The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) seeks an innovative, visionary, and inclusive leader to chair the Department of Biology. This position would begin in Fall 2025. This is an exceptional opportunity for a world class scientist to lead a top science department at a premier US academic and research institute. The new Chair will be expected to thoughtfully approach hiring of the next generation of faculty; continue to broaden and strengthen the research portfolio of the department; nurture a culture dedicated to teaching; further develop graduate and undergraduate education; and champion an equitable and inclusive environment for staff, faculty, and students alike.
The successful candidate will have a record of academic and administrative excellence, mentoring, scientific leadership, and research in the field of biology in a university setting. A doctoral degree in biology, or a closely related field, is required. Appointment at the full professor level at an R1 university is expected.
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is home to 19 academic departments and six Centers and Institutes. Our 19 departments — home to over 300 full-time faculty and more than 58 baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees — make us the largest academic entity in the UAB academic enterprise. We are home to research centers, community outreach programs, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a research university and academic health center that discovers, teaches, and applies knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state, and beyond. UAB is internationally renowned for its intensely collaborative culture that has — for more than five decades — produced breakthroughs in education, health care, research, and service. UAB was ranked #1 in the United States for 2018 and 2019 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Young University Rankings. In 2021, Forbes named UAB as America’s No. 1 Best Large Employer, topping a list of more than 500 public and private corporations, hospitals, universities, Fortune 500 companies and more, across dozens of industries.
The Department of Biology is on the cusp of an exciting new chapter. In 2023 the Department relocated to the newly developed, state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Complex on the UAB campus. The move represents an opportunity to continue to nurture existing collaborations while expanding the breadth of interdisciplinary work across the Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the University. The Department has 25 full-time faculty and eight adjunct faculty dedicated to research and teaching with broad scientific interests ranging from the molecular to the ecological level. The breadth of faculty expertise drives diverse emphasis in cellular, molecular, developmental, environmental, and evolutionary biology; genetics and genomics; bioinformatics; healthy aging; and marine and organismal biology. UAB Biology faculty have been recognized by the University and by national and international biological organizations for their excellence in research and teaching.
Applications should include a brief cover letter outlining interest and qualifications, three 1-page statements on (1) teaching, (2) research and (3) administrative experience, a CV, and contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without permission of applicants, and formal letters of reference will be requested for finalist applicants only. Applications received by August 15, 2024, will receive full consideration.
Inquiries can be sent to Dr. Christopher Henrich at chenrich@uab.edu.
To apply, please follow this link: https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/21812
Review of applications will begin on August 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.
A pre-employment background investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.
