Department Head – Penn State Department of Landscape Architecture

Penn State’s Department of Landscape Architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture is undergoing a period of forward-looking change based on our mission: “Inspired work grounded in environmental and social good.” We seek a department head who enthusiastically aligns with our mission and will help us achieve our next level of excellence.

Penn State and the College of Arts and Architecture is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission. With our mission as a foundation, we recently refined our highly respected BLA curriculum to enhance environmental and social content as well as provide greater curricular flexibility and opportunity. Additionally, we established an online MPS in Geodesign; created a center-in-development (named E+D: Ecology plus Design); and are refining our professional MLA and research-based MSinLA. We are currently focused on a set of strategic priorities that we will eagerly share with our department head candidates.

Penn State Landscape Architecture, a vibrant community of approximately 20 faculty and 200 students, resides in the Stuckeman School with Architecture and Graphic Design; our department is one of six academic units in the College of Arts and Architecture. Generous endowments in the Stuckeman School support a number of Chairs and Professorships for full professors, as well as a Career Development Professor in Design for early-career faculty, and two large grants to provide early- or mid-career faculty significant opportunities for professional development. The endowments also provide generous funding for faculty travel, visiting critics, lectures and exhibitions, research assistants, and course enhancement funds. As well, endowments support two centers within our School: the Hamer Center for Community Design and the Stuckeman Center for Design Computing.

The successful candidate will have qualifications meriting appointment at the rank of full professor and will be committed to a collegial and collaborative model of leadership and to interdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation.

Required qualifications:

A terminal degree in Landscape Architecture or a related discipline, with at least one degree in Landscape Architecture
A record of scholarly and/or professional work that aligns with our mission
Evidence of a commitment to working with individuals from diverse backgrounds also is required
The Ph.D. and degrees in related disciplines are encouraged

For more information on our department and our context, explore the following websites:

Founded in 1855, Penn State is a multi-campus, land grant, public research university that educates students from around the world and supports individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service. With over $800 million in annual research expenditures, Penn State ranks among the top 20 U. S. research universities. “Advancing the Arts and Humanities” and “Stewarding our Planet’s Resources” are two of five thematic priorities relevant to our department in the University’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan . As a land grant university, Penn State is responsible for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences.

The University Park campus is located within State College, PA, which was recently ranked number 5 in a ranking of top college towns by the American Institute for Economic Research, and number 15 in a ranking of the Safest College Towns in America by Safewise. Located in a valley in the Appalachian Mountains, in Centre County, Pennsylvania, employment at Penn State offers incredible opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the central Pennsylvania outdoors combined with all the culture, sports, and entertainment a large university community can bring, and is within drivable distance from New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

To apply upload a letter of application and please address:

Commitment to a collegial and collaborative model of leadership
experience with interdisciplinary collaboration
commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusive excellence
experience in creating an inclusive environment in your workplace.

Please also include:

Names and contact information of three references
A full curriculum vitae
Samples of work

For questions, contact the Search Committee Chair, Elizabeth Mansfield at caa-searches@psu.edu. For full consideration, submissions must be received by August 15, 2020, however the review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other protected groups. To review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety matters and policies, please go to http://police.psu.edu/annual-security-reports, which will explain how to request a paper copy of the Annual Security Report.