The Department of Biology at Bucknell University invites applications for the Richard E. and Yvonne Smith Postdoc-to-Tenure-Track (Smith PTT) Fellow Position in Ecology, Evolution, or Biodiversity to start in August 2024. The successful candidate will spend two years as a postdoc with a reduced teaching load, then move into a tenure-track line with full teaching responsibilities in year three.
The Smith PTT Fellowship promotes pedagogical and institutional excellence through the diversification of faculty and curricula at the university. Richard and Yvonne Smith were people of great intellectual curiosity and humility, with uplifting and encouraging spirits and a generous hospitality that was a foundation for promoting inclusion and belonging at Bucknell. They reached out to and engaged with students and colleagues in ways that left a profound and positive impact on the institution. In that spirit, we are seeking candidates from diverse backgrounds who have an active intellectual life that they wish to share with the Bucknell community. Candidates from communities underrepresented among higher education faculty are strongly encouraged to apply.
For this position, we seek individuals with teaching and scholarly interests linked to the use of large datasets to answer questions in the areas of ecology, evolution, biodiversity, or organismal biology and who wish to cultivate and develop these interests with support and additional mentoring from a welcoming academic community. Subject areas may include (but are not limited to) organismal/ecosystem response to climate change, evolutionary processes, bioinformatics, ecoinformatics, conservation biology, and systematics.
A Ph.D. is required; candidates in the final stages of their dissertation will be considered but would have to complete the degree to continue employment after the first year. Candidates are asked to convey in their application materials an enthusiasm for undergraduate teaching, a commitment to inclusive teaching practices in the classroom and laboratory, and an interest in establishing a productive and student-inclusive research program. We are seeking an individual with teaching interests to support the Biology curriculum (including our new introductory core sequence), as well as scholarly interests that complement our current capabilities. This position is ideal for candidates who are excited about working to enhance established strengths of the University, examples of which may include research involving undergraduates, collaboration within and across disciplines, and community engagement.
The successful candidate will spend two years as a Smith PTT Fellow at Bucknell, bringing new perspectives and contemporary knowledge and participating in campus life. The Fellow will receive mentoring; a reduced teaching load (3 course-equivalents instead of 5); financial resources for scholarship, travel, and professional development; and other support that will help them a) better understand the nature of a career as a teacher-scholar at our predominantly undergraduate institution; b) develop and strengthen their pedagogical skills and experience; and c) establish and enhance their research trajectory. The Fellow will have the opportunity to engage in innovative teaching and scholarship within our excellent facilities, including the University’s Teaching and Learning Center. At the end of the two-year fellowship period, and with positive evaluations, the Fellow will transition into a tenure-track faculty position at Bucknell.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach one course in our recently-established Biology core sequence that consists of a first-year seminar-style course (BIOL 201), a first-year Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) offering (BIOL 202), and two semester-long second-year Integrative and Comparative Biology classes. Other teaching responsibilities will include an upper-level course in the individual’s area of expertise or other courses that meet the general education goals of the University.
Application materials must include the following five documents: 1) a cover letter that clearly summarizes the candidate’s interest in Bucknell and in this position; 2) a current curriculum vitae; 3) a teaching statement that conveys the candidate’s interest in undergraduate teaching, describes the candidate’s ideas or philosophy for equitable and inclusive teaching, and identifies Biology courses to which the candidate could contribute (3 pages maximum); 4) a research statement addressing the candidate’s plans for scholarly work at Bucknell and how that work may include undergraduates (2 pages maximum); and 5) contact information for at least three potential references (letters may be requested by the search committee). Applications will only be accepted online through Bucknell’s career site (careers.bucknell.edu). Review of applications begins on September 1 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested individuals may contact the Chair of the search committee, Dr. Emily Stowe (estoweva@bucknell.edu), with any questions you may have or to convey your interest in the position and intent to apply.
Compensation range: NIH Postdoc rate for first two years, then Assistant Prof starting base salary in third year (was around $82K in 2022-2023).
