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Endowed Chair in Ecology or Evolutionary Biology (Associate/Full Professor)

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Application Deadline: December 7th (target date)

The University of Connecticut (UConn) invites applications for a faculty position in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). The successful candidate will be named to a five-year term as the inaugural recipient of a rotating endowed Chair in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. We encourage applications from biologists working in all areas of ecology and evolution. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to, quantitative or theoretical ecology, plant biodiversity and systematics, global change biology, and population genetics/genomics. We value both theoretical and empirical work as well as the unique insights that can emerge from organism-centered research programs.
The successful candidate will have an internationally recognized research program in ecology and/or evolutionary biology with a record of publication and funding success. They will have developed innovative courses and instruction methods for undergraduate and graduate teaching levels, and mentored students in research, outreach, and professional development. The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching and/or public engagement, including broadening participation among members of under-represented groups; and developing pedagogical techniques designed to meet the needs of diverse learning styles, backgrounds and intellectual interests.
Evaluation of candidates will be made by assessment of 1) research accomplishments, productivity and extramural funding; 2) statement of research objectives; 3) statement of teaching objectives; 4) statement on diversity, equity and inclusion; and 5) professional references.

The EEB Department is one of the top Ecology and Evolutionary Biology departments in the nation. The Department offers a highly collaborative environment at a leading public research university committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. EEB has 25 tenured/tenure-track faculty members whose work spans systematics, evolution, ecology, organismal biology, behavior and conservation biology. The Department is looking forward to an upcoming move into new space (beginning in 2021) with state-of-the-art research and teaching labs. EEB’s Biodiversity Research Collections (https://biodiversity.uconn.edu) comprise outstanding collections of vertebrates and invertebrates, and plants (CONN herbarium and EEB greenhouses). Departmental foci are complemented by faculty in our sister departments, Molecular and Cell Biology, Physiology and Neurobiology, and Natural Resources and the Environment, as well in the Institute for Systems Genomics. Additional information about the Department can be found at http://www.eeb.uconn.edu .

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation.

Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • A Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology or a related field (or equivalent foreign degree).

  • A record of peer-reviewed publication commensurate with career stage.

  • A record of extramural funding (e.g., fellowships or grants) commensurate with career stage.

  • Evidence of deep commitment to supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity.

  • A demonstrated commitment to innovative, inclusive and effective teaching in biology

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Internationally recognized research program that integrates within and across disciplinary boundaries with potential to advance and transform the field.

  • A research program that complements and expands the Department’s strengths.

  • Current extramural funding.

  • A record of excellence in teaching.

  • A record of fostering diversity and inclusion through teaching, outreach or research.


APPOINTMENT TERMS
This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2021. The successful candidate’s academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY
Application target date – December 7, 2020.
Follow the ‘Faculty Positions’ link at http://jobs.uconn.edu, which will redirect you to Academic Jobs Online, where you will be asked to upload the following materials:

  • A cover letter,

  • Curriculum vitae, with names and email addresses of three people willing to provide letters of reference. (No letters required with application.)

  • Research and scholarship statement (What is the big picture for your research, and how will your program move your field forward? What are the innovative concepts that will form the basis of your academic career, experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students, etc.);

  • Teaching statement (including teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to inclusive and effective learning, concepts for new course development, etc.);

  • Statement of commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity (e.g., broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of diverse learning styles);

For some guidance on statements see: https://ofew.berkeley.edu/guidelines-applicants-writing-statements

For questions please contact EEB Program Assistant Nick Boston (nicholas.boston@uconn.edu) or Search Chair Carl Schlichting (schlicht@uconn.edu).

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