Research Assistant/Research Associate Professor (12 month) of Architecture and Climate & Executive Director of the Building and Environment Visualization Laboratory

Position Summary

The Department of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, seeks exceptional candidates doing research on topics related to climate and the built environment to lead a new, state-of-the-art lab. The disciplines and professions of architecture and planning play a central role in imagining, visualizing, and enabling a low-carbon, climate-resilient society equipped to deal with the realities of a warmer world. The successful candidate will not only demonstrate the ability to conduct research, but they will also be a mentor to graduate students, a collaborator with other faculty members, and a leader in the use of cutting-edge technologies.

Candidates also need to possess the leadership ability to act as the inaugural executive director of BEVL—the Building and Environment Visualization Lab—a transformative initiative for the School of Architecture and Planning. The launch of the BEVL is supported by a significant investment by the University at Buffalo to provide the School of Architecture and Planning with resources needed to conduct advanced research. Whether testing indoor environmental quality with dataloggers, documenting urban environments with drones, or visualizing innovative design concepts with augmented-reality headsets, this investment is intended to increase the school’s research profile and catalyze change.

The director is expected to partner and expand externally supported research with other research institutes/centers/labs housed within the School like the UB Regional Institute, the IDEA Center, the Food Systems Planning and Health Communities Lab, the Resilient Buildings Lab, and the Design for Resilient Environments Lab. The initial appointment for this position is for three years with the opportunity for renewal. The executive director will report to the Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, Julia Czerniak, an internationally recognized educator, designer, and researcher on ecology, resilience, conservation, and sustainable development.

Research will collaborate with architecture and planning partners across the School, including the UB Regional Institute, the University Libraries, and the MS in Real Estate Development program, and with departments throughout the University.

The candidate will develop and lead sponsored programs, funded research, and strategic projects that impact national scholarly and professional debates on urban excellence. Working with the Rudy Bruner Chair in Urban Excellence, the Director of Research’s scope of work includes the further development and curation of the Rudy Bruner Awards library collection, the conduct of public and scholarly forums on the actual complexity of urban placemaking, publications related to the Bruner body of work, the creation of urban learning resources for a wide range of audiences, and sponsored projects creating great places. The Director of Research’s scholarship should be rooted in the complex and cross-disciplinary practices pursuing urban excellence. Furthermore, the candidate should demonstrate dedication and expertise in educational programming, growing collaborative relationships, and nurturing programs and departmental faculty activity.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must hold at least one degree in architecture (e.g., B.Arch, M.S. in Architecture, M.Arch) or an allied field.

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced, specialized training, such as a Ph.D., and/or professional licensure is preferred.

Special Instructions Summary

Applicants are required to submit the following:

1.  An application through the UB Jobs portal,
2.  A current curriculum vitae,
3.  A letter of interest (two page maximum) that includes: a) an overview of the candidate’s background and expertise, b) an articulation of the candidate’s scholarly and/or creative interests and specialized skills, and c) a brief description of the candidate’s mentoring philosophy and experience,
4.  Additional Supporting Documentation: a research and teaching statement (three page maximum) that more comprehensively details the candidate’s trajectory of work, and
5. The names/contact info of three references.

If you have any questions, please direct them to rajkovic@buffalo.edu

For additional information about the University at Buffalo, the position, and the application, please visit the full posting page at https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/postings/47770.