President/Vice Chancellor for Sustainability

As it approaches the start of its second century, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)—a unique member institution of the University System of Maryland (USM) and among the nation’s most powerful engines for translational impact in sustainability—seeks a leader who can harness the transformative potential of environmental research for the public good and the future of our planet. The next President of UMCES and Vice Chancellor for Sustainability will lead the System’s fully-fledged research university dedicated to understanding, sustaining, and recommending management strategies for the environment of the remarkably biodiverse state of Maryland, as well as at the national and international levels. 

Since 1925, UMCES has sought multidisciplinary solutions that improve people’s lives, supported Maryland’s considerable marine and estuarine sectors, and advanced pioneering research on every continent. The President and Vice Chancellor will further this critical work by building enduring structures, systems, and bases of support to tie its labs together; seed over-the-horizon research; encourage and enhance public/private partnerships to steward Maryland’s resources for the future; address the interface of Maryland’s diverse populace with their dynamic environment; and knit together the lawmakers, leaders, and institutions that will solve the most pressing climate challenges the world has ever faced. This is a transformational role at a pivotal moment in the history of the institution and the world. 

UMCES’ work spans the astonishing diversity of the state of Maryland, from the inland Appalachian Laboratory at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay to the Horn Point Laboratory on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, among the nation’s top three most vulnerable coastal ecosystems and the center of significant agricultural activities. In all, UMCES formally comprises the Appalachian, Horn Point, and Chesapeake Biological Laboratories; the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology; the Integration and Application Network; the Maryland Sea Grant College; and two multi-institution master’s programs in environmental sciences and sustainability management. Its 74 faculty, 94 graduate students, and nearly 350 support staff, together account for over $50 million in annual research funding, placing UMCES among the very top performing ranks of environmental sciences institutions nationwide. 

Reporting to the Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, Dr. Jay Perman, and working in tandem with the Regents of the University System of Maryland as well as the Office of the Governor of Mayland, the President and Vice Chancellor will steward the resources and activities of this remarkable network of programs, laboratories, and people, with a powerful mandate for change encompassing the University System of Maryland as well as the entire state. The President and Vice Chancellor will grow and amplify UMCES’ ability to effectively advise state and national leaders and prepare future scientists to meet the local and global challenges of the 21st century. The state of Maryland has committed to the most ambitious climate goals in the country and has directed significant new resources to build the superstructure to fulfill those goals; the President and Vice Chancellor will marshal these resources to lead collective action and meet the moment. 

For more details, including the full position profile and to submit confidential inquiries, referrals, and applications including curricula vitae and cover letter, please see below. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Vijay Saraswat is leading this search with Kennedy Kearney-Fischer, Ivy Couch, and Sky Nockels. 

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search.