Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor of Biology

Penn State University • Ferguson Township, PA

4d

About The Position

The Department of Biology at The Pennsylvania State University is committed to innovative teaching and promotes active student-centered learning. We are seeking someone who can contribute to the instructional mission in our undergraduate program. Our goal is to create an integrated undergraduate experience, including lectures, labs, peer mentoring, and research. Biology invites applications for a non-tenure line Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor starting in Fall 2026. Teaching responsibilities will include teaching, as part of a team, in the BIOL110 and BIOL220W lectures and labs, and in other introductory or upper-level biology courses within the candidate’s areas of expertise. BIOL 110 covers basic concepts and biodiversity, while BIOL220W covers the introduction to ecology and evolution. Candidates should have experience with using active learning and other best practices in large lecture settings. Biology teaching faculty at PSU are typically on 36-week appointments with a 15-credit equivalency. Additional responsibilities may include recruiting and training laboratory teaching assistants and lecture learning assistants to be effective members of an instructional team, creating/implementing inquiry-based class exercises, and assisting with curriculum design and assessment. The Biology Department is ranked in the top 10% of all programs globally. We are a community of curiosity-driven researchers and educators, with global leadership in the fields of Plant Biology, Ecology, Neuroscience, Evolutionary Genetics, Symbiosis/Microbiomes, and Infectious Disease Dynamics across scales. The Biology Department sits at the nexus of the life sciences at Penn State, where our highly collegial and interdisciplinary culture removes barriers to collaboration, improves the value of our discoveries, and enriches our daily experiences. The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State serves as a partner in our mission, offering outstanding core facilities and access to interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in a Biological field
• Some experience publishing original research
• At least two years of teaching experience in relevant courses
• Undergraduate teaching experience that implements active learning strategies

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. is preferred in a Biological field
• A demonstrated interest in pedagogy and the application of research-based teaching methods is highly desirable
• Documented excellence in teaching is important

Responsibilities

• Teaching, as part of a team, in the BIOL110 and BIOL220W lectures and labs
• Teaching in other introductory or upper-level biology courses within the candidate’s areas of expertise
• Recruiting and training laboratory teaching assistants and lecture learning assistants
• Creating/implementing inquiry-based class exercises
• Assisting with curriculum design and assessment

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees