Assistant Professor in Freshwater Ecology

POSITION OVERVIEW

Salary range: The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See Table 1 for the salary history range. A reasonable estimate for this position is $75,100- $130,000, commensurate with experience. “Off-scale salaries” and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Anticipated start: July 1, 2024

APPLICATION WINDOW

Open date: May 22, 2023

Next review date: Monday, Aug 28, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Mar 31, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology of the University of California Santa Barbara invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Freshwater Ecology with anticipated start date of 1 July 2024. The department is looking for exceptional individuals with expertise in freshwater ecology described broadly as the interaction of organisms with their chemical and physical environment and with other organisms within the system, or who take a more systems-oriented approach to explore the functioning of inland water ecosystems. With a growing departmental focus on Global Change Biology, candidates that address how global change issues (e.g., land use change, climate change, pollution) impact the ecology of freshwater ecosystems are encouraged to apply. Research can be based upon but not limited to observational, experimental, and/or modeling approaches in habitats that range from streams, ponds, and wetlands to large lake and river systems, and includes organisms from viruses and microbes to primary producers and secondary consumers. Our department is highly collaborative with numerous projects spanning multiple disciplines and departments, and we look forward to a colleague who will contribute to the collegiality. Projects include the Santa Barbara Coastal (SBC) and Moorea Coral Reef (MCR) LTERs and those within the UC Natural Reserve System, which includes the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the research excellence within the university via their own extramurally funded research including mentoring of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. Additionally, they will contribute to teaching within the department and professional and university services.

Our department and the University of California seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California. UC Santa Barbara is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and 40% of UCSB’s undergraduate student body are first-generation college students. We invite candidates who understand the systemic barriers facing individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM and who will leverage evidence-based teaching strategies and enable diverse research opportunities to provide equitable opportunities and promote diversity and inclusion across educational environments.
The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through teaching, research, and service as appropriate to the position.

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

A Ph.D. in Ecology or similar discipline with emphasis on freshwater ecology required at the time of application. Freshwater ecologists are found within a wide range of academic departments, hence the successful candidate’s degree may be from departments of biology, ecology and evolution, botany, zoology, environmental science, and limnology, amongst others.

Candidates should have at least one quarter or semester of experience as a teaching assistant, instructor of record, lecturer in a course, or teaching in more informal settings such as in a field or modeling course offered outside a typical academic setting.

Preferred qualifications

Preferred qualifications include expertise in freshwater ecology as indicated by publications in highly ranked journals in the field and broad training with interdisciplinary experience as appropriate for freshwater ecologists. At a minimum, candidate's research should focus on the interactions of organisms in inland water habitats with their physical and chemical environment and with other organisms within the system or take a more systems-oriented approach to explore the functioning of freshwater or other inland water ecosystems.

Preferred qualifications also include teaching experience with expertise in freshwater ecology and aquatic biology using approaches that will enable access to a wide diversity of students, a track record of mentoring and fostering the success of historically under-represented students and/or the ability to interface with and contribute to departmental, institutional, and national initiatives in these areas, and successful grantsmanship commensurate with opportunities for graduate students and early career scientists.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Please submit a complete CV including full publication, funding, teaching, and mentorship records

• Cover Letter - Cover letter should express interest in the position and strengths you would bring to the department

• Statement of Research - Describe your top research contributions, as well as your vision for your future research in freshwater ecology at UCSB (1-2 pages)

• Statement of Teaching - Describe your pedagogical values and methods, your record of teaching (as teaching assistant or lecturer) and mentoring, and what courses (undergraduate & graduate) you might teach at UCSB (1-2 pages)

• Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service. (1-2 pages)

• Representative Publication 1 - Submit a total of three publications that best highlight the impact of your contributions to the field

• Representative Publication 2 - Submit a total of three publications that best highlight the impact of your contributions to the field

• Representative Publication 3 - Submit a total of three publications that best highlight the impact of your contributions to the field

Reference requirements

• 3-5 letters of reference required

Applicant initiates requests for letters of recommendation via the recruitment website. Letters should be requested by the review date and will be accepted after the review date.

Apply link: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02491

Help contact: bdinelli@ucsb.edu

CAMPUS INFORMATION

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

JOB LOCATION

Santa Barbara, CA