Assistant/Associate Professor - Vector-borne Disease (VMP)

Washington State University • Pullman, WA

21d • $130,000 - $160,000

About The Position

The Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (VMP) at Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in Pullman, WA seeks to fill a full-time (12 month) faculty position to strengthen and grow our core vector-borne disease program. Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) faculty are leaders in vector-borne disease research. In addition, the Animal Disease Research Unit (ADRU) in the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) is uniquely embedded in the CVM and also has a robust presence in vector-borne disease. Ongoing projects in the CVM center on ticks, vector-host-pathogen interactions, and vector-borne microbes Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Theileria, Yersinia pestis, and arboviruses. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to forge multidisciplinary collaborations between units to develop a program in vector-borne disease.

The Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology is one of five departments/schools in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The departmental mission is “to enhance animal and public health through teaching veterinary and graduate students, training veterinary pathology and microbiology residents, and conducting biomedical research in infectious diseases/immunology”. The department takes pride in what we believe is an environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, personal and professional growth, and productivity. We value and seek excellence in teaching, research and service. Recently, the WSU CVM and the USDA-ARS-ADRU received funding for the Resilient Livestock Initiative through the Functional Genomics Initiative. This program presents a unique opportunity for a successful candidate to build multidisciplinary collaborations that advance efforts to confer resistance to vector-borne pathogens in livestock—ultimately strengthening livestock resiliency.

The WSU CVM is organized into five departments/schools, including Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (VMP), the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, the School of Molecular Biosciences (SMB), Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience (IPN), and Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS), each dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu). In addition, there is a tier one National Veterinary lab and a full service veterinary teaching hospital. The personnel of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology have many productive interactions with the USDA-ARS-ADRU, the Schools for Global Health and Molecular Biosciences, and the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, with many faculty members having appointments in multiple units. There are congruencies of interests and fruitful collaborations among the faculty and personnel in these units. Our aim and expectation is that, to the degree possible, the programs of the four units will function seamlessly.

Founded in 1890 in Pullman, Washington State University (WSU) is Washington’s land-grant university with an overarching mission of improving the quality of life for all citizens – locally, nationally, and globally. WSU is committed to innovation and excellence in research and scholarship. WSU has a current enrollment of over 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and approximately 6,000 faculty and staff at its five campuses (Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Everett), as well as its numerous other locations across the State of Washington and online through its Global Campus. The University is one of the largest residential universities in the Northwest and Pullman offers a safe, friendly, small-town living environment.

Washington State University’s Pullman campus is situated in the rich agricultural area known as the Palouse, in eastern Washington. Pullman has a strong school system and a reputation as an excellent, safe environment to raise a family. Pullman is only eight miles from the University of Idaho at Moscow, approximately 1.5 hours south of Spokane and 5.5 hours from Seattle. The Pullman environs offer many recreational activities including skiing, fishing, hunting, whitewater rafting, camping, hiking, and rock climbing. Pullman is near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and near numerous rivers, lakes and wilderness areas; including the Snake, Salmon, and Clearwater rivers, Coeur d’Alene, Pend Oreille, and Priest lakes, and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to name a few.

Requirements

• A doctoral degree (PhD, DVM or MD) in biomedical science or related field is required. DVMs are encouraged to apply.
• A minimum of two years productive post-doctoral research experience is required.
• Applicants for associate professor must additionally have a higher level of scholarship productivity, and national or international recognition as compared to assistant professor applicants (detailed here: https://provost.wsu.edu/promotion-and-tenure/).
• The research area should be on vector-borne diseases and ideally will complement current work in the department. Programs that cross-fertilize among different disciplines are most welcome.
• Candidates must have demonstrated abilities in conducting hypothesis-based research and publishing high quality papers in top tier journals; a track record of, or strong potential for attracting extramural funding, and a history or interest in contributing to high quality education.
• The Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology seeks candidates whose research, teaching, or service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to inclusivity in higher education.
• The successful applicant should be able to effectively communicate and work collegially and collaboratively with people from all backgrounds and demonstrate a commitment and relevant ability to foster community outreach, access and engagement.

Responsibilities

• The position is defined as approximately 75% research, 20% teaching, including graduate education, and 5% service.
• The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain a productive, extramurally funded research program in vector-borne disease.
• As a faculty member, the successful candidate will be expected to establish effective collaborations with current WSU programs and be active in the department’s graduate program, including mentoring graduate students and serving as a member of student advisory committees.
• The successful candidate will also be expected to participate in teaching at the graduate, undergraduate and/or veterinary professional level and to be active in the academic service arena.

Benefits

• WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation, optional supplemental retirement accounts.
• For additional information, please review the detailed Summary of Benefits offered by WSU for Faculty and Total Compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree