Myra N. Williams, Ph.D., Endowed Chair in Marine Conservation Biology, Associate/Full Professor

Job Summary

The Water School at FGCU (https://www.fgcu.edu/thewaterschool/) seeks highly qualified candidates to apply for the Myra N. Williams Endowed Chair position in Marine Conservation Biology at the rank of Associate/Full Professor in the Department of Marine and Earth Sciences. This Endowed Chair position offers a highly competitive salary and generous start up package, including recurring funding to support scholarship activities.
The ideal candidate will focus on marine species and/or habitats of conservation concern, particularly in Florida and the Greater Caribbean Region. Other relevant Marine Conservation Biology-related fields of study will also be considered. Applicants will be expected to collaborate with faculty members within The Water School and work with appropriate regional resource managers, decision-makers, and community stakeholders to develop and recommend conservation actions.
An Endowed Chair candidate will be expected to have a strong record of scholarship, including a demonstrated ability to secure extramural funding and evidence of consistent collaboration in the field of Marine Conservation Biology. The successful candidate will also display leadership qualities applicable to the field of study in terms of research, outreach, and community engagement.
The Water School is an interdisciplinary enterprise that brings together faculty from five colleges and schools representing 15 departments to focus on the environmental, economic, and human dimensions of coastal resilience, ecosystem integrity, health and wellbeing, and restoration and remediation.
With an enrollment of 16,000 students, FGCU has a main campus of 800 acres with LEED-certified buildings and 400 acres of protected habitat. The university’s award-winning initiatives in education, energy production, research, and sustainable practices make us one of the nation’s greenest campuses. FGCU is located in beautiful Southwest Florida, known for its beaches, resorts, nature preserves, and outdoor recreation. Located between the cities of Fort Myers and Naples, FGCU is just two hours by car from the major cities of St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Miami, and 15 minutes from the Southwest Florida International Airport. The region is surrounded by water—important estuaries to the north, Lake Okeechobee to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay to the south—providing an unparalleled setting to study all facets of water and environmental issues.
FGCU is dedicated to quality education, research, and service. Faculty are expected to be excellent teachers who are responsive to changing professional needs, committed to innovative delivery of instruction that results in improved student learning, produce high-quality peer reviewed scholarship, and serve the university and the local community, as appropriate. Primary teaching responsibilities will be on the main campus, with potential to teach courses at our Everglades Wetland Research Park (https://www.fgcu.edu/thewaterschool/centers/ewrp/) in Naples and Vester Marine Field Station (https://www.fgcu.edu/thewaterschool/centers/vestermarine/) in Bonita Springs.
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:

• Develop and maintain an independent and productive research program that also involves students.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students, as appropriate, in research.
• Seek external funding to support research program, including students.
• Demonstrate quality of research through peer-review.
• Develop and teach assigned courses: prepare syllabi and instruction materials, coordinate lectures, evaluate students and maintain highest possible standards of classroom instruction.
• Collaborate with other faculty to develop/revise curriculum.
• Stay current with new developments in field of instruction and maintain disciplinary skills through professional development activities appropriate to higher education faculty.
• Actively serve on university committees and participate in institutional meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Additional Job Description

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Conservation Biology, Fisheries Science, Marine Biology, Biological Oceanography or related discipline from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation, with a record of research publications in scholarly journals.
• Evidence of an excellent scholarly record (publications and funding) related to marine conservation biology.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with strong research agenda and excellent research productivity in the field of marine conversation biology.
• Teaching, research, and scholarly interests that align with the programs and mission of The Water School.
• Interdisciplinary teaching and research perspective with well-defined research goals.
• Willingness to engage in service opportunities commensurate with career maturity.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of development and use of skills appropriate to the discipline, including grant writing.
• Ability to conduct independent research and involve students in research. 
• Ability to mentor students in research with the students’ learning and training in mind.  
• Ability to use innovative teaching approaches to engage students and ensure student learning.
• Ability to interact in a professional manner with a diverse group of staff, faculty, students and the community in a service-oriented environment.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Appointment will be made on a 9-month multi-year appointment basis available 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
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Five (5) Professional References

The position is listed as “open until filled”, however applications received by December 15, 2023 will receive priority consideration.

Salary commensurate with education and experience.