ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY (PLANT BIOLOGY)

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY (PLANT BIOLOGY)
TENURE TRACK

SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Biology Department at Whitworth University invites applicants for a tenure track assistant professorship who are passionate about teaching plant biology to a diverse group of undergraduate biologists. The successful candidate will teach introductory plant biology and upper division plant taxonomy and physiology, with the potential to teach genetics or other courses in a specialized area of their expertise. The successful candidate will typically teach two lecture courses with labs per semester and one course during the January term. We are seeking scholars who will bring a robust research program that will actively engage and mentor undergraduate students. We work to support our faculty in research by offering resources to encourage productivity, peer-reviewed dissemination of results, and the pursuit of external funding. We also seek candidates that value evolutionary theory as foundational to an education in biology. We are particularly interested in individuals who have experience and/or demonstrated passion for working with and mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Whitworth’s Biology department seeks to educate students in the fundamentals of biological processes and organismal diversity, to train students in the practice of science, and to instill an ethic of scientific responsibility in a complex world.  Ultimately, this experience will inform their worldview, understanding of God, and role in society.  Faculty and students have access to modern instrumentation, such as a laser scanning confocal microscope, quantitative PCR instrument, and plant growth chamber. Robinson and Johnston Science Halls include teaching and research laboratories and individual faculty-student research space. The department also makes use of the many outdoor resources that Spokane has to offer, including Whitworth’s Verbrugge Environmental Center, which is comprised of over a thousand acres of riparian and mixed conifer ecosystems. The small class sizes typical in the department encourage students to become active learners in their education, and foster close relationships between students and faculty. Faculty pursue active research programs, involving students in the process of performing research and presenting results at local and national venues.

Since 1890, Whitworth University, a private, residential, comprehensive, master’s-level, liberal-arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian church, has held fast to its founding mission to provide its students an education of mind and heart characterized by rigorous and open intellectual inquiry and the integration of Christian faith and learning. Anchored in the Reformed tradition and enriched throughout its history by strong evangelical and ecumenical currents, Whitworth's mission is carried out by a diverse community of dedicated Christian scholars and staff members who are called to a variety of vocations to serve and support students. Whitworth believes the best learning occurs in the context of relationship – inside and outside of the classroom – where professors and staff members alike invest in the lives of students. Whitworth is committed to modeling the highest standards of integrity and fairness and being a trusted and valued member of the community.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Possibility of developing new courses that contribute to the university’s innovative, interdisciplinary Shared Curriculum. Additional responsibilities include participation in departmental activities and governance, professional and research activities, attending state, regional and national professional association meetings; attending faculty assemblies, development days, and retreat, serving on committees, and advising.

STARTING DATE: July 1, 2021

To see full position description, and to apply please visit: www.whitworth.edu/facultycareers.

Whitworth complies with all federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws that are applicable to religious nonprofit institutions and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. With our Christ-centered commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community, the university encourages applications from populations historically underrepresented at Whitworth including Black and Indigenous persons, people of color, women, and persons with disabilities.