and updates to benefits can be found at: https://hr.uky.edu/insurance-and-retirement 

Application: Review of applications begins November 11, 2024, and will remain open until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for the position is July 1, 2025. Please use the University of Kentucky’s electronic application process to apply. In your uploaded documents (max. 10Mb each) please include a letter of interest explaining your philosophy in climate resiliency, visualization, and digital graphic communication. In addition, upload your CV, portfolio of works/teaching outcomes, and the names and contact information for three (3) references. The letter of interest should also address your vision for integrating extension and teaching scholarship relative to the described position. The portfolio should contain professional work, design research, existing scholarship, and teaching effectiveness as relevant to your background.

Questions: Dr. Chris Sass, Department Chair, chris.sass@uky.edu