Assistant Professor of Quantitative Ecology

A Ph.D. in Biology or related fields
Postdoctoral experience

The Department of Biology at Appalachian State University invites applications for a tenure-track quantitative ecologist at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in Fall 2026. We seek an applicant with expertise in biostatistics, computational ecology, and/or ecological modeling. Research that employs quantitative/computational techniques with empirical field studies (survey and/or experimental) to address questions relating to evolutionary mechanisms, global change, or biodiversity/conservation and complements current departmental strengths is preferred.

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The Department of Biology at Appalachian State University is a community of 44 faculty who are active in teaching and research, along with a support staff of 6 technicians and 3 administrators. We strive to maintain a faculty with diverse research interests, ranging from molecules to organisms to landscapes. The department currently has over 1000 undergraduate Biology majors and 48 graduate students. The department provides instruction in biology through classroom and laboratory interactions, undergraduate and graduate research experiences, seminars, professional development programs, and career advising through courses and faculty interactions. The Department of Biology manages and provides access to a research greenhouse, a 67-acre nature preserve on campus, and an off campus 250-acre field site. The department and university support new faculty through a comprehensive Faculty Mentoring Program and Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Student Success. The mechanisms include peer writing circles, pedagogical workshops, and faculty mentoring. Appalachian State University, in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience fosters a spirit that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, and to act with passion and determination. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian State enrolls over 21,000 students, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

The successful candidate will be strongly committed to excellence in both teaching and research at a Master's degree-granting research institution and developing a competitive research program that involves undergraduate and master's students. Teaching responsibilities would include developing a quantitative ecology course at the undergraduate level and rotating through a graduate course in biostatistics. The successful candidate is expected to develop other courses specific to the candidate's expertise and/or periodically teach into the existing departmental curriculum (e.g., Ecology, Introductory Biology sequence).

ABD with reduction in rank and salary: ABD will be considered for this position. Evidence of successful defense of the dissertation must be received by July 31 for a fall hire or November 30 for a spring hire. If confirmation of defense is not provided by the deadline, the candidate will receive a new one-year fixed-term contract and be hired at the rank of Instructor. The candidate's salary will also be reduced to a lower rate commensurate with other full-time instructors in the same department. However, if degree verification is provided before the end of the one-year fixed-term contract, the candidate will be returned to the rank of assistant professor with commensurate compensation beginning July 1 of the following academic year.

No ABD consideration: Only candidates with an earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution will be considered for the position. Since ABD will not meet the minimum requirements, ABD will not be considered.

Applications must include (i) a cover letter that includes information on how the applicant's research and teaching interests will complement and/or synergize with current departmental offerings (2 pages max), (ii) a curriculum vitae, (iii) a research statement that highlights short-term and long-term goals and the involvement of undergraduate and master's student researchers (3 pages max), (iv) a teaching statement that includes philosophy, interests and experience, and mentorship strategies (2 pages max), and (v) the contact information for 3 references (name, address, telephone, email).

The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.

The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.