Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) - Biochemistry

Employer: University of Washington Tacoma

Location: Tacoma, Washington State

Salary: $9110 to $9600 per month ($81,990 to $86,400 per 9-month academic year)

Date posted: Sep 9, 2025

Position Type: Faculty Positions

Employment Level: Tenured/Tenured Track

Employment Type: Full Time

Institution Type: Public Four-Year Institutions

Position Overview

The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Division of Science and Mathematics (SAM) within the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (SIAS). This is a full-time (100% FTE), tenure-track position with a 9-month service period and an expected start date of September 16, 2025. The initial appointment will be for a three-year term, eligible for reappointment after successful academic review.

Responsibilities

All faculty at the UW engage in teaching, scholarship, and service within their school, the University, and their professional community. UW Tacoma and the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences are committed to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service activities.

The successful candidate will be expected to perform highly effective and inclusive teaching, using a variety of pedagogical techniques and technologies, in an urban-serving campus environment. The successful candidate will also be expected to successfully mentor undergraduate students in an academic setting with diverse experiences and backgrounds.

The Assistant Professor of Biochemistry’s research area is open within Biochemistry broadly interpreted. Positive factors for consideration include, but are not limited to, expertise in computational biochemistry methods. The candidate will be expected to actively seek extramural support to develop and maintain a productive research program involving our undergraduates. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to teach biochemistry and other laboratory-based courses related to their field, which may include lower division chemistry and/or biology courses and other courses of their own design. The successful candidate is currently expected to teach four (4) undergraduate courses that contain both lecture and laboratory components, and one (1) seminar or research experience course per academic year. As teaching needs may fluctuate, specific arrangements of courses may change, but the load for this position is set at a level equivalent to six (6) undergraduate lecture courses per academic year. Additionally, the candidate will be expected to support the department's commitment to institutional service, professional development, and community outreach.

About UW Tacoma

The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) is an urban-serving institution committed to providing a community-engaged education to a diverse student body. The UWT campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians within the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Established in 1990, our thriving downtown campus serves students of a wide range of ages and backgrounds; including an overall undergraduate population consisting over more than 50% first-generation college students.

The University of Washington Tacoma is one of three campuses of the University of Washington, providing faculty with access to the resources of a major, state-flagship research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. The University of Washington is among the 119 institutions of higher education in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation denoting institutional commitment to community engagement. UWT is a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) and a federally funded Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). In particular, the Tacoma campus is renowned for its community-engaged activities, wherein many of its faculty, students, and staff are taking an active role in transforming the city and region into a thriving and just collective of communities.

Faculty at UWT have access to the resources of a major research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. UWT consists of approximately 5,000 students, across seven schools, and offers a variety of professional and academic degrees and certifications. UWT’s commitment to equity and inclusion is central to maintaining an atmosphere wherein students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth.

Consistent with UWT’s urban-serving mission, our campus provides a unique environment for faculty to creatively develop their teaching, scholarship, and service portfolios, and to engage with the Tacoma community. UWT’s commitment to diversity and belonging is central to this mission, and to creating an atmosphere where students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. For more information about UW Tacoma, visit www.tacoma.uw.edu.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The University of Washington Tacoma and the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences are dedicated to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, social equity, and inclusion in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Creative scholarship agendas linking knowledge, community service, and professional practice are supported and encouraged. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice to apply.

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $8,556 to $9,000 per month ($77,000 to $81,000 per 9-month academic year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Other compensation associated with this position may include a one-time relocation allowance, if applicable, and professional/research funds. A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/.

Qualifications

An earned Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Biochemistry or related field at the time of appointment, and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and research/scholarship in the candidate’s area of expertise.

In exceptional circumstances, candidates in the final stages of their terminal degree (pending conferral) may be selected and appointed on an acting basis.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit the following, via Interfolio:

1. A cover letter, providing an overview of your academic interests, qualifications, and relevant experience in teaching, research, and service. (two-page maximum)
2. A curriculum vitae, including a list of courses taught, their frequency, and your role in each course (e.g., primary instructor vs. teaching assistant)
3. A diversity statement, describing your commitment to diversity, social equity, and inclusion, and how you have demonstrated or plan to demonstrate this in your teaching, scholarship, and service. Please describe how your work will further UWT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (two-page maximum)
4. A research statement, including an assessment of the impact of your research, a concise description of planned research areas and potential collaborations with UW Tacoma faculty, and plans for seeking additional support and/or funding. Please include how you will involve and support the success of UWT students in your research and/or research area. (3 page maximum)
5. A teaching statement, describing your teaching philosophy and including methods you use (or intend to use) and high-impact teaching practices that you use (or intend to use). (2 page maximum)
6. Evidence of teaching effectiveness. This might include: sample syllabi, quantitative and/or qualitative student evaluations, and/or peer teaching evaluations.
7. Names and contact information for three professional references, with letters available upon request.

All application materials must be submitted through Interfolio (http://apply.interfolio.com/154390). Application materials received via mail or email will not be considered. Screening of applications will begin on November 3 and will continue until the position is filled. For further information or specific inquiries, please contact Jim Gawel, search committee Chair, at jimgawel@uw.edu.