Associate Professor or Professor - Colorado River Studies

Overview

The S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Utah State University (USU) invites applications for the Janet Quinney Lawson Endowed Chair in Colorado River Studies. The successful candidate will also serve as Director of the Center for Colorado River Studies in Utah State’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air and as faculty in a research, teaching, and outreach role in one of the Quinney College’s academic departments. This flagship leadership position will situate Utah State University as a nationally and internationally recognized center for research, policy, and stakeholder engagement related to the Colorado River Basin. We seek an accomplished and visionary leader whose work has had substantial national and/or international impact on water science, policy, governance, management, or environmental decision-making.

The faculty rank for this position is Associate or Full Professor. We welcome applications from scientists, scholars, and policymakers who possess a strong record of funded research or policy experience relevant to the Colorado River Basin. This tenure-track, full-time (nine-month) position will be administratively based at the USU main campus in Logan, Utah, with possible collaborative arrangements with USU’s statewide campuses (including locations in Salt Lake City, Price, Moab, the Uintah Basin, and Blanding).

Review of applications will begin October 1, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants must submit all application materials electronically via the Utah State University Human Resources web site (https://jobs.usu.edu; Job ID 2026-10519).

Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications and experience. USU offers competitive salaries and outstanding medical, retirement, and professional benefits (http://usu.edu/hr).

For further information, contact Dr. Grant Cardon ([email protected]), Search Committee Chair.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Director of the Center for Colorado River Studies.
  • Convene scholars, practitioners, agencies, tribal nations, NGOs, and policy leaders around emerging Colorado River Basin challenges.
  • Build strategic partnerships across universities, governments, NGOs, tribal nations, and international organizations to inform policy and management related to the Colorado River.
• Establish a strong record in a faculty role in research or in policy-relevant outreach and foster a collaborative culture focused on applied science and management of the Colorado River and its tributaries.
• Provide leadership in land, water, and air issues in the Colorado River Basin as part of the leadership team for the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air.
• Seek extramural funding to support research, students, and outreach.
• Advise and mentor graduate students and teach 1-2 courses per year in one of the Quinney College’s departments.
• Participate in faculty duties on campus as well as professional involvement off campus.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or J.D. in any field of study applicable to science, policy or management in the Colorado River Basin.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop the Center for Colorado River Studies into an interdisciplinary Center focused on fostering the physical and social science needed to best manage the Colorado River and its basin.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to shape regional, national, or international conversations related to water, adaptation, river governance, and/or environmental management.
• Experience working with local, state, tribal, or federal agencies or other organizations in the management of the Colorado River or its basin, and demonstrated interest in ongoing engagement with these stakeholder groups.
• National or international recognition for leadership and impact in research, policy, management, or stakeholder engagement related to major river systems, water governance, environmental sustainability, or the Colorado River Basin.
• Demonstrated understanding of the legal and policy environment in which the Colorado River and its basin are managed.
• Demonstrated potential to build and maintain a productive interdisciplinary research program, including the ability to secure competitive external funding.
• Distinguished record of published scholarship or professional accomplishment consistent with appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to a learning community with members from a range of backgrounds and experiences and to foster a sense of belonging for all participants and students.
• Experience teaching university-level courses relevant to large rivers.
• Experience organizing field experiences with students or stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated success securing major philanthropic support or strategic partnerships.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

• Curriculum vitae to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Documents to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
  • Cover Letter (maximum 2 pages)
  • Statement of research and leadership experience and interests (maximum 2 pages)
  • Perspective statement on how you understand the issues of the Colorado River Basin and how Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies could contribute to confronting these issues (maximum 2 pages)
• Names and contact details for three (3) professional references who can provide letters of reference, to be entered at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent benefits

ADA

Employees typically work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  

College/Department Highlights

The S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources brings together nationally and internationally recognized faculty working across agriculture, natural resources, environmental science, food and nutrition, technology, and human systems. Through 12 academic departments and schools, the college integrates biological, physical, and social science to advance knowledge, educate future leaders, and translate research into effective management, policy, and community-based solutions. This breadth creates a strong interdisciplinary setting for addressing the interconnected scientific, ecological, economic, legal, and governance challenges of the Colorado River Basin.

The Quinney College serves approximately 5,000 students across a broad portfolio of undergraduate, technical, and graduate degree programs based in Logan and USU’s Statewide Campuses. The college emphasizes applied and experiential learning through undergraduate research, field-based courses, internships, and community-engaged projects. The Quinney College is one of Utah State University’s largest research enterprises: in 2024, the college secured over $61 million in research awards, representing one-third of the university’s externally funded research. Faculty research is supported by a diverse portfolio of federal, state, philanthropic, and private funding, as well as by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station housed within the college.

Relevant centers and research programs in the Quinney College include the Ecology Center; Utah Climate Center; Berryman Institute; Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism; Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping; USU Geospatial Collective; and the Utah Forest Restoration Institute. Collaborations are also encouraged with the Utah Water Research Laboratory (College of Engineering) and USU Extension. As of July 2026, USU also hosts the Environmental Dispute Resolution (EDR) Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, which aims to foster a culture of collaboration around environmental, community, and public policy issues in the Mountain West through teaching, collaboration assistance, and thought leadership.

About the RegionU.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation.

University Highlights

As Utah’s student-centered, land-grant research university, Utah State University expands opportunity and strengthens communities across the state through learning, discovery, extension, and engagement. Founded in 1888, USU now holds two Carnegie distinctions: R1 status for very high research activity and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Its innovative research and scholarship is grounded in reciprocal partnerships with local, regional, and global communities, advancing knowledge and serving the public good across Utah, the nation, and the world. With over 50 world-class research facilities and the nation’s second-oldest undergraduate research program, USU prepares students to become active, civically engaged leaders who can address critical societal challenges.

USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at locations throughout the state. Utah State’s 30 locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns, serving every county in the state.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud member of the Pac-12 Conference, which it joined July 1, 2026. The Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain West by capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament titles in 2025-26, with five teams advancing to postseason play. This tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232 student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community, where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours, with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when it named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU.

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at 435-797-0122 or [email protected].

*updated 10/26

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In all circumstances, Utah State University follows state and federal laws related to sex-segregated spaces.

The following office has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Civil Rights & Title IX Office

Old Main Room 405

1475 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322

[email protected]

(435) 797-1266

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit crtix.usu.edu or contact:

U.S. Department of Education

Denver Regional Office

303-844-5695| [email protected]

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

800-421-3481 |  [email protected]

*updated 08/2026