Tenure Track Faculty Position

Assistant Professor of Applied Geospatial Analysis

Department of Plant Sciences

Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture

Salary Range: $81,572 - $85,572

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in the Plant Science Department. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 22-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn- by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In 2022, the campus launched the Black Thriving Initiative recognizing that Cal Poly Pomona’s future as a university is linked to the success of its Black community. More information about our Principles of Community can be found here. 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

Student Population. Cal Poly Pomona is the number one polytechnic university in the nation for student diversity and economic mobility. Our caring and inclusive campus community is committed to helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it. In Fall 2024, Cal Poly Pomona served more than 25,000 students and close to 2,000 graduate students, mostly residents of California. Over half of Cal Poly Pomona students are first-generation college students, 70% receive financial aid, and 42% are low-income students. The university enrolls 57% of historically underrepresented students. Our diverse student body identifies as 54% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% Asian, 13% White, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown, 2% African American/Black, 2% International, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American. Forty-five percent of students enroll in our STEM majors, and our top five enrolled programs across the university include mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, psychology, as well as finance, real estate, and law.  

Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture: The Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture prepares students to address challenges facing agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and communities through Cal Poly Pomona’s signature learn-by-doing educational approach. The College provides students with opportunities to integrate scientific knowledge, emerging technologies, and practical experience through classroom, laboratory, field, and community-based learning. Its location in Southern California provides a distinctive setting for studying agriculture across urban, peri-urban, and production systems and for developing partnerships with agricultural industries, agencies, communities, and other stakeholders.

Plant Science Department: The Plant Science Department is a close-knit learning community that provides students with hands-on, experiential education on plant growth and production, soil health, pest management, environmental stewardship, and technology-supported, data-driven agriculture. The curriculum emphasizes practical problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and the integration of scientific and technological approaches to address challenges facing modern agricultural systems.

Experiential learning is central to the Department’s teaching and research mission. Faculty and students have access to diverse on-campus agricultural and research environments including the 125-acre Spadra Farm, the student-led Microfarm, AGRIscapes Center, the CPP Apiary, the Lyle Center for Sustainability and Regenerative Studies, the Center for Turfgrass, Irrigation, and Landscape Technology, vertical growing facilities, and many other agricultural landscapes across campus. These resources provide opportunities to connect field observations and sampling, laboratory measurements, geospatial technologies, and agricultural management decisions.

Position description:

The Department of Plant Science invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Applied Geospatial Analysis.

The successful candidate will teach existing undergraduate courses in their area of expertise and develop new courses and curriculum in GIS, spatial analysis, geospatial technologies, and/or related applied geoscience methods relevant to agricultural and environmental systems. Consistent with Cal Poly Pomona’s learn-by-doing philosophy, the faculty member will incorporate hands-on laboratory, field, and data-driven experiences that connect environmental data collection, spatial analysis, interpretation, and visualization to real-world challenges in urban and agricultural landscapes. The teaching assignment is 2-3 courses per semester for the candidate’s first two years. In subsequent years, the teaching assignment will be 3-4 courses per semester, with course-reduction opportunities for research, service, and teaching initiatives.

The successful candidate will establish an active scholarship focused on agricultural and environmental systems using geospatial and applied geoscience approaches. The faculty member will disseminate scholarly work through peer-reviewed publications and/or professional presentations and pursue funding to support their research program. Opportunities exist for interdisciplinary collaboration with faculty in the Department of Plant Science in areas such as precision agriculture, entomology, pest management, plant breeding, plant pathology, ethnobotany, soil science, environmental toxicology, urban agriculture, and related disciplines, as well as with faculty and programs across the university. Consistent with Cal Poly Pomona’s Teacher-Scholar Model, the successful candidate will mentor students in research activities, field investigations, and applied projects, integrating scholarship with the department’s emphasis on experiential and applied learning.

The successful candidate will participate in internal service to the department, college, and university, as well as external service to professional organizations or the broader community. Internal service includes participating in departmental planning activities and serving on academic senate, hiring, or curriculum development committees. External service may include developing collaborative relationships with industry, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community partners.

The above activities will contribute to the candidate’s responsibilities in teaching, scholarship, and service and will be evaluated in accordance with departmental and university expectations for retention, tenure, and promotion.

We encourage applications at various stages of their academic careers, such as advanced “all-but-dissertated” candidates, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty on both tenure and non-tenure tracks, teaching faculty, scholars in contingent roles, those in research and teaching positions outside of traditional academia, as well as independent scholars, to submit their applications. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. by the start of employment.

Minimum requirements include:

• A Ph.D. in geography, environmental science, environmental studies, soil science, plant biology, agronomy, forestry, entomology, agricultural engineering, or other related field from an accredited institution. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.
• Demonstrated expertise in geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, remote sensing, geospatial data science, or related geospatial methods.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with students, staff, and faculty from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Expertise applying geospatial technologies to agriculture, urban agroecosystems, environmental monitoring, environmental justice, or natural resource management.
• Experience with remote sensing, drone-based data collection, spatial modeling, geospatial data science, or geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI).
• Experience with industry-relevant software and platforms, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, Python, R Statistics, Google Earth Engine, ENVI, or others.
• Experience teaching GIS, spatial analysis, remote sensing, data-driven agriculture, or related subjects, with an emphasis on high-impact techniques such as hands-on, experiential, or field-based teaching.
• Experience mentoring students in research or applied projects.
• Evidence of potential to obtain funding for research activities.
• Experience collaborating across disciplines or with industry, government agencies, community organizations, growers, or other stakeholders.
• Experience communicating spatial information through maps, visualization, or other approaches that support agricultural or environmental decision-making.

Application

A completed application will consist of a:

• • Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications;
  • Curriculum vitae;
  • Teaching Philosophy statement (2-page max) that addresses Cal Poly Pomona’s commitment to excellence in education and includes examples of practices used to support student learning and success;
  • Research Statement (2-page max);
  • The names and contact information for at least three individuals who can serve as references during the final stages of interview

Finalists for the position will:

• • be required to provide official transcripts for highest degree before the on-campus interview;
  • be required to provide three letters of reference dated within the last two years;
  • Final candidates being interviewed are expected to make a presentation of creative work and a teaching demonstration to faculty and interact with students.

Please direct inquiries to mlaiken@cpp.edu.

Applications accepted only via PageUp—online application portal—for University hires.

Disclosures

Education Code 89521 Requirements:

Pursuant to Education Code 89521 applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Background Check: 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be satisfactorily completed.  Offers of employment are conditional and may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Out of State Employment:

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California.  It is also expected that faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.

Mandated Reporter: 

The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

International Candidates:

Cal Poly Pomona is not currently sponsoring faculty for H-1B work status if they are subject to the $100,000 fee established under the Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers issued on September 19, 2025. For faculty already in the United States who hold a valid nonimmigrant visa (such as F-1, J-1, or O-1), Cal Poly Pomona is able to consider filing a petition to change their status to H-1B based on the current determination that the fee does not apply. For questions, please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs at avpfa@cpp.edu. We strongly recommend that faculty review their individual circumstances carefully with their personal immigration legal counsel.

Clery Act:
In compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, California Education Code section 67380, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report are available for viewing at Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Security Report and Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Fire Safety Report.

EEO Statement: 

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly Pomona provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly Pomona complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly Pomona is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly Pomona, excellence is built on talent, merit, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Reasonable Accommodation:
We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the ADA Coordinator by email at ADACoordinator@cpp.edu. For more information, go to Employment Notices.

Other Notices:
For other important employment notices, we invite you to visit Cal Poly Pomona’s Employment Notices web page.