Brown Visiting Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Biology

STETSON UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

POSITION: Brown Visiting Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Biology

We seek a dedicated and engaging teacher and productive scholar who is passionate about undergraduate biology education and who will contribute to ongoing studies disease ecology and behavioral ecology research in the department of biology. This one-year position is funded for 12 months and will begin in August 2023. The ability to contribute to ongoing studies of fungal pathogens (e.g. Agugliaro et al. 2020, Functional Ecology), pentastome infections (e.g. Palmisano et al. 2022, Journal of Herpetology) or behavior in reptiles and amphibians is desirable.  The successful candidate will have demonstrated excellence in teaching and/or mentoring of undergraduates, and a record of scholarly publication in their area of expertise. Candidates also should have a strong commitment to innovative teaching of undergraduates. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience or interest in engaging students from diverse backgrounds.

QUALIFICATIONS:

A Ph.D. in biology with demonstrated interest in and potential for excellent undergraduate teaching. Candidates must be able to effectively engage in collaborative research with Stetson faculty and students and should have a strong commitment to innovative teaching. Experience improving access to higher education for students from underserved populations in the sciences is a plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES/TEACHING LOAD:

In keeping with the teacher-scholar model central to the mission of our liberal learning, this position involves both teaching and research. The load for this position is an average of two courses per semester. Primary teaching responsibilities in the fall semester will be one lecture section of introductory biology and one associated lab section for that course, and mentoring several senior research projects. In the spring semester, the candidate will offer an introductory biology lecture and its associated lab sections.

The candidate will also engage in collaborative research with Stetson Biology Department faculty.  We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in Herpetology (particularly conservation biology, behavior and disease ecology). For more information on our expectations in teaching and scholarship, our support for faculty development, please see the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs website: http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/index.php

THE DEPARTMENT:

The Biology Department (https://www.stetson.edu/other/academics/undergraduate/biology.php ) consists of ten full-time faculty members with areas of expertise in molecular biology and ecology, microbiology, neurobiology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and aquatic and terrestrial organismal ecology.  We emphasize small classes, investigative research in and out of the classroom, and service-learning/community based research.  For examples of collaborative research with students across the University see “Stetson Showcase”: 2023-stetson-showcase-program.docx (live.com)

THE CICI AND HYATT BROWN VISITING TEACHER-SCHOLAR FELLOWS PROGRAM:

The Brown Visiting Teacher-Scholar Fellows Program is the flagship program of the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence at Stetson University, a central resource for promoting faculty vitality and vibrancy to advance learning. The Fellows Program prepares faculty leaders who inspire excellence in learning, teaching, research, and service; in turn, Fellows leave inspired to lead. During their residency, Fellows develop their role as teacher-scholar leaders and bring niche expertise to the Stetson learning community.

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (www.stetson.edu/portal/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts. With nineteen academic departments and eight interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University. 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, allowing 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 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 1945, 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. The University’s graduate programs 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 25,000 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 15, 2023

APPLICATION:

Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration: 1) a cover letter that includes ideas for collaborative research in a liberal arts university as well as a discussion how the candidate proposes to use the residency to develop as a teacher-scholar; 2) a philosophy of teaching and learning in a liberal learning environment; 3) a curriculum vitae, 4) transcripts (copies are acceptable for screening) and 5) 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 social justice, 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 June 23, 2023.

Application materials may be submitted electronically to Dr. Terence Farrell at tfarrell@stetson.edu.

or mailed to the following address:
Dr. Terence Farrell, 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.