Call for applicants: two faculty positions in Ecosystem Genomics at the University of Arizona
(http://uacareers.com/postings/20812) Some of the most challenging issues in understanding the components and processes of natural and managed ecosystems have a common foundation in gene-environment interactions. We are in the process of assembling a cluster of outstanding new faculty members to contribute to the development of a new program in ecosystem genomics at the University of Arizona. To complement and extend five hires to date in the cluster, we are searching for two new colleagues at the assistant or associate level (although strong candidates will be considered at any rank) who share an interest in developing active teaching and research programs in the theoretical and empirical genomics of ecosystems. The appointee will be expected to support and promote Inclusive Excellence, the UA diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiative designed to create an inclusive environment for all students, staff, and faculty. The appointee will teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels and contribute to mentoring students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds. The appointee also will participate in outreach and contribute to departmental/college/university service. Finally the appointee will interact with the dynamic and exciting cluster and related initiatives at the interfaces of genomics and ecosystems. In these and other ways, the appointee will develop innovative approaches to enhancing student engagement, increasing diversity, and expanding the university’s collaborations with community and business partners. The foci of the positions to be filled may include a range of life sciences disciplines, study organisms, or habitats, but will fit well into one of the following thematic areas: 1. Empirical ecosystem genomics. This position will leverage the multidisciplinary strengths on the UA campus to translate concepts in genomics and ecosystem science to experiments that can address mechanisms and propose hypotheses to frame new grand challenge questions. The appointee will take advantage of the computational and experimental resources available at the UA, including but not limited to agricultural research centers and core facilities, to link structural, functional, comparative or translational genomics to the structure and function of entire ecosystems. The successful candidate will be capable of pursuing research that extends from the mechanisms of genomics, through organism traits, to ecosystem processes. 2. Theoretical ecosystem genomics. Advances in theoretical underpinnings and conceptual framework of genomics continue to reshape the landscape of the life sciences, together framing the forward-looking questions that will define biology in the years ahead. This position will leverage the strengths in empirical, functional, structural, organismal, biomedical, evolutionary, and ecological genomics on the UA campus to chart new paths at the interface of genomics and ecosystem science. The successful candidate will use theoretical, conceptual, or numerical modeling approaches to understand biological mechanisms from the level of genomes, through organism traits, to ecosystem processes, with special emphasis on scaling from genes to ecosystems. The cluster hire initiative in ecosystem genomics is enabled by the University of Arizona’s Never Settle commitment to cross-college collaborations that emphasize engagement, innovation, partnering and programmatic synergy. Depending on the research and teaching interests of candidates and strategic needs in academic units, faculty members hired into cluster hire positions will be invited to join one of several possible colleges, including the College of Science, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one of several schools or departments in those colleges, including the Department of Entomology, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, the School of Plant Sciences, the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and potentially in other units, depending on the interests/fit of the candidate and unit priorities. Review of applications will begin on October 9, 2017 and will continue until both positions are filled. Laura K Meredith Assistant Professor, The University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment ENR2 Bldg., 1064 E. Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 Office: N225, Phone: 520 621 1052 BIO5 Institute Keating Bldg., 1657 E. Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 Office: 203, Lab: 202, Phone: 520 626 4213 [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> http://www.laurameredith.com/
