Full)

Furman University•Lexington, MA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Furman University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Biology at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor, beginning August 2027. We seek a broadly trained biologist who is excited to teach across the undergraduate curriculum, mentor students in authentic research, and contribute to a collaborative liberal arts and sciences community. Teaching expectations for this position may include lecture and laboratory courses from a newly revised slate of introductory biology and data science courses. We are interested in recruiting candidates with expertise in teaching human anatomy and/or comparative anatomy. Candidates with expertise in related areas are also encouraged to apply. Other teaching responsibilities may include opportunities to develop new upper-level courses in the candidate’s area of expertise, especially those that broaden our current course offerings. The Department of Biology currently has 15 full-time Biology faculty members and offers both a B.A. and a B.S. degree in Biology. Furman University is located in the Piedmont of Upstate South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, which provides a rich environment for local field classes and research. In addition, the Department of Biology offers study away programs in Belize, Ecuador, New Mexico, and South Africa. The area of research specialization for this position is flexible, and we welcome applicants whose scholarship complements and extends the department’s current strengths. The successful candidate will be expected to establish and sustain a rigorous scholarly program that produces peer-reviewed work. Faculty in the Department of Biology are expected to engage with undergraduate students as collaborators in their scholarly work, which frequently involves summer research activities. Furman offers competitive start-up funds, individual research space, and institutional financial support for faculty-mentored undergraduate research and student conference participation. The Department of Biology is housed with other sciences in the 200,000 square-foot Charles H. Townes Science Center. Faculty members have access to shared instrumentation that supports a broad range of research activities including microscopy (confocal, SEM), mammalian tissue-culture, molecular biology instrumentation (including thermal cyclers, qPCR system, DNA sequence analyzer, microplate readers for absorbance- and fluorescence-based spectrophotometry and digital gel and blot imaging systems), and an NIH-compliant animal facility. The Department of Biology also houses a BodyViz system (a 3D anatomy learning platform based on real patient CT and MRI data that allows students to virtually dissect hundreds of vertebrate bodies including humans and other animals) and several natural history collections (including a herbarium, a vertebrate collection, and an insect collection). For further information on our department, please visit https://www.furman.edu/academics/biology/. Biologists whose work integrates views from multiple areas of biology and other science disciplines are particularly encouraged to apply. The strongest candidates will demonstrate an understanding of – and enthusiasm for – teaching and conducting research at a primarily undergraduate liberal arts institution, providing students with a rich and varied educational experience, and enhancing inclusion in STEM. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Biology (or a related discipline) by August 1, 2027; ABD candidates will be considered, provided that the degree is conferred by that date. Prior university-level teaching experience and postdoctoral experience are highly preferred but not required. Furman University is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community through excellence in teaching, mentorship, scholarship, and programming. We believe that cultural understanding, inclusiveness, and freedom of inquiry, thought, and discourse are essential components of a transformative undergraduate education. We advance these ideals with a liberal arts and sciences curriculum built on a substantial general education program, featuring traditional and innovative elements, and a robust portfolio of disciplinary and interdisciplinary major and minor areas of study. Additionally, we have established and continue to develop various initiatives, including historic projects, dialogue programs such as On Discourse and the Intergroup Dialogues Program, the Center for Interpersonal Connections, and four distinctive external-facing institutes. The successful candidate will have the ability to work with students from diverse backgrounds and contribute to Furman’s commitment to expanding access and opportunity to Furman’s rich learning culture.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Biology (or a related discipline) by August 1, 2027.
ABD candidates will be considered, provided that the degree is conferred by August 1, 2027.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in teaching human anatomy and/or comparative anatomy.
Expertise in related areas.
Prior university-level teaching experience.
Postdoctoral experience.
Scholarship that complements and extends the department’s current strengths.
Work that integrates views from multiple areas of biology and other science disciplines.
Understanding of and enthusiasm for teaching and conducting research at a primarily undergraduate liberal arts institution.
Ability to provide students with a rich and varied educational experience.
Ability to enhance inclusion in STEM.

Responsibilities

Teach across the undergraduate curriculum, including lecture and laboratory courses from introductory biology and data science.
Mentor students in authentic research, including summer research activities.
Contribute to a collaborative liberal arts and sciences community.
Develop new upper-level courses in the candidate’s area of expertise.
Establish and sustain a rigorous scholarly program that produces peer-reviewed work.
Engage with undergraduate students as collaborators in scholarly work.
Work with students from diverse backgrounds.
Contribute to Furman’s commitment to expanding access and opportunity.