The Department of Biology at Willamette University welcomes applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 2017.
We are seeking a biologist who is building a career as both a scholar and a teacher. Candidates with expertise in any area of biology are encouraged to apply. We are especially interested in candidates who could teach undergraduate courses in one or more of the following areas: Physiology, Evolution and Ecology, and/or Molecular Cellular Biology. The successful applicant will be committed to building a program integrating teaching, research, and mentoring at the undergraduate level, and will be expected to teach 5 course units a year (1.0 unit/lecture, 0.5 unit/lab), establish a research program involving undergraduate students, and participate in service to the University community. The successful applicant will work to build an extramurally fundable program integrating research and teaching in collaboration with undergraduates, faculty and staff. Teaching assignments will include an introductory non-majors biology course (BIOL 110 Principles of Biology), a course in the Biology Major’s Core Curriculum (either Biology 244, Biology 125, or Biology 130), a Research Intensive course based on their own research program, and upper- division course(s) in the candidate’s area of expertise. Course sizes range from 12 to 48 students.
We have discovered that junior colleagues thrive here when arriving with a Ph.D. in biology or a related field and postdoctoral research experience; therefore candidates must have a Ph.D. in Biology or a closely related field and postdoctoral experience is preferred but not required. A.B.D. candidates will be considered, but the Ph.D. must be completed before beginning the
appointment. Believing that diversity contributes to academic excellence and to rich and rewarding communities, Willamette University is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body. Candidates from historically under-represented groups, whose work furthers our diversity and inclusion efforts, and who bring to campus varied life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
Your online application should include:
1. A cover letter describing your interest in the position and how this position fits with your career aspirations and goals.
2. A teaching statement describing your experience and philosophy that includes your anticipated curricular contributions and pedagogical practices.
3. A research statement that includes your major research question, theoretical framework, and anticipated plans for adapting your program to support undergraduate research and learning.
4. A diversity statement describing how, through your scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and/or community service, you will further Willamette University’s commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds. The successful applicant must demonstrate experience working in diverse, multicultural environments.
5. A current CV.
6. Your undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
7. Three reference letters* from people who can speak to your promise and/or experience as a teacher-scholar, collaborative community member, and mentor.
* Please notify your references that they will be contacted electronically by Willamette Human Resources. The email will contain a link where a letter of recommendation/reference can be submitted. Letters will be accessible only to the search committee.
The position is open until finalists are selected. For full consideration, all application materials should be received by September 30, 2016.
Inquiries may be addressed to:
Emma Coddington, Search Chair
Biology Department
If you need assistance applying for this position please contact Human Resources, human-resources@wil
About Biology at Willamette: Our faculty members view themselves as teacher-scholars; teaching in our department is inspired by Vision and Change (NSF, AAC&U, 2011) and learning through research training is deeply imbedded in the curriculum at all levels. This approach enables us to engage in best pedagogical practices and better serve our increasingly diverse and excellent community of students. Sixty percent of our graduates enter careers in science and technology. The Department is committed to mentoring the career development of junior faculty. Tenure-track faculty have individual laboratory space and access to shared research facilities, including recently renovated molecular and microscopy core facilities. Significant department funding is available to support teaching and scholarship. All faculty members are strongly encouraged to seek extramural funding for research and pedagogical projects. Willamette’s Office for Faculty Research and Resources has an outstanding record of helping faculty to find and secure grant funding. For more information about the Department of Biology, please visit
Willamette University, is a selective residential liberal arts college in the heart of the Willamette Valley and is one of forty Colleges that Change Lives (Penguin Books 2012). Founded in 1842, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the Far West. Situated in Oregon’s capital city, Willamette includes the College of Liberal Arts (approximately 2000 students), and graduate programs in Law and Management. The academic year is divided into two semesters, beginning in late August and ending in May.
Willamette University enrolls a substantial number of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students of color. Over the past two years, 20% of our undergraduate students were first-generation; 21% were Pell-eligible; and 24% identified as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or of two or more ethnic backgrounds. The academic undergraduate profile is high. Recent students have received prestigious NSF, Watson, Truman, Fulbright, and Goldwater fellowships.
This year, Willamette University anticipates hiring tenure-track faculty in the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Civic Communication and Media, Economics, History, Mathematics, and Religious Studies.
Willamette University is located in Salem, Oregon in the center of the Willamette Valley, approximately an hour’s drive from the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and the cities of Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene. To learn more about Willamette University, please
visit http://www.willamette.ed
