Job Details

Assistant Professor of Conservation Biology
Go to our website »

Position Number: 1807052
Location: Orono, ME
Position Type: Science - Biology

Assistant Professor of Conservation Biology;
Full-time, nine-month, 75% teaching, 25% research, tenure-track appointment.

Statement of Purpose: The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology at the University of Maine is pleased to announce the recruitment of a tenure-track faculty position in conservation biology at the assistant professor level. The appointment will consist of 75% teaching and 25% research responsibilities to begin as early as September 2020. The successful candidate will support and improve our nationally respected experiential, field-based wildlife ecology training program and develop their own research program in the broad field of conservation biology.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Teaching responsibilities for a 75% teaching load will average 13.5 credit hours per academic year, with courses being selected according to faculty expertise and department needs. Course assignments may include participation in off-campus courses (both in-state and international) that focus on field ecology and experiential learning. Primary responsibilities will include the upper-level undergraduate courses "Conservation Biology" and "Management of Threatened & Endangered Species". Additionally, the successful candidate will be involved in core curriculum courses in field ecology and wildlife habitat evaluation and will develop a graduate course in their area of expertise to be offered in alternate years. The successful candidate will have a research appointment through the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, and will be expected to develop a nationally competitive, externally funded research program in conservation biology that is commensurate with a 25% research appointment. We are especially interested in applicants who apply innovative approaches to both teaching and research and who are committed to involving undergraduate students in research. Overall we seek candidates who will complement the Department and University's current strengths and foster integrative approaches to complex environmental problems requiring applied solutions. Collaborations with other scientists (on or off campus), including with state or federal agencies, are expected. The successful candidate will also be expected to advise graduate and undergraduate students, assist in curriculum development, participate in other service responsibilities consistent with departmental and college needs, and be committed to the Land Grant University missions of teaching, research, and public service.

About the University: The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,200 undergraduate and graduate students and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus and throughout the state. UMaine is the state land and sea grant university and maintains a leadership role as the System's flagship university. As a result, it is dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research, and service at the university, state, and national levels. UMaine is the home of numerous interdisciplinary research centers that focus on natural resource conservation, including the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, the Climate Change Institute, and the UMaine Initiative for One Health and the Environment. The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology offers BS, MS, PhD, and professional Masters degrees and houses a collegial faculty who values and supports work-life balance. Further information can be found at https://umaine.edu/.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine just 60 miles from the state's rugged coastline and Acadia National Park and just 80 miles from the state's largest expanse of backcountry hiking above tree-line. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer at https://www.visitbangormaine.com/about-the-region/the-region-at-a-glance/.

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.

Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications:
Required: A Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology, Fisheries, Conservation Biology, or a related discipline is required by the date of hire. The successful candidate will possess evidence of potential for excellence in teaching—which may include prior instructional experience, professional references, or other pedagogical experiences—and a proven track record of conducting high- quality scientific research in conservation biology, as evidenced by publications in peer- reviewed journals.

Preferred: Post-doctoral experience, particularly with experience as a primary instructor, is preferred. Other measures of potential, such as prior success in obtaining funding, college-level instruction, undergraduate and graduate mentoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with professional conservation organizations, are desirable. A working familiarity with the flora and fauna of the eastern temperate and northern forest ecoregions and the ability to establish a field-based research program relevant to the environmental challenges of Maine and the northeastern United States or Maritime Canada will be favored.

Application: Applicants should submit A) a cover letter briefly describing how their background will complement the teaching and research strengths of the department, B) a statement on their research program, C) a statement on their approach to teaching, D) a curriculum vitae, and E) contact information for at least three references. The successful candidate will additionally demonstrate in these materials an ability to be responsive to the educational equity goals of the university and its increasing ethnic diversity and international character. All application materials should be submitted online through the University of Maine's hiring portal: https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=60852. Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2020 and will continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position should be addressed to Dr. Erik Blomberg, chair of the search committee ( wlefacultysearch@maine.edu ).

The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.