The Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures (SCF) in the Rob Walton College of Global Futures (CGF) at Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time, academic year (9-month) faculty appointment. This is a tenured/tenure-track at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor with an anticipated start in Fall 2026.
The Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures is a first-of-a-kind transdisciplinary school at the vanguard of redefining conservation as a field. It is part of the Rob Walton College of Global Futures (CGF), the academic cornerstone of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory (GFL) at ASU. The School of Conservation Futures will transform teaching and learning systems in conservation science to protect and restore the richness of life on our complex and rapidly changing planet. The school will value, uplift, and apply a wide array of worldviews, knowledge systems, and conservation practices to build and advance a global conservation community and workforce that reflects the local and global communities it serves. In partnership with a variety of organizations and industry across the conservation sector, the school will serve a range of learners, including conservation organization employees, executives at multinational corporations, youth leaders, policymakers, and undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty will build an engaging and innovative curriculum that includes real-world skills, digital, hybrid, experiential, and place-based learning, as well as new technologies that build upon the application and theory of conservation science.
The school seeks innovative faculty leaders that will support the long-term vision of the school and its impact, to join the faculty in support of building the school’s curriculum and professional preparation programs, to develop a world-class research and knowledge-to-action enterprise, and develop the school’s engagement strategy to support conservation impact with practitioners worldwide. The school seeks unique leaders that will contribute to the school’s vision and purpose, working in a highly collaborative way to support the establishment of the school as a world-class institution. Prospective faculty members should articulate how their expertise, experience, and leadership abilities will contribute to the school. Preference will be given to applicants who have experience working in real-world conservation contexts, and with demonstrated strengths in both teaching and applied conservation practice. Applicants should espouse the values reflected in the ASU Charter.
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Community-Engaged Conservation
This position is part of the new School’s commitment to advancing research, teaching, and partnerships that support Indigenous-led conservation, multiple knowledge systems, community land stewardship, and environmental governance. The successful candidate will contribute to transdisciplinary collaborations across fields such as Ecology, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Anthropology, Geography, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Forestry, or Public Policy.
Candidates whose work addresses issues such as biocultural conservation, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Indigenous land stewardship and management, climate resilience, restoration ecology, co-management, Indigenous food systems, environmental justice, or Indigenous governance of natural resources are especially encouraged to apply.
We seek faculty members who will play a leading role in building a world-class research enterprise within the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures at ASU, working to leverage the assets and resources of the Rob Walton College of Global Futures, the Julie Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, and ASU more broadly. Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to catalyzing interdisciplinary, solution-oriented research that advances protection, sustainable management, and large-scale restoration of natural systems; mentor and attract multi-disciplinary teams of scholars and trainees; secure and leverage external funding and partnerships across academia, government, industry, and communities; and contribute to strategic program development, infrastructure growth, and translational pathways that move science into effective conservation policy and practice
Within this broader research enterprise, the successful candidate will develop and maintain a nationally or internationally recognized research program focused on Indigenous conservation, biocultural partnerships, and Indigenous environmental studies, and will contribute to advancing Indigenous-led conservation through collaborative and community-engaged scholarship. This work may include:
- Conducting research that is ethical, collaborative, and accountable to Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations.
- Contributing to strategic program development, infrastructure growth, and translational pathways that move science into effective conservation policy and practice.
- Engaging in transdisciplinary collaborations across the university and with key SCF partners and communities, including government, Tribal Nations, NGOs, and industry.
- Producing peer-reviewed and community-based scholarship and pursuing externally funded research.
- Advancing biocultural conservation, Indigenous ecological knowledge, land stewardship, and Indigenous environmental governance.
Curriculum Development, Teaching, and Professional Preparation
We seek future faculty members who will take a leading role in designing and delivering a world‑class curriculum for the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures at ASU’s College of Global Futures. Successful candidates will demonstrate excellence in developing innovative, competency‑based courses and experiential learning opportunities that prepare future conservation practitioners for real‑world career paths, including field training, project‑based instruction, internships, and partnerships with government, NGOs, and industry. Candidates should be committed to inclusive teaching practices, mentoring an inclusive student body, integrating interdisciplinary perspectives and applied tools (e.g., policy, management, restoration, monitoring, and emerging technologies), and contributing to ongoing curriculum assessment and continuous improvement to ensure graduates are job‑ready and impactful in conservation practice. Faculty members will be expected to deliver both immersion (in-person) and online format of undergraduate and graduate level classes and non-degree offerings, averaging 2 classes a semester.
Within this curriculum, the successful candidate will contribute to teaching and mentoring in areas related to Indigenous knowledge systems and community-engaged conservation. Responsibilities may include:
- Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses related to Indigenous environmental knowledge, conservation science, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and community-engaged research.
- Mentoring undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scholars.
- Contributing to curriculum development in areas such as Indigenous environmental stewardship, community-based conservation, and land-based learning.
Supporting Conservation in Practice (Conservation Extension/Field Catalyst), Service and Community Engagement
We seek future faculty members who will join the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures as active partners in conservation practice, engaging deeply with frontline organizations, governments, industry, NGOs, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to co‑design, implement, and scale real‑world conservation solutions. Successful candidates will demonstrate a track record and commitment to sustained, reciprocal partnerships that move beyond conventional service—including joint project leadership, shared decision‑making, capacity building, policy translation, and long‑term evaluation of outcomes—and who can embed students and trainees in partner-engaged practice settings to accelerate impact. Candidates should value ethical, equitable collaboration, leverage institutional resources to support partner priorities, and help establish the school as a trusted convenor and applied research partner that delivers measurable conservation results.
In addition to these practice-based partnerships, faculty will contribute to service and community engagement within the university and across the conservation community. Responsibilities include:
- Participating in school, university, and professional service activities as well as externally facing programs such as ASU’s Learning Enterprise and Global Education Office.
- Building respectful, ethical, and reciprocal partnerships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities to advance their conservation goals.
Supporting initiatives related to Indigenous student success, community collaboration, mentoring and funding opportunities, internships, and inclusive research practices. Applicants should have a broad grasp of the field of conservation and have hands-on experience in both teaching and practical applications.
