Biology: Assistant Professor in Neurobiology

POSITION: The Department of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 18^th, 2025. We seek a broadly trained biologist who is committed to excellence in undergraduate education and has a research focus in neuroscience at the systems/circuit level that involves an animal model system (e.g., rodents, flies, nematodes, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians). The successful candidate will 1) contribute to our curriculum by teaching both introductory and upper-level courses in biology and neuroscience, 2) develop a vibrant research program with undergraduates, 3) engage in service to the Department, College, University, and/or community, and 4) contribute to UW-Eau Claire's commitment to achieving an equitable, diverse, and inclusive climate.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Earned Ph.D. degree by August 18^th, 2025, with demonstrated interest in joining a department that values excellence in teaching undergraduates and engaging in collaborative research with undergraduates.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Postdoctoral research experience
• Experience teaching at the undergraduate level
• Experience mentoring undergraduates in research

DUTIES: The successful candidate will teach a combination of introductory biology and neuroscience courses (such as Foundations of Biology I/II, Foundations of Biological Inquiry, Brain: Introduction to Neuroscience) and upper-level coursework related to their expertise (e.g. Systems Neuroscience; see UWEC BIOL course catalog). The candidate will have opportunities to develop additional courses to enhance our curriculum. The semester teaching commitment is 12 contact hours per week. The successful candidate will be expected to develop an active research program with undergraduate students, provide academic advising to undergraduate students (in collaboration with the Advising, Retention, and Career Center), engage in service to the Department, College, University, profession and/or community, and contribute to UW-Eau Claire's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI).

DEPARTMENT: The Department of Biology currently has 14 faculty,5 instructors, a laboratory manager, a greenhouse/vivarium manager, and approximately 650 students involved in Biology-affiliated majors (Biology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, and Microbiology). There are currently 4 primary faculty (1 in biology, 3 in psychology) and ~110 students involved in the interdisciplinary Neuroscience curriculum (80 majors, 30 minors). Department members are dedicated to teaching and are actively involved in research with undergraduates as evidenced by co-authored presentations and publications. The Department works closely with the Health Careers Center on campus to support the advancement of pre-professional and professional health science students and programs. UW-Eau Claire has an established research collaboration agreement with Mayo Clinic. This agreement is supported by administrative structure and funding for collaborative research projects involving clinicians and our faculty and students.

Departmental facilities include a variety of teaching and research laboratories with standard field and molecular research equipment, as well as shared access to conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopes, transmission and scanning electron microscopes, and additional analytical instrumentation through the Materials Science and Engineering Center, and the UW-Eau Claire high performance supercomputing cluster. We have dedicated vivarium space for animal research and access on campus to Putnam Park, a Wisconsin State Natural Area. In 2027, UW-Eau Claire will open a new ~$340m Science and Health Sciences Building, which will house the department and all teaching, research, and vivarium facilities.

Research is supported by competitive start-up packages as well as both external and internal grants through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). ORSP internal funds are available to support summer research stipends and travel to professional meetings for both students and faculty mentors. In addition, a substantial ongoing internal grant from the UW-Eau Claire differential tuition program supports our Biology Research Scholars Program, which enables cohorts of students each summer to conduct research with UWEC Biology faculty by providing funding for student stipends, faculty mentor stipends, and supplies/travel. We participate in the TRIO-Funded Ronald McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement and Upward Bound Programs as well as other initiatives to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Department has a long-standing agreement with the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos to place four interns each summer, and faculty can become involved with this partnership. Each member of the department receives annual allocations of endowed funds for professional development and/or research expenses.

To learn more about the Department of Biology, visit:  http://www.uwec.ly/biology.

UNIVERSITY and EAU CLAIRE COMMUNITY:  UW-Eau Claire is consistently recognized as a top comprehensive university in the Midwest and is widely known as a leader in undergraduate research and study abroad. A primarily undergraduate institution of ~10,000students and 1,300 faculty and staff, we strive for excellence in liberal education through commitment to teaching and learning and dedication to our core values of diversity, sustainability, leadership, and innovation. UW-Eau Claire received the 2016 Council on Undergraduate Research Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments (AURA) as the top master's-level university in the country in providing excellent undergraduate research programs and hosted the 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). UW-Eau Claire is home to the UW System's only Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration, which supports research collaborations between faculty and undergraduates as well as external grant development and hosts an annual Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. UW-Eau Claire's campus (often described as "Wisconsin's most beautiful campus") spans the banks of the Chippewa River in the heart of Eau Claire, western Wisconsin's largest city.

To learn more about UW-Eau Claire, visit https://www.uwec.edu/human-resources/employment-opportunities/.

The City of Eau Claire, situated at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, is a vibrant community of ~70,000 located in the Chippewa Valley. Eau Claire has made numerous "Best of" lists, including #2 Most Livable College Town (https://www.eauclairewi.gov/our-city/eau-claire-awards-and-recognitions) and was featured in the "Reasons to Celebrate America" series in Time Magazine and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel due to its ever expanding entrepreneurial, local food, art and music scenes. Our city is a recreation destination as the surrounding scenic countryside offers plentiful access to rivers, public parks, and many seasonal outdoor activities. Eau Claire is affordable, has major medical facilities, outstanding public schools, and ample employment opportunities. Eau Claire is 90 miles from the cosmopolitan center of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and the MSP international airport. To learn more about events and opportunities in Eau Claire, visit https://www.visiteauclaire.com/

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications are submitted electronically. Please click on the "Apply Now" link for this job posting on the following UW-Eau Claire Web site: https://www.uwec.edu/job-postings/. This will direct you to the UW System Career Opportunities page where application materials will be submitted. You must create an account and login before you can apply. If you have not yet registered, click on the "New User" link to begin the registration process. If you are already a registered user, input your "User Name" and "Password" and select "Login."  Click the link to the Biology: Assistant Professor in Neurobiology position (Job ID # 21145) and then click the "Apply Now" button to submit your application electronically. Your application will not be considered complete until all required documents are attached, and all required fields are completed. Please be sure you have included the following in PDF format:

• Letter of application including a statement of why you are interested in a career at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2-page maximum length)
• Statement of teaching philosophy that addresses your experiences with and plans for teaching and mentoring diverse student populations and courses you would be interested in teaching (2-page maximum length)
• Concise research statement including future research plans and ways to involve undergraduates as collaborators (2-page maximum length)
• Curriculum vitae
• Unofficial copies of all graduate school transcripts
• Names and contact information for three references

Please direct requests for additional information to: Dr. Brad Carter, carterbs@uwec.edu.

To ensure consideration, completed applications must be received by September 23, 2024. Screening may continue until the position is filled. The university reserves the right to contact additional references with notice given to the candidates at an appropriate time in the process. Employment will require a background check. Employment will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding past conduct related to sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).

The UW-Eau Claire Police Department is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure environment for learning and working. Although crime at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is limited, the University Police want students, faculty, and staff to be aware of crime on campus and the area surrounding the campus. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose annual information about campus crime. Visit Campus Security and Fire Report  (https://www.uwec.edu/files/8/annual-security-report.pdf) and our Campus Security Authority policy (https://www.uwec.edu/files/787/CleryCompliancePolicy.pdf).

UW-Eau Claire is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disability employer.