About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
About the Department and the Program
Building and Construction Technology (BCT) is one of the programs in the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECo) within the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Earth and Sustainability at UMass Amherst. We are located in Amherst with the Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning in the UMass John W. Olver Design Building, a nationally acclaimed sustainable building on the Amherst campus.
Our department hosts a multi-disciplinary group of faculty with programs in Building and Construction Technology, Natural Resources Conservation, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Science. Unifying themes across these programs include conservation of natural resources, sustainable development, and reconciliation of humans with the natural environment. We place special emphasis on faculty-student interaction, interdisciplinary activities, and cooperation among faculty. We commonly teach interdisciplinary classes and share a fundamental commitment to serving a diverse student body and the broader public, and we are committed to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a diverse faculty.
Job Summary
The Building and Construction Technology (BCT) program in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (https://bct.eco.umass.edu/) is seeking applications for a 12-month, non-tenure-track, full-time appointment as Lecturer in Digital Design and Professional Communication in AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction). Candidates must care deeply about education in construction and sustainability, and be a teacher, mentor, and scientist whose interests are broad and support the pedagogy that allows students to gain the ability to analyze and solve complex problems in the built environment. Competitive candidates should be comfortable using active learning strategies and with in-person, hybrid, and online course delivery.
The appointment consists of 80% teaching and 20% service responsibilities. The successful candidate will be a core faculty member of BCT and the Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), and will interface with other academic groups at UMass and industry throughout the region. The ECo department and UMass Amherst place special emphasis on faculty-student interactions and a commitment to teaching and mentoring. We are committed to the retention of new faculty, and the successful candidate will be provided with a departmental mentoring committee and have access to extensive university programs and mutual mentoring opportunities through the College of Natural Sciences and the University’s Office of Faculty Development.
Essential Functions
The successful candidate’s teaching assignment consists of five courses per year, plus at least one summer course, which could include a course in the University's Pre-College summer program. The core teaching appointment will include two sections each of two courses in digital design and communication:
- BCT 220 (3 credits) – Communicating Building Science and Sustainability (twice: fall and spring)
- BCT 320 (3 credits) – Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction and Architecture (twice: fall and spring)
Topics for the fifth course are flexible and can be based on the candidate’s background and specialization within the broad area of construction management and/or construction technology and could cover one or more of the following topics:
- Advanced Construction Project Management Scheduling or Estimating
- Sustainability in Construction
- Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual Design and Construction (VDC)
- Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Drones, and Other Technology in Construction Contemporary Project Delivery Methods: LEAN, IPD
- Off-site Fabrication
- Certifications (LEED, etc.)
Service responsibilities will include the roles typical to all faculty, including but not limited to student advising, career counseling, and recruiting, as well as a particular focus on internship opportunity development with our many industry partners, supervision of summer interns, and other summer duties as needed to advance the BCT program. This can include opportunity development utilizing the Mount Ida campus, e.g. for Live/Work/Learn programs. Work outside of regular hours (2-3 times per semester) may be required to assist with recruitment and other student-focused activities.
Other Functions
- Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality and inclusiveness.
- Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master’s degree in Construction Management, Building Science or Technology, Engineering, Architecture, or other closely related field as well as relevant professional experience in residential and/or commercial construction.
- Demonstrates excellence in oral and written professional communications in AEC; teaching experience (university level is desirable); mastery of relevant information technology and construction-related software (especially Autodesk Revit and Trimble SketchUp); and a capacity for interdisciplinary and team-based problem solving.
- Understanding and interest in the sensitive integration of built and natural environments.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- PhD in any of the fields mentioned above.
- Expertise in any of these areas: Hybrid and online teaching; innovative methods in professional communication; tools and procedures for BIM, digital design, and construction collaboration; building systems and technology in residential and commercial construction; construction project management; innovative construction and delivery methods (e.g. IPD, BIM, prefabrication); and sustainable design & resource-efficient construction practices.
- As we have an increasingly diverse student population, we strongly encourage applications from candidates with experience mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds in science.
Work Schedule
- Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm.
- This is a 12 month, calendar-year, lecturer appointment with the earliest start date of September 1, 2024.
Salary Information
- Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a separate statement of teaching and mentoring principles and experience (2-3 pages), a diversity statement (1-2 pages, see below) and contact information for three (3) professional references. The cover letter should outline the candidate’s qualifications to teach courses in digital design and communication (BCT 220 and BCT 320) as well as listing other courses the candidate is prepared to teach.
Search questions can be addressed to: Ho-Sung Kim, Search Chair, kimhs@umass.edu. Applicants should apply by the priority deadline of March 31, 2024 to ensure consideration. Search may remain open until a suitable candidate has been identified.
As part of a commitment to their own multicultural community, CNS seeks an individual with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and one who will understand and embrace university initiatives and aspirations. In addition to application materials above, candidates will need to submit a Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Diversity Statement should identify past experiences and future goals. These contributions may result from lived experiences, scholarships, and/or mentoring, teaching, and outreach activities. (https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/our-commitment-diversity )
The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.