Vanderbilt University has formed a search committee to find a permanent director for the new Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate (VSEC).
Launched earlier this year, VSEC primarily focuses on advancing multidisciplinary research that includes partnerships with communities, government, industry, national laboratories and other research universities. The center also engages Vanderbilt’s world-class engineering, science, law, policy and education expertise to investigate areas such as: energy integration; resource sustainability; climate change mitigation and adaptation; and systems risk, reliability, and resilience.
According to the job description, the director of VSEC is expected to be a faculty member at the rank of full professor who can provide leadership for VSEC’s research, education, global engagement, and entrepreneurship initiatives; foster a collaborative environment across diverse disciplines; and establish a nationally and internationally recognized Center.
Additionally, the successful candidate will be expected to adopt Vanderbilt’s “radical collaboration” philosophy and should be committed to Vanderbilt University’s mission to bring out the best in humanity by pushing new ideas into the frontiers of discovery and working diligently in the service of others.
Hiba Baroud, who chairs the search committee and co-led the strategic planning committee that recommended the creation of VSEC, is serving as its interim director. She said the center takes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development and seeks a director who is like-minded.
“VSEC will advance the frontiers of interdisciplinary research in the areas of sustainability, energy, and climate by taking a holistic, community-driven approach that integrates fundamental science, technological advances, and social impact,” said Baroud, who is the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation Faculty Fellow and associate chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Members of the search committee include:
- Abhishek Dubey, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- Jonathan Gilligan, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
- De-en Jiang, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Professor of Chemistry;
- Gabor Karsai, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- David Kosson, Gass Family Professor of Energy and the Environment, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor of Chemical and Biomolucular Engineering and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences;
- Shihong Lin, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering;
- Lin Meng, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences;
- B. Rhul, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law and Joe B. Wyatt Distinguished University Professor;
- Mike Vandenbergh, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law;
- Dan Work, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Professor of Computer Science.
For more information about the position, please visit the job description and application link.