Open Faculty Search Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF)Available Title(s):270-NNFACULTY - Assistant Professor, 280-NNFACULTY - Associate ProfessorBusiness Title:Open Faculty Search | Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF)Employee Type:Faculty (+) (Fixed Term)Time Type:Full timePosition Term:9 MonthPosition Details:DESCRIPTION OF POSITIONThe Washington State University's Tri-Cities campus (WSU Tri-Cities) is recruiting four outstanding tenure track faculty at the assistant or associate professor rank to join the newly established https://tricities.wsu.edu/inef/ (INEF). INEF is an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to harnessing expertise across the WSU system and collaborating with research partners, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), to address the increasing demands for resilient, affordable, and low-carbon electricity and transportation fuels in the Pacific Northwest region. The cluster hire includes an institute director and four faculty to be located at WSU Tri-Cities and three faculty to be located on WSU's Pullman campus, which is advertised separately. Establishing this cross-campus connection will enable the INEF to deploy the full resources of the WSU system, fostering collaboration and innovation.We are searching for highly talented faculty whose transformative research and teaching will propel WSU to become a leader in clean energy research and education. We encourage scholars from diverse backgrounds, including engineering, social sciences, economics, data science, and natural sciences, to apply. Faculty appointed to these positions will hold a tenure-track appointment in an appropriate academic department, with teaching, research and service responsibilities shared between INEF and the respective department. Successful candidates will address critical research in clean and sustainable energy development, contribute to teaching and mentoring of students, and participate in outreach efforts. We envision the cluster will work at the intersections of academic units to build interdisciplinary and dynamic programming. We seek candidates in the following areas:• Life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of clean energies from raw material extraction and manufacturing to installation, operation, maintenance, and end-of-life disposal or recycling.• Techno-economic analysis to assess economic feasibility and risks of clean energy and sustainability.• Energy data analytics to predict energy demand, improve distribution, and understand customer consumption patterns using big data and machine learning techniques.• Social and environmental equity analysis to assess social impacts of clean energy and sustainability programs and policies to help bring more sustainable and socially equitable results.ABOUT INEFINEF, a new research center located on the WSU Tri-Cities campus, is dedicated to advancing research and education in clean energy and sustainability. By conducting innovative research, engaging with industry and the community, and supporting workforce development, the institute has the potential to make a significant contribution to the region's energy future and the broader goals of reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable energy systems. The institute will serve to bridge the gap between science and policy through its interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to researching and analyzing clean energy transition plans for policy makers and industry and communication of those plans to consumers. The institute is currently developing industry partnerships for energy systems research and fostering community discussions for policy development at the state and national levels. It is also developing curriculum to support future workforce needs across various energy sectors.ABOUT WSU Tri-CitiesWashington Stat