"Assistant Professor"

The Opportunity:

The School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at Washington State University (WSU) invites applications for a permanent, full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Pullman, WA, with a specialty in Vertebrate Ecology. We seek applicants whose research program spans spatial and/or temporal scales, or levels of biological organization. Candidates who apply quantitative and inductive approaches to connect organismal biology with ecological processes are particularly encouraged to apply. Potential research topics of interest include but are not limited to species interactions, broadly defined; physiological ecology; eco-evolutionary dynamics; food webs; and determinants of biodiversity.

The undergraduate population in SBS has primary interests in pre-health, so candidates whose research and teaching can connect with these students are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will also contribute to graduate teaching and training the next generation of biology students in cutting-edge ecological theory and methods.

It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on August 16, 2026.

Job duties:

Develop and maintain an active, hypothesis-driven research program in vertebrate ecology, with support from extramural funding sources.

Recruit and mentor graduate and undergraduate students.

Teach undergraduate courses in ecology, and one of the following areas: animal/human physiology, anatomy, or nutrition, or vertebrate taxon-focused course.

Develop and teach a graduate course in their area of expertise.

Participate in service at the department, college, and/or university level.

Advance SBS, CAS, and WSU's land grant mission, which seeks to ensure access and opportunity to educational, research, and outreach experiences.

Required Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in biology or related discipline and at least six months of postdoctoral research experience prior to the anticipated start date.

Record of research accomplishment in vertebrate ecology as demonstrated by publications and presentations at scientific meetings.

Effective communication skills with both students and colleagues.

Demonstrated ability or potential to engage in productive collaborations.

Demonstrated record of or potential for ensuring access and opportunity in all aspects of our educational experiences in alignment with WSU's land grant mission.

Record indicating past teaching effectiveness or evidence of potential for effective teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses in biology.

Ability to teach undergraduate courses in ecology and one or more of the following course areas: animal/human physiology, anatomy, or nutrition, or vertebrate taxon-focused course.

Ability to teach a graduate course in the candidate's area of expertise and the core SBS curriculum.

Experience with or potential for excellence in mentoring of undergraduate or graduate students undertaking research projects.

Evidence of seeking or being awarded intramural or extramural funding.

Additional Information:

Annual Salary: $80,000 - $95,000 per nine-month academic year | Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Benefits: WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For a more detailed summary of benefits offered by WSU for Faculty please review the summary of benefits for WSU Faculty and Total Compensation.

Department Link:

Area/College: College of Arts and Sciences

Department Name: School of Biological Sciences

City, State, Zip: Pullman, Washington, 99164

This is a permanent/temporary tenure track position.

FTE: 100%

Application Instructions:

Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. Application materials should clearly communicate how the applicant meets all required qualifications and additional requirements.

A cover letter addressing qualifications for this position as well as a response to the following prompt: As a land-grant university, we have a commitment to ensure access and opportunity in all aspects of our work. The successful candidate for this faculty position will have the experiences, knowledge, and skills to build their research/scholarship/creative practice, pedagogy, curriculum, and service in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Please explain your past record and future plans to contribute to this aspect of WSU's mission.

Curriculum vitae

Teaching statement (2 page maximum) that describes your teaching experience and philosophy, which may incorporate experience from formal or informal teaching and mentoring. This statement should address your ability to contribute to teaching courses in areas listed under required qualifications.

Research statement (2 page maximum) that explicitly outlines the candidate's past and future research in the field of vertebrate ecology and how it fulfills the criteria listed above. (Up to five representative reprints of published or in-press papers may be requested later in the process.)

External candidates, upload all documents in the 'Application Document' section of your application. Current WSU Employees (internal candidates), before starting your Workday application, please use these instructions to update your education and experience in your worker profile in Workday. Internal candidates, upload all documents in the 'Resume/Cover Letter' section of your application.

Documents may be submitted as one file or separate files. Applicants are encouraged to upload as a PDF, if possible.

Applicants are required to include contact information for professional references within the application (letters will be requested at a later time).

Background Check: This position has been designated by the department to require a background check because it requires access to children or vulnerable adults as defined by RCW 74.34, engages in law enforcement, requires security clearance, interacts with WSU students in a counseling or advising capacity, has access to personal identifying and/or financial information, unsupervised access to university buildings/property, or other business-related need. A background check will not be completed until an initial determination of qualification for employment has been made.

About WSU, Pullman, College of Arts and Sciences, and School of Biological Sciences -

Washington State University is a land grant, multiple-campus Research 1 institution. This position will serve on the Pullman campus, which has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and is in Southeastern Washington on the homelands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people. Located 80 miles south of metropolitan Spokane, Pullman is also a quick drive away from the scenic Idaho panhandle and Moscow Mountain. The rolling hills of the Palouse offer a wide range of activities and a true four-season climate. The area provides ample opportunity to enjoy the cultural and academic hub of both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho. For more information about the region, please see https://pullmanchamber.com.

Encompassing more than 19 departments, schools, and programs, and 19 centers, institutes, museums, and research stations across five campuses statewide, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) is the heart of WSU. Together over 700 CAS faculty and staff deliver more than 50% of WSU's total undergraduate and graduate instruction, including the vast majority of WSU's core curriculum. We drive disciplinary and transdisciplinary research, scholarship, and creative activities across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences and mathematics. The College of Arts & Sciences seeks to lead a reimagining of WSU's land-grant mission for the 21st century, expanding the boundaries of creativity and discovery while simultaneously recognizing more completely our obligations to the State and the communities we serve. For more about the College of Arts & Sciences at WSU, please see https://cas.wsu.edu.

The School of Biological Sciences (SBS) is in the College of Arts and Sciences and is physically located in a complex of two buildings on the Pullman Campus that accommodates research and teaching labs; but SBS faculty are also located on the WSU Vancouver and Tri-Cities campuses. Research facilities in SBS include the state-of-the-art Franceschi Microscopy and Imaging Center, the WSU Stable Isotope Core Facility, the Aquatic Phenomics Research Center, the Marion Ownbey Herbarium, the Charles R. Conner Museum, and the Hudson Biological Reserve at Smoot Hill. Further research facilities on campus include the Molecular Biology and Genomics Core, Gene Editing Core, Kamiak High Performance Computing Cluster, M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory, Biological NMR Spectroscopy Center, and the GeoAnalytical Laboratory. SBS faculty recruit graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) through the SBS graduate program, which support students as teaching or research assistants as they conduct independent research. Faculty in SBS work in diverse research fields including physiology, behavior, evolutionary biology, population and ecological genetics, evolutionary genomics, systematics, community and disease ecology, development, and reproduction. In addition to SBS, biological research spans numerous departments in multiple colleges at WSU, including Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Animal Sciences, Entomology, School of the Environment, and School of Molecular Biosciences, as well as multiple research groups in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Interdisciplinary programs and centers include the Institute of Biological Chemistry, the Center for Reproductive Biology, and the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach. For more about the School of Biological Sciences at WSU, please see sbs.wsu.edu.

WSU acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native American peoples, who have lived in this region and have been caretakers of the land from time immemorial. The Morrill Act of 1862 established our land-grant institution by providing public and federal lands that are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands, often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation. And as a land-grant institution, WSU is deeply committed to the land-grant mission, its Memorandums of Understanding with Native tribes in the region, and a tradition of service to society. To read the full WSU land acknowledgement, please see https://wsu.edu/about/wsu-land-acknowledgement/.

Time Type: Full time

Washington State University encourages all qualified candidates to apply, including members of the military and veterans, and persons with disabilities.

WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

WSU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521 (v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

In matters of admission, employment, housing or services, or in the educational programs or activities it operates, WSU does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, physical disability, mental disability, sensory disability, use of a trained service animal, age, religion, creed, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, honorably discharged veteran, member of the military, or immigration or citizenship status except as authorized by federal or state law, regulation, or government contract.

Inquiries about the application of federal and state laws and regulations (including inquiries regarding the application of Title IX, ADA/Section 504, and implementing regulations), as well as reports and complaints of discrimination and harassment, can be made verbally or in writing to WSU's Compliance and Civil Rights, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, or both.

More information, resources, and contact information are available here: https://ccr.wsu.edu/notice-of-nondiscrimination/.

To apply, visit https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/job/Pullman-WA/Assistant-Professor_R-13692.

Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Educator and Employer.