Assistant Professor, Computational Biology

Job Summary

As Assistant Professor of Computational Biology, your primary responsibilities will be those of a ranked faculty to include teaching, research, and service. You will teach at both undergraduate and graduate levels, as applicable; be involved in course and/or curriculum development; conduct research/scholarship; participate on College and University committees and/or initiatives; and perform other duties as assigned.
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a comprehensive university dedicated to quality education, research, and service. FGCU is also an emerging Hispanic Serving Institute (eHSI) and is putting plans to action that will help students become the best versions of themselves. All faculty are expected to: be excellent teachers, responsive to changing professional needs; be committed to innovative delivery of instruction resulting in improved student learning and success; be committed to effective use of technology including distance learning (when applicable); produce peer-reviewed scholarship; and provide service to the College, University and Community. Teaching assignments may be on the main campus or at off-campus sites within our region.
The Department of Biological Sciences and FGCU provide unique opportunities for candidates interested in this position. On an average year, we support 900 undergraduate students and 15 – 25 Master students. Departmental faculty possess various scholarly interests to include molecular, genetic, and organismal pursuits as well as community-engaged research and SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning). Faculty also provide various learning opportunities that run the range of Bloom’s taxonomy (from recall to creation) and, therefore, employ different approaches to include integrated lab-lectures, active-learning, and Course-embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Faculty, staff, and students also partner extensively with the community members, which supports the university’s sustainability and service-learning goals. In addition, half of the campus is set aside as conservation areas, which creates a living laboratory for both teaching and research opportunities for the field and lab. This is a special place for people who want to connect their teaching, research, and service.
The university recently completed a cluster hire in data analytics that brought in 10 new colleagues. In addition, the college maintains a high-performance computer cluster for on-site needs and partners with the University of Florida for larger projects. The biology department also has a core of faculty that an emphasis on quantitative approaches in their research and teaching. To support this growing focus, the ideal candidate for the computational biology position would exemplify our steadfast dedication to students and research. This person should possess a student-focused approach, prioritizing mentorship, and fostering an environment conducive to learning and growth.
Additionally, this candidate should demonstrate exceptional collaborative skills, seamlessly working with individuals across the department and the university, including students, faculty, and staff. Their ability to build bridges and facilitate partnerships would contribute to a thriving academic community. Furthermore, this candidate would exhibit a flair for creative endeavors that enhance both student experiences and the research endeavors of the department. Through innovative teaching methods and research initiatives, they would play a vital role in elevating the academic landscape at FGCU.
FGCU is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity and Access Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, genetic predisposition, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, veteran status, and any other protected class(es), as required by applicable state and federal law, as well as University regulations and policies.

Job Description

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Teach 9 credit hours per semester of core and upper-level courses in biology and related subjects.
• Prepare syllabi, instruction materials, coordinates lectures, laboratories, assignments, active-learning activities, tests, and evaluates student performance.
• Engage in reflective self-assessment of teaching styles and methods to ensure consistently effective instructional performance.
• Keep abreast of advances in the field as it pertains to research and teaching.
• Participate in programmatic assessment and use findings to improve student learning, performance, and success.
• Assist with the development of curriculum in collaboration with biology faculty that teach lower-level courses.
• Actively serve on university committees and participates in institutional meetings.
• Continued professional development activity is expected at a level commensurate with rank and the mission of the University. Community, institutional and professional service in furtherance of FGCU’s mission is expected of all faculty.
• Other duties may be assigned by the Chair.

Additional Job Description

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biology, or related area from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.
• ABD will be considered if degree is conferred by August 7, 2024. If successful candidate is ABD, appointment will be made at a Lecturer level on a fixed contract.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research and/or teaching experience in computation biology
• Peer-reviewed publications in any area of computational biology, such as bioinformatics, quantitative biology/ ecology, and/or simulation or analytical modeling.
• Experience with multidisciplinary research and/or teaching and a willingness to cultivate interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Demonstrated ability to implement impactful teaching approaches that could include active-learning approaches, such as Course-embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) or Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL).
• Experience or commitment to mentor undergraduate and/or graduate research students.
• Willingness to engage in service opportunities that benefit the professional and university/regional community.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience with and commitment to the use of instructional technologies.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development that improves your teaching, research, and/or service.
• Interest in collaborating both within and outside the University in research, teaching, and service.
• Ability to stay current in the discipline.
• Ability to teach any combination of computational biological courses, such as bioinformatics, genomic analysis, statistical modeling in biology/ecology, computational systems biology, population dynamics, and/or spatial ecology in addition to other core courses that support the department.

Special Instructions to Applicants

The position is a 9-month multi-year appointment that starts August 2024.

Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida’s Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU.

Under Florida’s Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials:

• Unofficial Transcripts
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Statement of Research
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Five (5) Professional References

The position is listed as “open until filled”, however applications received by October 22, 2023 will receive priority consideration.

Salary commensurate with education and experience.