Gordon A. Macdonald Professor (or Associate Professor) of Volcanology and
Hawaiʻi State Volcanologist
The Department of Earth Sciences in the School of Ocean and Earth Science
and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) seeks to
fill a tenure-track faculty position at the level of Associate or Full
Professor in the broad area of Volcano Science, to begin in Fall 2026. The
successful candidate will be an expert in the study of volcanic processes
and eruption products with a demonstrated record of excellence in research
and teaching related to active volcanic systems. The incumbent is expected
to establish an externally funded research program supporting graduate
students and postdoctoral researchers, contribute to undergraduate and
graduate instruction, and mentor students and postdoctoral researchers.
They will serve as a public resource on Hawaiian volcanoes, liaising with
the staff of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) of the United States
Geological Survey (USGS), and serving as the State Volcanologist for
Hawai‘i.
The Gordon A. Macdonald Professor of Volcanology, established in 1979, is
supported by memorial funds honoring Thomas Jagger, founder of the HVO, and
Gordon A. Macdonald, former HVO director and UHM professor. This
professorship honors Macdonald’s legacy as a meticulous, multidisciplinary
pioneer in Hawaiian geology, volcanology, and related fields. We seek
candidates who embody his integrative approach to understanding volcanoes,
past and present. Research interests may include, but are not limited to,
field volcanology, volcano monitoring and eruption processes, connections
between magmatic systems and eruptions, and volcanic hazards and their
societal impacts.
The appointee is expected to catalyze a new era of volcano science at UHM
through innovative research and teaching, secure external funding from
state and federal sources (e.g., National Science Foundation, USGS,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Disaster
Preparedness and Training Center), and advance community resilience and
sustainability.
The successful candidate will recognize and respect the cultural
significance of volcanoes in Hawai‘i and contribute to UH Mānoa’s
commitment to being a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning (
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/nhpol/. Desire and ability to engage with faculty,
staff, and students in a collaborative fashion that supports Indigenous
values and perspectives is essential.
The Department of Earth Sciences
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/earthsciences/ has 22 faculty members as well
as 35 additional cooperating graduate faculty in the Hawai‘i Institute of
Geophysics and Planetology and across the university. Together these
faculty instruct and advise approximately 60 graduate students and 100
undergraduate majors. The Department is one of four academic departments
and thirteen research units within SOEST
https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/, a world-class research and
academic institution focused on informing solutions to some of the world’s
most vexing problems. The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is one of 115
Research-1 Universities in the country, is one of only a handful of land–,
sea–, space–, and sun–grant institutions, and is a recognized leader in
Earth and environmental science (ranked in the top 4% of US institutions in
geological and earth sciences by the National Science Foundation). Located
in Hawaii's capital city of Honolulu at the crossroads of the Pacific, the
campus is home to students, faculty and staff from Hawai‘i,
the continental U.S., and more than 100 countries.
Apply online at the University Career Opportunities
https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu?keywords=85535 website.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the
position is filled. Preference will be given to applications received by
December 31, 2025. Questions can be addressed to Prof. Julia Hammer (
jhammer@hawaii.edu). The University of Hawai‘i is an Equal Opportunity
Employer.
--
Julia Hammer, Professor and Graduate Chair
Department of Earth Sciences
School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Honolulu, HI 96822
postal mail address:
1680 East-West Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822