Chair, Department Of Biology

Posting Information

Position Title Chair, Department of Biology Job Posting Number 20252TTL Job Location San Marcos Department Biology Position Description

The Department of Biology at Texas State University is conducting an external search for an experienced and outstanding senior scholar to serve as Department Chair beginning Summer or Fall 2025. Appointments will be at the Professor rank with tenure. The Chair will report to the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering and will serve as the department's academic and administrative leader. The Chair is a member of the college leadership team working collaboratively with the dean, university administration, fellow department chairs and school directors, center directors, faculty members, and staff to support and advance the strategic goals of the University, college and department.

We invite applications from individuals that are excellent leaders, scientists, and communicators to lead a highly engaged and collaborative faculty committed to advancing undergraduate and graduate teaching and increasing externally funded research and innovation in strong support of the university's goal to advance to R1 status by 2027. The Biology faculty are committed to teaching students to be leaders in a world characterized by the rapid pace of emerging technologies and new scientific discoveries. We do this by immersing our students in an academically rigorous curriculum and applied learning experiences in laboratory research, field study, and design. The Chair will be expected to maintain an active research program. Teaching is not required although the opportunity is available if desired.

The Biology Department is a multidisciplinary department with ~70 faculty members, both on tenure and non-tenure tracks, which serve ~2,000 undergraduate majors, ~6,000 non-majors requiring biology classes, and >115 master's and doctoral students. The department encompasses several major programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels including Aquatic Biology, Wildlife Biology, Microbiology, Population and Conservation Biology, and Biology Education as well as a diverse range of laboratory and field-based research that includes, but is not limited to, cell physiology, ecological immunology, hydroecology, microbial genetics/genomics, parasitology, and wildlife ecology.

Texas State University is a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), with a diverse campus community that includes over 38,000 students with a 40.5% Hispanic and 59.5% minority representation. The student body is composed of 44% first-generation and 36% Pell-eligible students. Texas State encompasses multiple locations across central Texas and employs more than 7,000 faculty, staff, and students. Texas State has made remarkable progress in the growth of research activity and had research expenditures in FY2023 exceeding $140 million, which is comparable to Carnegie R1 institutions.

The college includes the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Technology, Mathematics, and Physics, and the Ingram School of Engineering. The Agricultural Sciences Department will join the college in fall 2024. The college also houses the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center, reflective of a long-standing focus on aquatic biology and water resources. In addition to departmental Ph.D. programs, the college offers an interdisciplinary doctoral program in Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization in which all units participate. A hallmark of the college is the high-quality research of our faculty, which is exemplified by eighteen faculty members having received NSF Career awards since the early 2000's. Our faculty are collaborative and interdisciplinary researchers who have a strong track record of securing external funding. The college boasts the largest student enrollment at the university.

Additional information about Chair Responsibilities can be found at AA/PPS 01.02.11 Role, Evaluation, and Step-Down Salaries of Department Chairs and School Directors. This position is subject to the availability of funds.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biological sciences or related field.

• Record of instruction at the undergraduate and graduate level.

• Sustained record of teaching, service, and scholarly achievements consistent with the rank of a tenured, professor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated record of effective academic leadership that may include examples of professional training; university growth or new programs; innovation in curriculum; development of new facilities, funding, endowments, and partnerships; prior administrative experience; or service in national organizations, societies, or nonprofits.

• Successful record of maintaining a competitively funded research program.

• Consistent record of advising, supervising, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

• Experience with shared governance among diverse faculty with varying titles, ranks, and program specialties.

• Administrative, research, and teaching philosophies that align with the department and university.

Application Procedures

Only applications submitted through the Texas State University website will be accepted and considered: https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/47204.

To ensure full consideration, please submit the following by October 1, 2024:

• Cover letter addressing required and preferred qualifications

• Curriculum Vitae

• Leadership statement including experience, philosophy, and interests (3-5 pages)

• Research statement with a focus on active and anticipated projects, as well as philosophy and experience with collaboration and cross-disciplinary activities (3-5 pages)

• Teaching statement describing philosophy, experience, and approach to mentoring faculty (1-2 pages)

• Unofficial transcripts

• Contact information for five individuals willing to serve as references.

Questions regarding this position should be addressed to Paula Williamson, Associate Dean for Research, College of Science and Engineering and University Distinguished Professor of Biology, at pw04@txstate.edu, (512) 245-2178, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666.

The selected candidate will be required to provide official transcripts from all degree-granting universities.

Proposed Start Date Summer/Fall 2025 Posting Date 06/24/2024 Evaluation of Applications Begins Full Consideration Date: 10/01/2024 Close Date Open Until Filled? Yes EEO/AA Statement

Texas State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Reasonable Accommodation

If you experience accessibility issues or require alternative formatting during the application process due to a disability or underlying condition, we request that you contact Talent Acquisition for assistance. A representative from Talent Acquisition will respond to you as soon as possible.

Record Checks and Verifications

Employment with Texas State University is contingent upon the outcome of record checks and verifications including, but not limited to, criminal history, driving records, education records, employment verifications, reference checks, and employment eligibility verifications.

Eligibility for Employment

Proper documentation of identity and eligibility for employment will be required before the hiring process can be completed.

Why Work at Texas State?

Texas State University is home to more than 38,000 students and 2,000 faculty members in the growing Austin-San Antonio corridor. A member of the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie classification, the university creates new knowledge, fosters cultural and economic development, and prepares its growing population of diverse students for the endless possibilities that await them as citizens of Texas, the nation, and the world.

Bolstered by research with relevance and innovation in creative and scholarly work in a full range of academic disciplines and a spirit of inclusiveness, Texas State seeks outstanding candidates for a variety of faculty positions.

Quick Link https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/47204