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The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California invites applicants for a tenure track Assistant Professor. This position is anticipated to be available from July 1, 2024.

UCR Earth and Planetary Sciences is a world-leading leading innovator in revealing the coordinated changes between physical and biological environments during major transitions in Earth’s history as well as the relevance of these relationships to planets other than the Earth. Current members of the Department have shown how the mechanics of life’s capacity to bio-engineer the planet’s oceanic and atmospheric composition and climate is a powerful complement to the geochemistry-based approaches for elucidating Earth history, in which our department is already eminent. A major current strength is hence in determining the empirical chemical and physical record of life’s history, and in drawing mechanistic inferences into the processes that governed ancient life directly from the geologic and fossil record itself.
The hiring of a paleontologist focused on the evolutionary record of Earth-Life interaction is a priority in promoting the Departments long term goals in understanding feedbacks between organic and paleoenvironmental evolution. A major opportunity exists to exploit the burgeoning genomic record of living and sub-fossil organisms for direct insights into the evolution of those gene regulatory networks that governed critical steps in the evolution of the Earth-Life system. This can be achieved using a comparative genomic approach based on understanding of the shared genetic information and architecture, and optimized by drawing on a unique campus resource: the Department’s extensive recent and fossil collections of Pacific coast invertebrate fossils. This collection is currently being digitized through a grant from the NSF iDigBio initiative, and promotes interactions with the UCR’s Center for Integrated Biological Collections and the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology (IIGB). Accordingly, we will seek an individual using specimen-based data to address long-term biotic phenotypic and genotypic change in the context physical changes to the Earth system, particularly with respect to paleoclimate, and in the boarder context of evolving planetary habitability. This hire will complement but significantly expand the Department’s current strengths in paleobiology, current and past climate change, and will bridge both with our initiative in Alternative Earth Astrobiology, and with college-wide objectives regarding UCR’s natural history archive and genomics, and can also complement interests in BCOE.

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California – Riverside, is seeking a tenure track assistant professor who uses specimen-based paleontology to address phenotypic and genotypic change in the context physical changes to the Earth system, particularly with respect to paleoclimate, but also in the boarder context of evolving planetary habitability. This may be achieved using a comparative approach based on both genetic and morphological architecture and could potentially draw on the Department’s extensive recent and fossil Pacific coast invertebrate fossil collections. We expect the successfully candidate to have proven ability in both the field and lab. Candidates for this position are required to have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in geology, evolutionary biology, or a related field, and demonstrated excellence in research and teaching. The successful candidate will be fully engaged in the teaching mission of the Department and the College, including formal classroom and field instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and mentoring of baccalaureate, MS, and PhD students in research and the process of knowledge development. Advancement through the faculty ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every 2-3 years, each of which includes substantial peer input.

To apply: Interested individuals are required to submit a cover letter, most recently updated curriculum vitae, contact information for three to five letters of reference, a Statement of Teaching, a Statement of Research, and a Contribution to Diversity Statement to the AP Recruit website at https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01856. Review of applications will begin February 1st, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. 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, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Required qualifications for this position that must be met by the date of application include:
• Ph.D. or equivalent degree in paleontology, evolutionary biology, Earth sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated excellence in research and demonstrated (or the clear potential for) excellence in teaching.

Preferred qualifications for this position include: extensive experience of field- and/or lab-based geological investigation.

To apply: submit the following to https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01856
• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Names and contact details of three to five referees
• Statement of Teaching
• Statement of Research

Review of applications will commence on February 1st, 2024, and proceed until position is filled. For full consideration, applicants should submit their complete applications prior to this above date. For more information about this position, please contact Andy Ridgwell, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, at aridgwel@ucr.edu. For questions on application procedures and requirements, please contact Ashley Lawson, CNAS Academic Personnel Service Center, at ashley.lawson@ucr.edu.

The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities (AAU) as well as the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HRSU). Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

University of California COVID-19 Vaccination Program Policy: As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities (AAU) as well as the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.

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

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.