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The Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at the University of California, Riverside invites applications for two 9-month tenure-track faculty positions at the rank of Assistant Professor in any area of basic or applied Ecology, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. These positions are part of a University of California Advancing Faculty Diversity Program-funded cluster hire in the EEOB department.

Candidates should address key issues in any subdiscipline of Ecology, broadly defined. This may include, but is not limited to, mechanisms of species coexistence; effects of environmental change on organisms, populations, communities, or ecosystems; causes and consequences of biogeographic/macroecological patterns; conservation/restoration of impacted ecosystems; and integration of ecology with physiological, behavioral, or evolutionary processes. Applicants may conduct research involving any combination of empirical or theoretical methods, including laboratory experiments, field experiments or observations, analyses of existing datasets, and mathematical/statistical modeling. We welcome candidates who employ approaches to integrate ecological science with the social dimensions that underlie environmental issues such as the valuation of biodiversity, studies of linked human/natural systems, decolonial ecology, and integration of traditional/indigenous ecological knowledge. 

We particularly seek applicants who bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) expertise to their research, teaching, and/or service and have an extensive track record of DEI actions. This may include, but is not limited to, expertise arising from lived experiences; having developed a clear and scholarly understanding of systems of oppression through an extensive and sustained program of DEI education; having a deep understanding of contemporary inclusive pedagogy; leveraging lived experience to inform a research program, serve as a role model, or provide expert mentoring; conducting research that disrupts systems of oppression or benefits minoritized communities or regions; having led large-scale, long-running, impactful DEI initiatives; having extensive experience in implementing inclusive pedagogy; and/or having extensive experience in recruiting, mentoring and promoting the success of students from historically excluded groups. 

The successful candidate will develop a creative, extramurally funded research program, support the Biology curriculum through teaching and mentoring, and contribute to departmental and campus success through service. Teaching responsibilities may include participation in existing courses in introductory biology, upper-division, and graduate courses, the opportunity to contribute to the development of a “Biology in Society” core curriculum, and supervision of graduate and undergraduate students. 

The successful candidate will join a vibrant community of researchers in the EEOB Department and its graduate program, as well as across several life sciences programs and the UCR School of Medicine. These include the GGB (Genetics,

Genomics, and Bioinformatics), Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Entomology, and Environmental Sciences graduate programs, all of which involve outstanding interdepartmental groups of faculty. Other collaborative research groups on campus include the Center for Conservation Biology, the Environmental Dynamics and GeoEcology (EDGE) Institute, the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, and the interdepartmental Ecology Group. The successful candidate will have access to diverse biomes with steep ecological gradients within an hour of campus, many of which are represented within the UC Natural Reserve System (https://ucnrs.org). They will also have access to a herbarium and other collections; world-class greenhouses; experimental agricultural fields (https://agops.ucr.edu/); a high-performance computing cluster; and many other modern laboratory and field resources. The successful candidate will be provided with access to an extensive mentoring community at UCR and across the UC system through an Advancing Faculty Diversity Program grant that supports mentor training and mentee travel. Consult https://eeob.ucr.edu for further details.

The UC salary consists of a base pay of $78,200 - $101,400 for Assistant Professors and additional off-scale to be commensurate with market value, qualifications and experiences. The off-scale portion of the salary will be maintained as long as satisfactory academic progress is made. Additionally, the off-scale will be maintained subject to market adjustments to the UC salary scale. 

Required qualifications for this position that must be met by the date of application include: Research experience in Ecology, Evolution, Organismal Biology or a related area and demonstrated excellence in research.

Additional qualifications for this position that must be met by the date of hire include: A Ph.D. and at least one year of postdoctoral experience.

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: Please submit the following items to https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF01983

• Cover Letter (~2 pages)

• Curriculum Vitae

• Statement of Teaching and Mentoring (~2 pages)

• Statement of Research/Scholarly Activities (~2 pages)

• Statement of Past and/or Planned Future Contributions to Advancing Diversity and Inclusive Excellence (~2 pages)

• Up to three reprints

• Letters of Reference – Contact information for three potential letter writers. Letters will be requested by the search committee if needed.

Review of applications will commence on December 20, 2024, and proceed until the position is filled.  For full consideration, applicants should submit their complete applications prior to the above date.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Kurt Anderson, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at kurt.anderson@ucr.edu.  For questions on application procedures and requirements, please contact Ashleigh Bennett, Academic Personnel, at ashleigh.bennett@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 (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 or protected veteran status.

For the University of California’s Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-035.pdf.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination.

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.