Lecturer in Human Dimensions of Endangered Species

Institutional Mission:  

SFS creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Our educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where we live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship. 

Reports To:  

• Center Director, Center for Endangered Species Conservation 

• Dean, Office of Academic Affairs 

Contract Dates:

• August 15, 2025 – May 15, 2026  

Position Summary:  

The SFS Center for Endangered Species Conservation, located in Kenya, seeks an enthusiastic, team-oriented individual to serve as part of a team of faculty and staff that delivers an interdisciplinary, hands-on learning experience to students spending a semester in Kenya. On a contract basis, the Lecturer in Human Dimensions of Conservation will deliver the 50-hour Human Dimensions of Endangered Species Conservation course during the spring semester. Additionally, during spring, they will co-teach the 50-hour Directed Research course with other faculty members, leading a faculty-developed directed research project with a small group of students. SFS Kenya has a thematic focus on wildlife and natural resource management and community livelihoods and well-being in the rift-valley of rural Kenya. 

SFS programs are field-based and experiential. This position will engage students in a classroom and through extensive time spent in the field. We encourage faculty to integrate as much fieldwork and hands-on experience into their courses as possible.  

SFS programs do not follow a nine to five model. Faculty are also integral members of the Center’s communal living model, eating and working with the student cohort.   

Faculty are expected to be active members in the community-building process. Additional responsibilities outside of teaching may include participation in community engagement days, involvement in student life, organization of laboratory space, and general Center upkeep. We are especially interested in candidates with experience teaching to a diverse student body, and demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in a learning environment, conservation, and the Center’s host community.   

Center Focus:  

Kenya’s spectacular wildlife, diverse ecosystems, and tribal communities face environmental threats such as climate change and decreased availability of important natural resources. Our research focuses on understanding these threats and their impact with the primary emphasis on wildlife and their ongoing resource needs. In the Maasai Steppe of southern Kenya, finite resources are stretched in many directions. With continued human expansion and fragmentation of wildlife habitats, the immense pressure on this resource will only continue to grow. 

Through coursework, field exercises, and Directed Research, students will study people’s dependence on wildlife and other natural resources, examine the threats to the environment and to social networks, and explore the tools and strategies for mitigating the threats and promoting well-being among communities. A strong component of the program will be examining the ecological patterns and processes that underpin the high diversity of wildlife in the region. 

SFS Position on Diversity and Inclusion:  

SFS was founded with the belief that stewardship of our planet is the responsibility of people all around the world. Addressing complex global issues requires the active inclusion of stakeholders with varying perspectives and identities. We recognize that to successfully address threats to our natural world, we must look beyond social constructs designed to divide us. Just as we value biodiversity in all its forms, we value and engage with a multitude of diverse perspectives and people in the countries where we work and the students and staff we serve. 

Minimum qualifications 

• Candidates must have pre-existing work authorization or be a Kenyan national to be considered. 

• M.S. and university-level teaching experience in areas related to community conservation, community tourism, community development, conservation sociology, human dimension relationships, or related field.   

• Experience teaching international students (preferably U.S. students) 

• Field research experience, preferably in the fields of conservation or sociology. 

• Experience with Maasai or other pastoral communities in community resource conservation 

• Demonstrated commitment to creating inclusive learning environments 

• Demonstrated ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary teaching and research team 

• Track record of research publications 

• Experience teaching classes in the field 

• Demonstrated commitment to environmental issues 

• Fluent in English (all courses taught in English)