Description

The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Political Science and Geography in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering and School of Architecture and Planning in the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Biology, Health and Environment in the College of Sciences, and Department of Finance in the Alvarez College of Business, invite applications at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, to be appointed as a University of Texas System (UT System) Research Excellence Regents' Professor. Successful candidates will be part of a strategic cluster hiring initiative focused on Weather Ready Texas, with an anticipated start date in the Fall of the 2026-27 academic year.

The University of Texas System approved the creation of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program across its four Emerging Research Universities (ERUs), including UT San Antonio. UT System has allocated funds across all four ERUs to fund the recruitment of research-active faculty to dramatically grow its national research prominence and federal funding opportunities. The university’s allocation from UT System translates to approximately 40 new faculty positions for new, mid- to senior-level faculty over the next several years who will add expertise in research areas that will enhance competitiveness, help solve societal needs, and advance the university’s capacity to meet UT System and state goals as outlined by the Texas Legislature.

UT San Antonio is utilizing our Clustered & Connected Hiring Program (CCP), which is designed to recruit and hire some of the best and brightest minds of varying backgrounds and experiences in select fields to UT San Antonio to join in efforts to address some of today’s most significant challenges.

For the Weather Ready Texas cluster, the five positions open are: 

• Remote Sensing of Weather Extremes (Dept of Political Science and Geography).
• Wildfire Scientist (Dept of Earth and Planetary Sciences/Dept of Biology, Health and Environment).
• Weather Resilient Transportation Systems (School of Architecture + Planning).
• Modeling and Prediction of Energy System Weather Resiliency (Dept of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering).
• Finance and Weather Resilience (Dept of Finance).

The University of Texas at San Antonio 

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a nationally recognized, top-tier public research university that unites the power of higher education, biomedical discovery and healthcare within one visionary institution. As the third-largest research university in Texas and a Carnegie R1-designated institution, UT San Antonio is a model of access and excellence — advancing knowledge, social mobility and public health across South Texas and beyond. UT San Antonio serves approximately 42,000 students in 320 academic programs spanning science, engineering, medicine, health, liberal arts, AI, cybersecurity, business, education and more. With 17,000 faculty and staff, UT San Antonio has also been recognized as a Top Employer in Texas by Forbes Magazine. 

Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design

The Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (KCEID) is home to more than 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students in 9 undergraduate, 16 Masters, and 6 PhD degree programs. The college is supported by over 140 tenure/tenure-track and fixed-term faculty and a dedicated cadre of staff. Each of the KCEID’s five units brings unique value for advancing its mission—these include the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical, Aerospace, & Industrial Engineering as well as the Schools of Architecture & Urban Planning, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management. KCEID is also home to 10 research institutions and centers, a student success center, a Large-scale Testing Laboratory, and a Makerspace, supporting research through research and discovery as well as educational excellence.  Collectively, these students, faculty, and staff within KCEID support KCEID’s mission to identify and solve grand challenges where humanity intersects the physical world.

KCEID educational programs are accredited by ABET, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), and the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). For more information about KCEID, please visit https://klesse.utsa.edu/.

School of Architecture and Planning

The School of Architecture + Planning is a laboratory for design and interdisciplinary research, with more than 900 students and 50 faculty members. SAP offers degrees in Architecture (BS and MArch), Interior Design (BS) and Urban & Regional Planning (MS), as well as graduate certificate programs in Historic Preservation (CERT), High-Performance Design & Sustainability (CERT), Urban & Regional Planning (CERT) and an undergraduate certificate in Design Communication and Fabrication (CERT). Faculty-run centers and labs offer opportunities for students to participate in design research and community engagement. We believe that, while transforming the built environment, architects, interior designers, and planning professionals should embrace preservation, conservation, and adaptive reuse as a means of reenergizing our cities. 

The selected faculty will primarily teach in the Urban and Regional Planning Program, which exhibits high student success in graduation and retention. The URP program is unique as it stands as the only MS program in Southwest Texas that is accredited for 7 years by the National Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) through 2030. The MSURP program includes optional specializations in urban design and urban policy, in partnership with faculty in Architecture and Public Administration. The program is also supported by two research centers, the Center for Urban and Regional Planning Research (CURPR) and the Sustainable Pervasive Urban Resilience (SPUR) Center, which provide a platform for faculty and students to generate and disseminate new knowledge related to urban and regional planning issues.

Requirements

Application Information 

We seek established scholars in Urban Transportation that have dedicated their career to advancing scientific knowledge on transportation systems and cities' readiness/preparedness to extreme weather events. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated curriculum of transdisciplinary research in urban planning and city science focused on transportation and weather resilience, including but not limited to the following sub-domains:

• Urban transportation modeling
• Extreme weather modeling
• Impact analysis of transportation networks disruption
• Digital Twins and IoT modeling
• Urban infrastructure assessment
• Land use modeling and policy from transportation systems
• Urban mobility and migration patterns from extreme weather
• Urban design research with focus on transportation and weather

Selected candidates are expected to:

• Continue their research agendas in urban transportation and extreme weather events with an added focus to the San Antonio metro area and Texas in general.
• Establish, develop and sustain a robust portfolio of grant funded research.
• Mentor students and contribute to a collaborative research environment.
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaborations across departments and research centers (e.g., architecture, planning, environmental and civil engineering).
• The successful candidate must have the ability to work with and be sensitive to the educational needs students.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning is preferred. Candidates holding a PhD in Landscape Architecture and Architecture and related fields will also be considered.
• Evidence of strong research productivity and potential or a record of sustained research excellence, extramural funding, and leadership (for Associate/Full Professor rank). Record trans- and inter-disciplinary research is preferred.
• Commitment to excellence in teaching, mentoring, and research.
• This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.

Preferred Qualifications

• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.

Application Procedure

To apply, applicants must upload the following in a single PDF document: 

• A current curriculum vitae.
• Complete contact information for at least three professional references.
• A research statement (2-page limit).
• A teaching statement (2-page limit).
• A statement highlighting potential areas for trans-disciplinary collaboration (1-page limit).
• Tenure is contingent upon Board of Regents approval, and applicants must show a demonstrated commitment. This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.

The positions are open until filled but preference will be given to applications received by December 1, 2025.

Cluster Hiring Interview Process

UT at San Antonio aims to bring transdisciplinary and collaborative groups of faculty researchers to the university through its CCP program. As such, the on-campus interview for these positions will be conducted as a collaborative group interview, during which all on-campus candidates for a position will meet with university faculty and staff simultaneously. This collaborative process allows candidates to discuss potential research collaborations with fellow candidates and current  faculty. Additionally, each candidate will be given the chance to present their job talk and engage the faculty, staff, and students from their discipline’s home department.

This position will work primarily on campus. Travel and parking expenses are the employee’s responsibility.

This position is contingent upon a successful background check. Verification of a valid driver’s license and Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) may be completed as applicable. Applicants selected must be able to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States by time of hire.

Equal Employment Opportunity

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information, and veteran status. The University is committed to the Affirmative Action Program in compliance with all government requirements to ensure nondiscrimination.