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Ecology & Evolutionary Biology: Assistant Professor in Animal Behavior (Initial Review 11/1/22)

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Position overview

Position title: Assistant Professor in Animal Behavior
Salary range: Commensurate with qualifications and experience; academic year (nine-month basis).
Percent time: Full-time (100%)
Anticipated start: July 1, 2023, with the academic year beginning in September 2023. Degree requirements much be completed by June 30, 2023 for employment beyond that date.

Position description

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) (https://www.eeb.ucsc.edu) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for a tenure track position in Animal Behavior at the Assistant Professor level. We seek candidates who investigate behavior from any of these perspectives: ecological, evolutionary, mechanistic, developmental, or functional aspects of non-human animal behavior. This includes analyzing genetic, physiological, neural and/or cognitive mechanisms underlying behavior, as well as their ecological or evolutionary consequences. We welcome researchers who integrate theory with empirical data and who work on basic and/or applied issues across scales and systems. The successful candidate will contribute to instruction at the undergraduate and graduate teaching levels and will mentor undergraduate and graduate students in research. The ideal candidate will use equitable, inclusive, and engaging methods to teach upper division Behavioral Ecology and other courses in their field of expertise.

The department is located on the stunning Coastal Sciences Campus, approximately 7km from the main campus. It houses research and educational facilities such as greenhouses, renovated marine vertebrate facilities, environmental chambers, and shared-use molecular biology labs and microscopy facilities, and it has close connections with the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, a premier venue for outreach. Santa Cruz is located on the central California coast, which provides easy access to a myriad of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats. Our EEB Department is collegial, congenial, creative, and family friendly, and it strives to increase diversity at all career stages while centering teaching and research practices around inquiry-based problem-solving. Together, our faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff form a vibrant campus community that is reflected in our student success.

UC Santa Cruz is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) with a relatively high proportion of first-generation college students and a strong record of facilitating student social mobility. UC Santa Cruz and the EEB Department value diversity, equity, and inclusion and are committed to hiring faculty who will work to support these values. We welcome candidates who understand the barriers facing women and historically excluded groups who are underrepresented in the classroom and in higher education careers (as evidenced by life experiences and educational background), and who have experience in equity and diversity with respect to teaching, mentoring, research, life experiences, or service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment. Activities promoting equity and inclusion at UC Santa Cruz will be recognized as important university service during the faculty promotion process. More information can be found: https://apo.ucsc.edu/diversity.html.

The chosen candidate will be expected to sign a statement indicating that they are not the subject of any ongoing investigation or disciplinary proceeding at their current academic institution or place of employment, nor have they in the past ten years been formally disciplined at any academic institution/place of employment. In the event the candidate cannot make this representation, they will be expected to disclose in writing to the hiring Dean the circumstances surrounding any formal discipline that they have received, as well as any current or ongoing investigation or disciplinary process of which they are the subject. (Note that discipline includes a negotiated settlement agreement to resolve a matter related to substantiated misconduct.)

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Ph.D. (or equivalent foreign degree) in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Animal Behavior or related fields. Degree requirements expected to be completed by June 2023. Record of publication, professional achievement, and scholarly activity.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion** - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at UC Santa Cruz. Candidates are urged to review guidelines on statements (see https://apo.ucsc.edu/diversity.html) before preparing their application.

  • Statement of Research** - The candidate should include current and long-term objectives in their research program

    ** Initial screening of applicants will be based only on the research statement and the statement on contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion

  • Statement of Teaching - The candidate should include information about their approaches to and experience with teaching, including approaches or practices for engaging students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds. A statement of how the candidate would envision engaging in teaching at UC Santa Cruz is encouraged.

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. , showing a full list of publications (including preprints), other professional activities, and extramural funding, if applicable

  • Cover Letter - Letter of application that briefly summarizes your qualifications and interest in the position

  • Representative publication (preprints are welcome) (1 of 3 optional) (Optional)

  • Representative publication (preprints are welcome) (2 of 3 optional) (Optional)

  • Representative publication (preprints are welcome) (3 of 3 optional) (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 letters of reference required

Applications must include confidential letters of recommendation* (a minimum of 3 are required and a maximum of 5 will be accepted). Please note that your references will submit their confidential letters directly to the UC Recruit System.

*All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. For any reference letter provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service, career center), direct the author to UCSC’s confidentiality statement at http://apo.ucsc.edu/confstm.htm.

Apply link: https://recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01366

Help contact: eebrecruitment@ucsc.edu

About UC Santa Cruz

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees. Inquiries regarding the University’s equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 or by phone at (831) 459-2686.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check (see https://www.uscis.gov/e-verify). The university sponsors employment-based visas for nonresidents who are offered academic appointments at UC Santa Cruz (see https://apo.ucsc.edu/policy/capm/102.530.html).

UCSC is a smoke & tobacco-free campus.

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact Disability Management Services at roberts@ucsc.edu (831) 459-4602.

UCSC is committed to addressing the spousal and partner employment needs of our candidates and employees. As part of this commitment, our institution is a member of the Northern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NorCal HERC). Visit the NorCal HERC website at https://www.hercjobs.org/regions/higher-ed-careers-northern-california/ to search for open positions within a commutable distance of our institution.

The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance. For information about employee benefits please visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

VISIT UC Santa Cruz: https://www.ucsc.edu

Job location

Santa Cruz, California