Assistant Curator of Ichthyology

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida (UF) seeks qualified applicants for a 12-month tenure-track Assistant Curator of Ichthyology. This position will be filled at the Assistant faculty level in the Florida Museum’s Department of Natural History. The UF fish collection at the Florida Museum of Natural History is one of the largest collections of its kind worldwide, with around 2.5 million specimens. In specimen records, it is the second largest fish collection in the United States. Strengths include elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays), western Atlantic reef fishes, western and eastern Atlantic shelf and deep-water marine fishes, North American freshwater fishes, and freshwater fishes from SE Asia. The modernized collection is 97% georeferenced, has tissue samples and 2D and 3D images for thousands of species, and during 2022–2025 was moved to a state-of-the-art facility with an adjoining 900 sq ft collection laboratory and office suite. The collection is the first to implement a modern data and collections management system that tracks the movement and use of specimens in real-time. The Florida Museum supports a diverse research community studying vertebrates in neontological, paleontological, and anthropological contexts. In addition to collections at the Florida Museum, research is facilitated by UF resources in genetics and genomics, 3D-imaging, research field stations and marine labs.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Biology or a related field.
Conduct specimen-based research on fishes.
Evidence of excellence in research, as demonstrated through publication record, grant record, or potential to conduct grant-funded research.
Experience with museum collections.
Experience with teaching, mentorship, and outreach.

Nice To Haves

Innovative ichthyologist whose research and teaching are collections-based.
Address questions in the broad field of ichthyology.
Leverage the current fish collection.
Collaborate across disciplines within the museum.
Use multidisciplinary approaches.
Vision for curating, using, and growing the UF fish collection.

Responsibilities

Conduct specimen-based research on fishes.
Contribute to, and make use of, the Florida Museum’s extensive and world-renowned fish collection.
Bolster current strengths (e.g., evolutionary biology, systematics, biodiversity exploration, global change biology, biogeography, AI and bioinformatics) and grow others, through sustained mentorship and formal academic advising.
Contribute to the museum’s goals of understanding, preserving, and interpreting biological and cultural diversity.
Conduct research with opportunities for integrative collaborations with other faculty and divisions within the Florida Museum and across the 16 colleges of the University of Florida.
Curate, use, and grow the UF fish collection.