Open Rank: Assistant/Associate Professor - Ecological Genomics

Northeastern University invites applications for tenure-track positions for cross-college, joint appointments. We seek candidates whose research addresses key challenges in Sustainable Water Systems and Coastal Ecosystems, broadly defined. One primary appointment will be in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences in the College of Science, and one primary appointment will be in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. Additional joint appointments may be made with other departments and colleges, and/or affiliations may be made with university institutes.

Key fields of study include:

Ecological Genomics, with a primary appointment in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences. We are interested in candidates who, in the broadest terms, leverage genomic approaches and data to study and improve the sustainability of ecosystems challenged by environmental change. Candidates may use field, laboratory/experimental, and/or computational approaches to provide novel solutions related to the effects of climate change or habitat perturbation on the health of natural systems, thereby improving efforts focused on ecological restoration, stock assessment of fisheries, conservation and management, selective breeding, aquaculture, or other important outcomes.

Environmental and Public Health Microbiology, with a primary appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Candidates investigating innovative engineering solutions across any aspect of the water microbiome and water security theme are encouraged to apply.  Potential topics may include  but are not limited to, microbial responses to environmental systems under stress, ecotoxicology linked to environmental contamination, environmental epidemiology of contaminants or pathogens exposure, environmental exposure and health monitoring, molecular mechanisms for biotechnological processes, or resource recovery in water systems.  Candidates may also apply a broad range of approaches, including, but not limited to, bioinformatics or data science approaches, molecular biology, synthetic biology, sensors, multi-scale kinetic modeling, or process optimization.

Applications are invited for positions at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) beginning in academic year 2022-2023. Exceptional senior candidates will be considered for appointment at higher ranks.  

Faculty will have the opportunity to collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams across the University and will complement existing strengths that leverage genomic approaches and data to study the impacts of environmental change and disease on human communities and marine systems, the efficacy of engineered treatment or ecological restoration approaches, and the role that microbes play as sentinels of environmental contamination and in nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. Northeastern is a top-tier research university and premier experiential education institution, and is home to the Coastal Sustainability Institute https://www.northeastern.edu/csi/, the Global Resilience Institute https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/, the Barnett Institute for Chemical and Biological Analysis https://cos.northeastern.edu/barnett/, the Center for Drug Discovery https://research.northeastern.edu/center-for-drug-discovery/

 and the Institute for Chemical Imaging of Living Systems https://cils.northeastern.edu/, the Institute for Experiential AI https://www.northeastern.edu/experientialai/, the NSF-funded Center for High-Rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) https://coe.northeastern.edu/coe-research/research-centers-institutes/center-for-high-rate-nanomanufacturing-chn/, and the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education https://www.northeastern.edu/sherman/, providing a rich multidisciplinary intellectual environment. Northeastern is located in the heart of Boston, one of the world’s leading biological sciences innovation hubs, and benefits from the intellectual and cultural vitality of an urban environment.

The Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences is strongly interdisciplinary, with 22 tenured and tenure-track faculty (7 of whom have joint appointments in other colleges across Northeastern) and 4 non-tenure-track teaching faculty. In addition to internationally recognized efforts in coastal sustainability research via the Coastal Sustainability Institute, research in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences spans broad disciplines that are central to environmental and sustainability science and the life sciences, including ecological and evolutionary genomics, biogeochemistry and climate change science, coupled human-natural systems, nature-based solutions, coastal dynamics, ecological restoration, fisheries science, and the ecology and evolution of natural systems. The Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences administers or co-administers programs in Environmental and Sustainability Science, Environmental Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Marine Biology for over 400 undergraduates, and it trains over 120 students in PhD, Masters and Professional Masters programs. The Department is also home to the Marine Science Center and the Ocean Genome Legacy and is contributing to the BRIDGE (Breakthrough Informatics for Data for Genes to Ecosystems) Research Cluster. With the College of Science under new leadership, the College and the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences are in a vibrant expansion phase.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, also strongly interdisciplinary, has 31 tenured and tenure-track faculty (9 of whom have joint appointments in other colleges across Northeastern) and 4 non-tenure-track teaching and research faculty. The department houses major research centers including the NIH-sponsored program Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) and the NIH-sponsored Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico (CRECE).  The department has interdisciplinary strengths in Environmental Health, Civil Infrastructure Security, and Sustainable Resource Engineering, with an overarching theme of Urban Engineering for much of the research and education. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering administers or co-administers programs across several B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, including interdisciplinary combined majors and an interdisciplinary Ph.D.’s, with for over 400 undergraduates, over 160 M.S. students, and over 80 Ph.D. students.  A university-wide vision for use-inspired transformative research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries has resulted in strong cross-departmental ties with other research centers and clusters across the College of Engineering, College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, College of Arts, Media and Design, D’Amore-McKim School of Business, and the College of Social Science and Humanities.

The tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. Hires will be mentored for success, with mentoring teams and group guidance. In addition, a strong and effective faculty development strategy is part of the Northeastern institutional mission. The ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development office works in conjunction with the Office of Research Development (ORD), the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and University Decision Support (UDS) to provide programs and trainings to further develop and support a thriving faculty.

At Northeastern University, we embrace a culture of respect, where each person is valued for their contribution and is treated fairly. We oppose all forms of racism. We support a culture that does not tolerate any form of discrimination and where each person may belong. We strive to have a diverse membership, one where each person is trained and mentored to promote their success.