School of Planning, Design and Construction

The Landscape Architecture Program in the School of Planning, Design & Construction (SPDC) at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for a tenure-system faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor starting in August 2025. This is an academic year (9-month) appointment with a 45% research, 45% teaching and 10% service assignment.

The successful candidate will contribute to the school vision in creating sustainable and healthy built, natural, and virtual environments. We are seeking candidates whose work addresses emerging issues in the landscape architecture discipline in combination with a curriculum emphasizing professional education in landscape architecture. The successful candidate’s scholarly work falls into one or more of the areas:
• Sustainable and healthy community design and planning
• Landscape ecological design and planning
• Climate mitigation and/or adaptation design and planning
• Landscape performance research
• Evidence-based design and/or interdisciplinary research in sustainability and built environment

The candidate should demonstrate ability to secure funded research, publish peer-reviewed articles, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in innovative and interdisciplinary research areas related to Landscape Architecture and relevant disciplines including Planning, Design and Construction. This position is expected to teach three courses per academic year in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and/or Master of Environmental Design (MED) programs’ curriculum. We are especially interested in a candidate whose teaching can emphasize, but is not limited to, landscape design studios and a seminar course focusing on specialized topics, such as climate resilience, sustainable community design, landscape ecology, site engineering, and/or design communication. The candidate will also engage in service on school, college and university committees.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidate must have a Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture or a closely related field. Candidates must also have a Landscape Architecture degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s). All required degrees must be conferred before the start date. Ability to teach within the landscape architecture core courses is essential. Appropriate rank will be determined based on experience. For applicants to meet the rank of Associate Professor, administrative and leadership experiences will be considered. The successful candidate will demonstrate actual or potential scholarly research activity that advances the interdisciplinary focus of SPDC.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Practical experience is desired. Professional landscape architecture licensure welcomed. The candidate is preferred to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills. Experience in community engagement, collaboration on interdisciplinary projects, and a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within academic and professional settings are also desirable.

School of Planning, Design, and Construction:

The School of Planning, Design, and Construction (SPDC) unites four academic programs related to the built environment: Construction Management, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning, as well as the National Charrette Institute, with 45 faculty and academic specialists, and 8 staff members. The School offers 9 degree pathways from Bachelors to Ph.D. – including 5 professionally accredited degrees with over 500 undergraduate and 60 graduate students. The School is administered by the Colleges of Agriculture & Natural Resources (CANR). The mission of the School is to advance the knowledge, prepare innovative leaders, and support the practice of planning, design, and construction. Our academic activities address sustainability, health, transportation, and economic and community development. Please refer to the School’s homepage available at: http://www.spdc.msu.edu/.

Landscape Architecture program:

Established in 1898, the MSU Landscape Architecture program is the oldest landscape program in the US. The program balances ideology, design, technology, art and science toward creating a sustainable and resilient world. The Landscape Architecture program is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), and consistently ranked among the top landscape architecture programs across the country. Landscape Architecture faculty teach and engage with students at the bachelors (BLA), masters of Environmental Design (MED), and doctorate (Ph.D. of the Environmental Design Concentration) levels. Please find more information about the MSU landscape architecture program in http://www.canr.msu.edu/spdc/programs/landscape_architecture/.  

Location:

The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA. MSU is one of the top research universities in the world and home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs. MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, and scientists that provide regional, national, and international leadership in basic and applied research and excellence in teaching. In addition, consistent with its Land Grant origins, the MSU community pursues international engagement and provides strong extension programs that partner with diverse stakeholders to provide much needed research in the areas of food, energy, water and the environment. MSU enjoys a park‐like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas. The campus is located in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of nearly 500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA, and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities. Michigan State University is also proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms. Information about MSU’s dual career support can be found at: https://worklife.msu.edu/dual-career. Information about other work-life assistance at MSU can be found at http://worklife.msu.edu/.

Commitment to Culture, Access, and Belonging:

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU is committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We are particularly interested in candidates from all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion. Candidates are invited to view more information on SPDC’s DEI initiatives at: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - School of Planning, Design and Construction.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications. MSU offers a generous benefits package (details at https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/index.html).

To Apply:

For consideration, submit your application online at: http://careers.msu.edu to job number #1006095. Upload the following required documents: 1) a letter of interest that includes qualifications for the position and highlights how your experiences align with the position (2-page maximum); 2) current curriculum vitae; 3) samples of publications, professional reports, and/or portfolio of work; 4) a statement (3-page maximum) addressing your experience with diversity, equity and inclusion in teaching/learning, mentoring, service, professional activities and research and/or describing how you will contribute to MSU’s goals of inclusive excellence; and 5) contact information for three academic/professional references. No letters are requested when you apply. Additional materials may be requested after the initial review of applications. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review of Applications:

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on February 1st, 2025 and continue until a suitable candidate is selected. Questions regarding this position can be addressed to the Search Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. Wonmin Sohn and Dr. Jesus J. Lara, School of Planning, Design and Construction, Michigan State University, wonmin@msu.edu and jjlara@msu.edu.

MSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. We actively encourage applications from, and nominations of, women, persons of color, veterans, persons with disabilities and other individuals who can contribute to the intellectual diversity and cultural richness at Michigan State University. MSU is committed to providing a work environment that supports employees’ work and personal life and offers employment assistance to the spouse or partner of candidates for faculty and academic staff positions.