Assistant Professor of Biology

STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

POSITION: Assistant Professor of Biology

Stetson University seeks applications for the position of tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biology. This is a full time, 9-month position beginning in August 2023.

QUALIFICATIONS:
We seek a dedicated teacher-scholar who will be an excellent teacher, engaged undergraduate research mentor, and productive scholar. A Ph.D. in a biological science with a research focus at the organismal level is required. Postdoctoral experience is strongly recommended. While our search is broad and we will consider candidates with any taxonomic specialty, specific expertise in behavioral, ecological, or physiological biology is preferred. The successful candidate will have demonstrated excellence in teaching undergraduates, an ability to mentor undergraduate research projects, and a record of scholarly publication in their area of expertise. Candidates also should have a strong commitment to innovative teaching and academic advising of undergraduates. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience or interest in engaging students from diverse backgrounds.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
As a liberal learning institution, Stetson focuses on education of the whole student through a strong foundation in General Education, deep disciplinary training, and experiential learning. Thus, this tenure-track faculty position has a strong focus on teaching, advising, and mentoring of undergraduate research. The combined teaching load is equivalent to three course units per semester, which typically ranges from 9 to 12 contact hours per week. Primary teaching responsibilities include upper-division courses in the field of expertise (the ability to teach an upper division course in either physiology or vertebrate anatomy is desirable), introductory biology courses, and mentoring of capstone senior research projects. All majors in the College of Arts and Sciences complete a Senior Project, and therefore mentoring undergraduates as researchers is a key responsibility. As teacher-scholars, candidates will be expected to be excellent teachers and pursue a vibrant research program. The candidate will also provide academic advising for undergraduates each semester. University service and/or leadership are also expected commensurate with rank.

For more information on our expectations in teaching, scholarship, and service our tenure policies, and our support for faculty development, please see the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs website: http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/index.php. Stetson University is committed to ongoing development of faculty and offers opportunities such as professional development workshops and internal grants through its Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence and faculty travel support.

THE DEPARTMENT:
The Biology Department (http://www.stetson.edu/other/academics/programs/biology.php) consists of eleven tenured or tenure-track full-time faculty members with areas of expertise in molecular biology, genetics, physiology, plant ecology, neurobiology, cancer biology, microbiology, and aquatic and terrestrial ecology. We emphasize small classes and investigative research in and out of the classroom. For examples of collaborative research with students across the University, see “Stetson Showcase” at http://www.stetson.edu/other/research/showcase.php.

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:
Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.stetson.edu/portal/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools. With nineteen academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts. A great strength of the College is its faculty of approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars. The College offers 31 undergraduate majors and 34 undergraduate minors; six graduate degrees are offered in Education, Counselor Education, and Creative Writing. Every undergraduate major requires a senior research project, giving students the opportunity to design and carry out independent research under faculty mentorship. Our academic programs are shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility.

All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional, and global community. The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences prepare students to live significant lives, to interact with and positively affect the world around them.

THE UNIVERSITY:
Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs. Collectively, Stetson’s faculty works with nearly 4,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls more than 2,600 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1954, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs offered include Business, Accounting, Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Creative Writing. Florida’s oldest private institution of higher learning, Stetson has regularly been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively. Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally, and globally.

THE COMMUNITY:
DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 32,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

SALARY:
Salary is competitive.

STARTING DATE:
August 10, 2023

APPLICATION:
Applicants must send the following materials for consideration: 1) a cover letter that includes the candidate's philosophy of teaching, advising, and mentoring of undergraduate research in a liberal arts university, 2) a research plan, 3) a curriculum vitae, and 4) three letters of recommendation, at least two of which include an evaluation of teaching ability. Candidates are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled, with preference given to applications received on or before October 21, 2022.

Application materials may be submitted electronically to Dr. Michael King at mking@stetson.edu
or mailed to the following address:

Dr. Michael King, Search Committee Chair
Department of Biology
Stetson University
421 N. Woodland Blvd. Unit 8264
DeLand, FL 32723

Stetson University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence at Stetson University. We are committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a globalized world. We strongly encourage members of historically under-represented and economically-disadvantaged groups and women to apply for employment. Stetson University is an EEO, ADA, ADEA, and GINA employer.