Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Plant Sciences

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Plant Sciences
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of Delaware
Newark, DE

The University of Delaware (UD) Department of Plant and Soil Sciences seeks outstanding candidates for a 9-month tenure track Assistant Professor of Plant Biology.  Candidates with research experience or expertise in Synthetic Biology are especially encouraged to apply. The university recognizes the great potential for this area of science and bioengineering to tackle emerging challenges in the world today. Areas of interest include but are not limited to: metabolic or protein engineering, plant-based biopharmaceutical or biomaterial production, biosensing applications, or directed evolution for fundamental or applied research goals. This position will continue to strengthen the department’s expertise spanning from basic molecular and cellular biology to applied plant science and biotechnology, ecosystem science, plant-soil interface, and plant-microbe interactions.

Successful candidates will conduct interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of science, employing innovative and integrative approaches with the drive to be leaders in their field and bridge disciplines to solve problems in agriculture or human health using plant systems. We seek individuals that will incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their research, teaching, and mentoring both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The successful candidate will be expected to develop an internationally recognized, extramurally funded, collaborative research program (70%), contribute to teaching in undergraduate and/or graduate programs (30%), and engage in efforts to advance department initiatives.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree in science or a related field, and post-doctoral experience is expected.

This position will be situated at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI), a premier multi-disciplinary research organization. DBI currently hosts 17 resident faculty in new state-of-the-art research laboratories and unites a biotechnology network of >100 affiliates. DBI supports world class core facilities such as the Bio-imaging Center, flow cytometry, DNA sequencing and genotyping, and bioinformatics. For more details, visit http://www.dbi.udel.edu/. In 2020, DBI was relocated to the new Ammon Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center at the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research Campus (https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/star/).  This move places DBI in the same state-of-the-art building as the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), Custom Synthesis Lab, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and faculty from chemical engineering, material science, geological sciences, and kinesiology and applied physiology.

General information: The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences resides within UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Department faculty are world-renowned and include two American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows, four endowed professors, and several members who have received high honors from professional societies. Two professors in the department have received the highest honor that UD bestows on faculty, the Alison Professorship. The department is highly collaborative across college and institutional lines and has strong interactions with Cooperative Extension personnel and faculty and staff in other departments and colleges.

University of Delaware is committed to excellence and consequentiality guided by a Delaware Will Shine blueprint for a preeminent learner-centered research university. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a “very high research activity” institution (R1), a designation achieved by only 3% of U.S. academic institutions. UD is located in scenic Newark, DE, an excellent geographic location within two hours of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The University is a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Carnegie Research University, with externally sponsored activities exceeding $200 million.

Salary: University of Delaware salaries and fringe benefit packages are highly competitive. Tenure-track professors receive a third-year sabbatical leave. A start-up package will be available.

Deadline: Review of applications will begin upon receipt, with priority consideration given to applications received by December 10, 2021. The search committee will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.

Application: To apply, submit a letter of application, a current curriculum vitae, statements of research (2-3 pages) and teaching (1-2 pages), a statement describing your previous efforts and future plans to create  a diverse and inclusive learning environment, and the contact information of at least three professional references at https://www.udel.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/careers/   Job Reference # 497207 . Submitted documents will be shared with departmental faculty. For further information, contact the chair of the search committee, Dr. Jung-Youn Lee (jylee@udel.edu).

Equal Employment Opportunity:
The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which encourages applications from minority group members, women, individuals with a disability and veterans. The University's Notice of Non-Discrimination can be found at http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html. Employment offers will be conditioned upon successful completion of a criminal background check. A conviction will not necessarily exclude you from employment.