General Information: The Sam Houston State University Department of Biological Sciences seeks applicants for a Visiting Faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor that combines teaching experience with an opportunity for research. Contingent on available funding, this is a full-time appointment that will run from September 1, 2013 through May 31, 2015. Salary is competitive and includes full benefits.
The position is ideally suited for a candidate who is seeking a post- doctoral position with expanded teaching responsibilities, while still maintaining an active research program. The fellow will teach classes at the introductory and advanced levels, will have the opportunity to move doctoral work to publication, and acquire additional skills through the initiation of new research projects in collaboration with current faculty members. During the term of the position the candidate will be a member of a department that emphasizes excellence in teaching and research, will be able to co-mentor passionate graduate and undergraduate student researchers and will have an opportunity to see how faculty members operate successfully at a comprehensive academic institution. Research Interests: We strongly prefer an individual with research interests that build on existing faculty expertise, although other areas may be entertained if appropriate and supportable by a faculty mentor. It will be the applicants responsibility to identify and contact the faculty member(s) they would potentially choose to pair with, and the faculty member(s) prerogative to allow the applicant access to their lab for collaborative research. The successful applicant will have access to funds to support research and travel and will be encouraged to explore external grant opportunities. Teaching: Because SHSU is primarily an undergraduate teaching institution, the visiting faculty member will fill a standard 9 semester credit hour teaching load each semester. The teaching schedule will be defined by departmental needs, but will include freshman lecture courses and/or upper division courses as needed in the applicants area of expertise that are in the departments current course rotation. You can read more about the Biological Sciences undergraduate and graduate curricula and find additional information on the courses our faculty members teach and the research they do by going to their respective homepages. Applications: Materials candidates will need to submit include the following: A brief cover letter expressing your interest in the position and briefly summarizing your training in your specific research area(s), who you would select as a faculty mentor at SHSU and why you want to work with them, and your teaching experience. Curriculum vitae. Research and teaching statements. Both statements should be brief -- on the order of two or three pages. The research statement should concisely explain your doctoral research program and expected future direction(s) and how your goals are consistent with work in a current SHSU mentors lab. The teaching statement should explain the basis for your interest in teaching at the undergraduate level, briefly summarize your previous teaching experience and why you are qualified to teach the courses mentioned above. You should also briefly explain how you believe this opportunity might help your professional goals. Please do not send us a statement of your "teaching philosophy." Copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts. These are used to help us assess an applicant's training. Unofficial copies are acceptable with the application, but the Dean's Office requires an official copy before hire. List the contact information (name, address, telephone number and email address) for three references and your relationship to these referees. Review of applications: Begins June 1, 2013 and continues until position is filled. Members of the Search Committee (Please address inquiries to the Chair): Chair: Dr. Monte L. Thies E-mail: wood...@shsu.edu Phone: (936) 294-3746 Members: Dr. Patrick Lewis and Dr. Jeff Wozniak General Information on the University and Department: About the University: Named for Sam Houston, Texas greatest hero, SHSU continually strives to honor its historical roots through academic excellence that includes exceptional teaching from faculty members who care as much about their students success as they do about furthering the knowledge of their fields. SHSU offers over 80 bachelor's degree programs, more than 50 masters degree programs, and six doctoral programs, including nationally-recognized programs in Business, Fine Arts, Education, Mathematics and Criminal Justice. SHSU is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report for being among the best in the country for online graduate programs. In addition, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classified SHSU as a "Community Engaged" university. This honor was awarded in 2010 to only sixty-one public institutions nationwide and acknowledges the university's significant commitment to serving the community. About the Department: The Department of Biological Sciences is dedicated to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge and scientific discovery in the life sciences through innovative teaching and research. Our Department strives to instill in its students the philosophy of lifelong scholarship, producing scientifically literate members of society who have the knowledge to contribute and compete in a rapidly changing world. Facilities: The Department occupies modern teaching and research facilities with large- scale computing capabilities, scintillation counter, cell sorter, animal rearing facility, acid rain monitoring station, 250 acre field research station, SHSU Natural History Collections and the Warner Herbarium, and modern equipment to support research in cell biology, molecular biology, and systematics. The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to affiliate with the SHSU Texas Research Institute of Environmental Studies.