Position: Assistant Professor of Human Development (Environmental Justice)
Effective Date: August 17, 2026 (Fall Semester)
Salary Range: The Assistant Professor (Academic Year) classification salary is $74,652 to $158,688/year;  $6,221 to $13,224/per month (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $86,004 to $90,000 per year; $7,167 to $7,500/per month (12 monthly payments per academic year). Salary offered is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application Deadline: Review of applications to begin October 31, 2025. Position opened until filled (or recruitment canceled).

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). CSULB earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2023, joining a distinctive group of colleges and universities who have been recognized for its commitment to Latine/x student success. CSULB is committed to serving diverse students and has established and actively supports the Black Excellence Collegium, dedicated to promoting Black excellence and advancing Black Student Success, and El Concilio for Latinx Success at the Beach, whose mission is to build capacity and promote inclusive servingness across initiatives and efforts for the benefit of all students. The President’s Equity and Change Commission is dedicated to achieving inclusive excellence in our community and culture and throughout the university. CSULB’s Beach 2030 University Action Plans prioritize engaging all students; expanding access to higher education; promoting intellectual achievement; building community; and cultivating resilience.

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Human Development

 Required Qualifications:         

• Ph.D. in Human Development or related disciplines (e.g., Anthropology, Black Studies, Ethnic Studies, Education, Environmental Sciences, Psychology, Public Health, Sociology, Women’s Studies). Degree at time of application or official notification of the completion of the doctoral degree by August 1, 2026.
• Demonstrated record of or potential for research and teaching on environmental justice issues focused on individuals and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change (i.e., racially minoritized communities, urban communities, communities in the Global South, etc.)
• Demonstrated effectiveness in or potential for teaching undergraduate courses related to child and adolescent development
• Record of or demonstrated potential for successful research and publications in areas relevant to the department mission
• Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population, including low socioeconomic and first-generation students

Area of Expertise:     

Specific area of expertise in research and teaching should focus on topic areas relevant to:

• Environmental racism, stress, and/or disparities in environmental exposure and early or lifelong health outcomes 
• Health equity and environmental justice 
• Climate change and developmental health inequities 
• Community-based interventions for environmental justice and developmental outcomes 
• Community trauma from environmental disasters and generational health 
• Women, children, and families and environmental discrimination 
• Food deserts, nutrition, and cognitive development 
• Environmental justice, food security, and chronic health conditions 
• Urban green spaces, social development, and mental well-being 
• Psychological effects of climate change 
• Inequitable recovery after climate crises and natural disasters 
• Fair and reparative distribution of environmental resources 
• Equitable land distribution and reform 
• Environmental policy, lawsuits, activism, and human outcomes 
• Health crises, disparities, and inequalities across the lifespan 
• Environmental impacts of war and militarism on human development 
• Intersections between emerging technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence), climate change, and environmental justice 
• Disability justice and environmental in/accessibility 
• Migration, displacement, and developmental outcomes due to environmental degradation 
• Indigenous land rights, sovereignty, and intergenerational development 
• Youth climate activism, identity, and civic development 
• Intergenerational transmission of resilience and adaptation in climate-affected communities 
• Eco-anxiety and developmental impacts in children and adolescents

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated orientation to teaching and research that aligns with the Human Development Department’s mission and vision toward enacting dignified futures for all and commitment to social justice
• Demonstrated effectiveness or potential to teach specialized courses on child and adolescent development within the context of diverse contexts
• Demonstrated effectiveness or potential to teach courses from an interdisciplinary perspective
• Demonstrated effectiveness or potential to teach in a range of modes of Instruction, including in-person, hybrid, online
• Demonstrated effectiveness in teaching quantitative or qualitative research methods
• Expertise in research focusing on infancy, childhood, adolescence and/or early adulthood within diverse contexts
• Demonstrated ability in and/or commitment to student mentorship
• Demonstrated potential to contribute cultural competency in working with the diverse students, faculty, and staff at CSULB and the greater Long Beach community through teaching, research and service as appropriate to the position
• Evidence of or potential for department, college, university, and community service
• Experience successfully working with populations demographically and/or socioeconomically similar to the CSULB student body
• Experience mentoring or supporting students using inclusive and culturally relevant teaching strategies in a diverse classroom

Duties:                                            

• Teach courses in Human Development and/or appropriate area(s) (Mode of instruction may include in-person, hybrid, online, and/or any combination thereof.)
• Supervise undergraduate students in research and internship fieldwork
• Develop and engage in research leading to publications
• Participate in service to department, college, university and community

CSULB seeks to recruit faculty who enthusiastically support the University’s strong commitment to the academic success of all of our students, including students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. CSULB seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the People of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students a rich variety of expertise, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

The successful applicant will join a dynamic and growing community of scholars in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) dedicated broadly to environmental justice and human dimensions of climate change adaptation. As the largest college at CSULB, CLA is home to 26 academic programs and degree options. As part of a multi-year plan to develop a critical mass of faculty leading curricular and research innovations, two CLA departments (Economics and Human Development) are conducting a cluster hire of new faculty whose work addresses local and global impacts of climate change, adaptation, and/or transformation on individuals, communities, systems, and society. Additional departments and programs (American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Comparative World Literature, and Environmental Science and Policy) will likely add to the cluster in the coming years. This initiative aligns with the CSU Consortium for Climate Adaptation and broader State of California goals aimed at fostering economic stability, workforce development, and community resilience in the face of climate transformation. The College has made it a strategic priority to foster interdisciplinary connections among these new tenure-track colleagues and to support their collaborations with faculty across CLA and the university who are committed to advancing equity, inclusive sustainability, and environmental justice through research, teaching, and community engagement.

Information on excellent benefits package available to CSULB faculty is located here: CSU Employee Benefits

How to Apply - Required Documentation:                                 

• A Student Success Statement about your teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population (maximum two pages, single-spaced). For further information and guidelines, please visit: Student Success Statement
• Letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications (2 pages, single-spaced maximum)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy (maximum 1 page, single-spaced)
• Teaching evaluation(s), if applicable (maximum 3 courses)
• Research Statement (maximum 1 page, single-spaced)
• Name and contact information for three references (to be contacted for confidential letters of recommendation should you reach the finalist stage)
• Finalists should be prepared to submit an official transcript (e-transcript preferred, if available)

How to Apply: Click Apply Now icon to complete the CSULB online application

Requests for information and process should be addressed to:

Lauren Heidbrink, Professor
Department of Human Development
California State University, Long Beach

E-Mail: Lauren.Heidbrink@csulb.edu or (562) 985-4344

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

A background check (including a criminal records check and telephone reference check with most recent employer) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.

Pursuant to the CSU Out of State Employment Policy, hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California is prohibited effective January 1, 2022. By prohibiting employment outside of California, the CSU also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently from a business location outside of the United States. Exceptions to the Policy are limited to approved and documented purposes for conducting CSU business outside of California.

All employees who assign and/or oversee work are responsible for ensuring that compliant work controls and procedures consistent with Federal, State and local regulations and University policies are implemented and maintained to provide for the protection of individuals and to safeguard the environment. Everyone is expected to comply with applicable Environmental Health and Safety regulations and University policies, programs and procedures. For more information, the systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/18172024/latest/ and questions may be sent to Environmental_Health_Safety@csulb.edu.

The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in-person program or activity (on- or off-campus) operated or controlled by the University follow the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus. The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to fahr@csulb.edu.

All university program and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Consistent with CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy, as well as state and federal law, CSULB provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. To access CSULB’s full statement on Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment, please visit Equity and Compliance.