The Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience invites applications for a tenured Associate/Full Professor position with a specialization in the field of economics and finance of risk and insurance, with an anticipated start date of July 2026. The successful candidate will be offered a joint appointment in the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience and the Lehigh University department that best matches the candidate’s interests and background.
The individual hired will be expected to teach courses in Economics and Finance of Risk and Insurance, Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience, and other topics related with the selected home department, at the graduate and undergraduate levels. In addition, this individual is expected to engage in scholarly activities, and participate in center, department, college, and university service. The successful candidate will be expected to actively engage with the interdisciplinary research activities of the Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience as well as lead collaborative research proposals and projects within and beyond the center.
The Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience is a university wide, interdisciplinary research center focused on science, engineering, and social science applied to natural disasters and health related threats. This field is an area of distinction for Lehigh University, and it was selected as a major area of investment in its Strategic Plan. The center is expected to more than double its faculty over the next five years, through strategic hires at the early career and established levels. Lehigh University has established the first Master of Science program in the nation on the topic of Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience, as well as a Graduate Certificate. The center’s faculty and personnel have decades of experience in resilience analysis, resilience-based decision making, and development of models for catastrophe modeling. The center is running small and large research projects, in collaboration with a vast array of academic, government, and private sector partners.
Founded in 1865, Lehigh University has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. Recognized among the nation's highly ranked research universities, Lehigh offers a rigorous academic community for over 7,500 students. Lehigh University has some 5,800 undergraduates, 1,800 graduate students, and nearly 600 full-time faculty members. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, PA, a vibrant and historic area. Over 840,000 people live in the Lehigh Valley, which is in close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia.
Qualifications
Candidates must have an earned PhD in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Risk Management and Insurance, or other pertinent field by the date of employment. Example areas of interest include but are not limited to financial aspects of catastrophe modeling and disaster insurance, climate and disaster risk management, innovative property and casualty insurance instruments, catastrophe bonds and other insurance-linked securities, socio-economic impacts of disasters, conflicts, and insurance policies, financial aspects of climate adaptation or community resilience. Candidates must have a record of publications in high-impact journals, commensurate with their years of experience, and interest in mentoring doctoral students. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated record, or significant potential, to secure external funding.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, applications should be received by December 31st, 2025. Candidates should submit the following materials:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Research statement that describes past scholarly contributions and future research directions
- Teaching statement that describes instructional philosophy and courses that the candidate would want to teach or develop
- A statement on Contributions to Lehigh’s Principles of Our Equitable Community that describes how your experiences, knowledge, and skills prepare you to effectively contribute to a learning and research community that holds these principles at its core (the Lehigh ADVANCE Center’s guide for understanding and preparing such statements is available here)
- Contact information for three references will be requested from candidates in later stages of the process.
Any inquiries regarding this search should be directed to Prof. Benjamin Felzer at (bsf208@lehigh.edu) or Daniel Conus at (dac311@lehigh.edu), Co-Chairs of the search committee.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or familial status, national origin (including shared ancestry), pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Lehigh University is committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse academic community and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to this mission. Lehigh University provides competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including domestic partner benefits, and supports faculty members’ work/life balance.