Spatial Analysis Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Tenure Track Faculty Position
Assistant Professor of Criminology - GIS and Spatial Analysis
Department of Sociology
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona invites applications for a tenure track faculty  position in the Department of Sociology. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 22-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn- by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university's nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus's more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master's degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor's degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In 2022, the campus launched the Black Thriving Initiative recognizing that Cal Poly Pomona's future as a university is linked to the success of its Black community. More information about our Principles of Community can be found here. 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour's drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

Student Population: Cal Poly Pomona is the number one polytechnic university in the nation for student diversity and economic mobility. Our caring and inclusive campus community is committed to helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it. In Fall 2024, Cal Poly Pomona served more than 25,000 students and close to 2,000 graduate students, mostly residents of California. Over half of Cal Poly Pomona students are first-generation college students, 70% receive financial aid, and 42% are low-income students. The university enrolls 57% percent of historically underrepresented students. Our diverse student body identifies as 54% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% Asian, 13% White, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown, 2% African American/Black, 2% International, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American. Forty-five percent of students enroll in our STEM majors and our top five enrolled programs across the university include mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, psychology, as well as finance, real estate, and law.

The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences: Cal Poly Pomona's College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS) brings to life a vibrant hands-on experience through disciplines in the humanities, performing arts, and social sciences. As the heart and soul of the campus, the College's mission is to cultivate one's intellectual development, ethical reasoning, and aesthetic sensibility to support creative and critical thinking in a dynamic world of competing challenges. We are a community diverse in backgrounds, expertise, and thought, committed to improving the human condition and to bettering the world. Our faculty, students, and staff are devoted to creating an inclusive environment where all can thrive through the College's programs, research activities, creative performances, community outreach, and signature experiences. Learn more about the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences and our 12 distinct departments at www.cpp.edu/class.

Department of Sociology: The Department of Sociology currently consists of 16 tenured/tenure track faculty covering two undergraduate majors: General Sociology and Criminology. The department also offers a Sociology degree with a specialty in Social Work, which we are in the process of developing into a CSWE accredited BSW program, with an anticipated launch in Fall 2027.

Our interdisciplinary faculty play a central role in developing students' sociological imaginations and equipping them with analytical skills to examine the complex challenges facing contemporary society. Through expertise in areas including racial and ethnic inequality, education, sport, politics, gender, disability, and policing and punishment, faculty provide students with broad perspectives on social institutions, social problems, and diverse communities. The Department also has a strong tradition of fostering student research and leadership, public scholarship, and campus and community partnerships that support student and faculty professional development and departmental values of equity, belonging, and inclusion. Grounded in a shared commitment to social justice, our faculty prepare students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to pursue meaningful careers and contribute to positive social change.

Position Description

The Department of Sociology seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Criminology specializing in GIS and spatial analysis. The successful candidate will support the Criminology major and broader Sociology curriculum through teaching, advising, scholarship, curriculum development, and service. We are especially interested in a GIS methodologist whose teaching and research connect spatial analysis to criminology, social inequality, and applied public or community problems.

Areas of expertise may include crime mapping and spatial analysis, spatial dimensions of policing and other criminal legal systems, environmental criminology and neighborhood effects, urban inequality and spatial segregation, demography and population studies, quantitative methodology, and community-engaged or policy-relevant geospatial research.

The position requires excellence in teaching, advising, professional and scholarly achievements, and service to the department, university, profession, and community. CPP faculty are expected to teach the equivalent of four courses per semester, with junior faculty provided one course release each semester for their first two years. The prospective hire will contribute to high-demand courses in Criminology and Sociology, develop GIS-related curriculum, and integrate applied geospatial modules into existing courses such as Crime Analysis, Research Methods, Statistics, Urban Sociology, Quantitative Analysis, and Introduction to Criminology. Candidates are strongly urged to familiarize themselves with our program, department, university, and mission.

Minimum Requirements Include

• Ph.D. in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Sociology or a closely related social science field from an accredited university. Doctoral degree must be completed by the start of the appointment.
• Specialization in GIS, spatial analysis, or geospatial methods as applied to criminology, public safety, urban inequality, demography, or related social science questions.
• Evidence of an active or developing scholarly agenda in criminology or a related field that uses GIS, spatial analysis, quantitative methods, mixed methods, or applied geospatial research.
• University teaching experience as instructor of record and/or teaching assistant.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with students, staff, and faculty from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications

• Evidence of ability to teach GIS, crime mapping, spatial data analysis, research methods, statistics, quantitative methods, crime analysis, demography, or other methods-intensive courses.
• Evidence of ability to teach courses across the Department's curriculum.
• Evidence of teaching excellence through student evaluations, peer observations, examples of pedagogical innovation, or other evidence of a commitment to teaching.
• Evidence of experience using specialized GIS or spatial analysis tools, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, R, Python, GeoDa, spatial SQL, or related software.
• Evidence of an active scholarly agenda that can provide opportunities for undergraduate student research.
• Evidence of ability to serve as an academic advisor and research mentor to a diverse undergraduate student body.
• Experience with community-engaged, agency-based, public-sector, or policy-relevant research in criminology, justice, public safety, urban inequality, or related areas.
• Evidence of curriculum and/or program development experience, especially applied methods, GIS, digital humanities, data science, or career-readiness curriculum.
• Potential for interdisciplinary collaboration with programs such as Geography, Political Science, Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, or Architecture.

Conditions of Employment

The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

Application Process

A completed application will consist of:

• Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications (2-page maximum);
• Curriculum vitae;
• Teaching Philosophy Statement (2-page maximum) that addresses Cal Poly Pomona's commitment to excellence in education;
• Research Statement (2-page maximum);
• Unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate; official transcripts will be required of finalists);
• Names and contact information for three references.

Semi-finalists for this position will be required to:

• Appear for a 1-hour interview on Zoom

Finalists for this position will be required to:

• Appear for a 1-day on-campus interview;
• Provide official transcripts for highest degree prior to campus interview;
• Provide three letters of reference; and
• Make a teaching demonstration and research presentation.

Please direct inquiries to Dr. Peter Hanink, pahanink@cpp.edu.

The position is open until filled. First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than September 30, 2026.

Applications accepted only via PageUp - online application portal - for University hires.

Disclosures

Education Code 89521 Requirements:

Pursuant to Education Code 89521 applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant's current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Background Check: 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be satisfactorily completed.  Offers of employment are conditional and may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Out of State Employment:

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California.  It is also expected that faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.

Mandated Reporter: 

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 as a condition of employment.

International Candidates:

Cal Poly Pomona is not currently sponsoring faculty for H-1B work status if they are subject to the $100,000 fee established under the Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers issued on September 19, 2025. For faculty already in the United States who hold a valid nonimmigrant visa (such as F-1, J-1, or O-1), Cal Poly Pomona is able to consider filing a petition to change their status to H-1B based on the current determination that the fee does not apply. For questions, please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs at avpfa@cpp.edu. We strongly recommend that faculty review their individual circumstances carefully with their personal immigration legal counsel.

Clery Act:
In compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, Califor...