ASO DIR & PROF

Classification Title:

Chair of Urban & Regional Planning, 

Associate Director of The School of Landscape Architecture & Planning

Classification Minimum Requirements:

Ph.D. in urban and regional planning or related field, such as urban studies, city planning, spatial planning, urban geography, etc.

Distinguished record in teaching and student mentoring and engagement, research publications and funding, academic programming, and service to academia, the profession, and the public, sufficient to merit tenure upon hire at the rank of Associate or Full Professor.

Academic administrative experience including strategic allocation of budgets, personnel management, and curriculum development at undergraduate or graduate levels. 

Job Description:

The University of Florida’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) seeks a visionary leader, proven researcher, and educator to serve as Associate Director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning (SLA&P) and as Chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The position is a twelve-month tenure accruing appointment starting July 1st, 2026.

 The Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s mission is to advance the public interest and empower communities through planning education, research and service. We seek candidates who align with our mission and are passionate about working with faculty, students, alumni, and communities; are respected researchers and educators; and who operate with integrity and consistent with the highest ethical standards.

The University of Florida (UF) is a top-tier public, comprehensive, land-grant research institution, currently ranked 7th among all U.S. public universities by U.S. News and World Report. UF is dedicated to achieving and maintaining a culture of educational and research preeminence.  The Department of URP within the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning shares this drive while continuing to build on a strong tradition of research and teaching excellence, external engagement, and student achievement.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning benefits from a collaborative environment with the Department of Landscape Architecture (LAE), also housed in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning. The School builds on the synergies of the two disciplines and enjoys fostering rich opportunities for collaboration with scholars and experts in sustainability, environment and design, systems thinking, policy making, and regionalism. The School, created in 2009, benefits from a unique association with other allied design disciplines in the College including Architecture, Construction Management, Interior Design, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability and the Built Environment. The School of Architecture has established two off-campus CityLab programs in Orlando and Jacksonville to enhance access to highly urban contexts. The Department’s mission is further supported by interdisciplinary research pursued by integrative research institutes, including the College’s Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), the Florida Water Institute, and Florida Climate Institute, as well as multiple other Centers within the School and College.

This is a pivotal and exciting moment for the profession and the Department of URP. The Department of URP consists of a collegial faculty of thirteen core members and eighteen faculty members affiliated with Department and College-wide research centers and academic programs. The Department’s faculty is the most productive in the College and consistently attracts the highest amount of research funding, with close to $4 million in new sponsored research grants secured in the past year.

The Department, founded in 1975 and first accredited in 1978, offers a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), a Master of Science in Urban Analytics (MSUA), a PhD URP concentration with STEM designation, a graduate minor in URP and certificate in UA, an undergraduate minor in URP, and a combined (4+1) bachelor-master degree. In 2023, the MURP program (campus and online) was ranked 22nd in the nation, sixth in the South, and the 10th largest by enrollment. The Department’s fully-online MURP was the country’s first and remains the only accredited such program. The Department recently established a Bachelor of Urban Sciences and Planning (BUSP) to begin in Fall 2026.

The Associate Director and Chair will prioritize the needs of the School and Department and be responsible for contributing to their resilience, impacts, and reputations. As Associate Director and Chair, the position will directly report to the Dean of the College of Design, Construction and Planning, and work closely with the department chairs, faculty and key stakeholders in or affiliated with the Department of URP. As Associate Director, this position will work with the Director of the School to create a cohesive vision for the School that cultivates synergies between the two Departments. The position calls for someone to lead dynamic new initiatives while developing current strengths, to identify and support focused research engagement and creative scholarship, cultivate student learning and professional development, and promote impactful outreach in local, state, national, and international contexts. The Associate Director and Chair will also be responsible for working with the DCP Advancement office, the Department’s Advisory Council of alumni and professional practitioners, fostering alumni and public relations, and fundraising. In addition to administrative responsibilities, the Associate Director and Chair will be expected to lead by example by teaching at a reduced load and maintaining an active research and service agenda.

Expected Salary:

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Compensation includes a full benefits package with health insurance, retirement options, and paid leave. The University has a dual career academic hire program.

Required Qualifications:

Ph.D. in urban and regional planning or related field, such as urban studies, city planning, spatial planning, urban geography, etc.

Distinguished record in teaching and student mentoring and engagement, research publications and funding, academic programming, and service to academia, the profession, and the public, sufficient to merit tenure upon hire at the rank of Associate or Full Professor.

Academic administrative experience including strategic allocation of budgets, personnel management, and curriculum development at undergraduate or graduate levels.

Preferred:

• Full Professor merit and tenure
• Certification with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
• Experience with professional program accreditation at undergraduate and graduate levels
• Experience with online education
• Demonstrated ability to connect and engage with both undergraduate and graduate students
• Experience in leading multi-researcher and interdisciplinary research initiatives
• Experience establishing and implementing a strategic plan with clear goals and outcomes
• Experience with cross-cultural communications, consensus building, and conflict resolution
• Experience with creating new initiatives
• Experience forming and maintaining relationships with intercollegiate, interdisciplinary, and international partnerships and programs
• Experience with attracting, developing, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff
• Experience in fundraising and working with donors
• Experience with marketing and communications
• Experience working with advisory boards and maintaining relationships with alumni and industry professionals
• Experience in leading and/or actively participating in the field’s professional and academic organizations
• Experience with articulating the urban and regional planning field’s evolving role in society and its value within government, industry, and academic sectors

Special Instructions to Applicants:

To ensure full consideration, a complete application should be submitted by November 2, 2025. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the search committee and/or hiring authority. Review of complete applications will begin upon receipt and will continue until the position is filled. 

A complete application should include the following:

• A letter of interest including academic administrative and professional experience, research agenda, teaching philosophy and interests, and vision for the Department and School at the University of Florida.
• Evidence of administrative, research, and teaching effectiveness, such as organizational policies/programs, scholarly articles, and teaching evaluations.
• Curriculum vitae
• Names and contact information for a minimum of three references.

Three letters of reference will be required for shortlisted candidates. Submittal instructions will be provided upon notification.

For additional information, contact Ravi Srinivasan, Ph.D., Search Committee Chair (sravi@ufl.edu).

The selected candidate will be required to provide official transcripts to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

All candidates selected for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

If accommodations due to a disability are needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

Health Assessment Required: No