Clinical Assistant Professor in the Human Benefits of Outdoor Spaces

Hiring Organization: University of Georgia
Employment type: Full-Time
Job Location: Athens, GA
Application Due Date: September 29, 2025

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, invites applications for a 9-month, non-tenure clinical assistant professor with teaching (50%), applied research and outreach (45%), and service (5%) responsibilities. Successful candidates could come from a variety of cross-cutting disciplines that study the multidimensional influence of forests, the environment, and access to natural areas on human health. This could include Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, Urban and Community Forestry, Environmental Health, Kinesiology, Environmental Design, Medicine, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, and Exercise Science. The faculty member will be a part of the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management faculty group but should have skills that cut across multiple disciplines, with the expectation of establishing interdisciplinary collaborations in teaching and research with Warnell faculty in programs such as Urban Forestry and Fish and Wildlife Management. Multiple centers and institutes in Warnell and across campus provide excellent foundations for these collaborations, including the UGA Office of Sustainability, the Center for Integrative Conservation Research, the Climate and Society Initiative, the Center for Forest Business, and the newly formed UGA School of Medicine. Individuals with expertise in the following
academic areas relative to the human health benefits of nature are encouraged to apply: forest bathing, environmental justice, ecosystem services, outdoor recreation, tourism, public health, green space design, landscape and urban planning, environmental psychology, nature-based interventions, and sustainable development. Instructional duties include undergraduate and graduate student advising and teaching courses
such as an introductory course in the “Human Health Benefits of Outdoor Spaces”, an upperlevel course in “Greenspace and Parks for Human Well-Being,” and graduate/professional courses related to topics such as “Prescribing Nature within Precision Medicine,” and “The Intersection between Outdoor Spaces and One Health.” Applied and clinical research responsibilities include the development of an externally funded, nationally/internationally recognized program of scholarship on themes relevant to the health benefits of outdoor spaces. There will be an opportunity to collaborate with new hires in the recent Precision One Health
Initiative, sustainability, and urban forestry. For more information on these opportunities, follow this link: https://warnell.uga.edu/careers.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required qualifications include a Ph.D. in either parks, recreation, and tourism, urban forestry, environmental health, kinesiology, environmental design, medicine, exercise science, natural resources, environmental psychology, or closely related fields; OR a terminal professional degree such as Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), Doctor of Design (DDes), or Doctor of Medicine (MD) in relevant fields. Preferred qualifications include a teaching history in the areas of the human benefits of outdoor spaces and prior research or practical engagement (e.g., postdoctoral work, clinical practice, or professional design expertise) in applied research or practice studying the wellness benefits of spending time outside in natural areas, and a record of interdisciplinary collaboration.

THE UNIVERSITY:

The University of Georgia (www.uga.edu) is a top 20 ranked public land/sea/space grant institution comprised of 19 schools and colleges and designated as a Carnegie Very High Research Activity (R1) institution with strong community engagement. Athens is a diverse community of approximately 150,000 people located approximately 65 miles from Atlanta. UGA enrolls approximately 41,200 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is a professional school with world class research, teaching, and outreach programs in natural resources conservation and is committed to inclusive excellence. The Warnell School is comprised of 68 faculty, 100 support staff, 265 undergraduates, and 240 graduate students (www.warnell.uga.edu). The school offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Forest Resources,
Master of Natural Resources, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the areas of Forestry; Fisheries & Wildlife; Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management; and Natural Resource Management & Sustainability. The school manages over 17,000 acres of forestland across the state in support of its teaching, outreach, and research missions.

APPLICATION:

Review of applications will begin on Friday, September 29, 2025. All applicants MUST apply online through UGAJobs (https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/439050). Candidates must submit a cover letter, CV,
one-page statements of both teaching and research interests, unofficial transcripts of all collegelevel work, and names and contact information for three references. The candidate given an offer will be required to submit official college transcripts. University policy requires all candidates to consent to and authorize a background investigation (www.hr.uga.edu). A background investigation and request of official transcripts will be conducted on a post - offer/pre-employment basis only. The preferred starting date is negotiable but no later than January 1, 2026. For additional information, contact the chair of the search committee, Dr.
Bynum Boley (bboley@uga.edu)

Apply