Campus

LANGSTON

Contact Name & Email

Nika Wilson , luhumanresources@langston.edu

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm with occasional evenings and weekends.

Appointment Length

10 months

Hiring Range

$70000 - $75000

Commensurate with education and experience

Priority Application Date

While applications will be accepted until a successful candidate has been hired, interested parties are encouraged to submit their materials by to ensure full consideration.

Special Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, please include a resume, cover letter, official transcript(s) and three professional letters of recommendation.

About this Position

The Biology Department at Langston University invites applications for a assistant professor to begin in the upcoming academic year. We're seeking a dynamic educator and researcher to join our vibrant academic community.

This position offers a unique opportunity to blend teaching and cutting-edge research. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching undergraduate courses in Anatomy and Zoology.

In addition to teaching, the faculty member will conduct research within our state-of-the-art Science Research Institute. A key role will be to mentor, train, and guide undergraduate students through hands-on biomedical research projects. The candidate will also have the support and opportunity to develop and establish their own independent research program.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D./Ed.D.

  Biology or closely related field

  (degree must be conferred on or before agreed upon start date)

• A minimum of one year of postdoctoral research experience is strongly preferred, reflecting a demonstrated ability to conduct independent scholarly inquiry and contribute meaningfully to the academic community

Skills, Proficiencies, and/or Knowledge:

• Pedagogical Skills: Demonstrated ability to effectively teach and engage undergraduate students in both lecture and laboratory settings. This includes curriculum development, lesson planning, and assessment of student learning.

• Mentorship and Advising: Skill in guiding, training, and inspiring undergraduate students in a research environment, fostering their intellectual and professional growth.

• Grant Writing: Proven ability to write clear, persuasive, and successful grant proposals to secure funding from agencies like the NIH, NSF, or private foundations.

• Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills for delivering lectures, publishing research in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at scientific conferences.

• Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and students and contribute positively to the departmental community.

• Laboratory Management: Competence in managing a research lab, including overseeing lab safety, ordering supplies, maintaining equipment, and managing a budget.

Preferred Qualifications

Ph.D./Ed.D.

The most competitive candidates will likely have a research focus in areas that naturally integrate the teaching and research duties. Ideal fields of study include:

• Developmental Biology: This field is an excellent fit as it inherently connects anatomy, genetics, and molecular mechanisms during an organism's growth.

• Comparative Physiology: This specialization directly links anatomical structures (Anatomy) across different animal groups (Zoology) to their physiological functions, a cornerstone of biomedical investigation.

• Integrative Biology: This area emphasizes connecting molecular and cellular-level processes to the whole-organism level, which aligns perfectly with the job's dual requirements.

• Cell and Molecular Biology: Candidates from this field are also highly valued, provided they can demonstrate significant experience and a strong background in whole-organism anatomy and zoology to effectively teach those courses.

Ultimately, the key is not just the name of the degree, but the candidate's demonstrated ability to teach classical zoology and anatomy while running a contemporary, hands-on biomedical research program for undergraduates.

Minimum of 1 year experience 

Preferred Skills

• Pedagogical Skills: A demonstrated ability to effectively teach and engage undergraduate students in both lecture and laboratory settings. This includes curriculum development, lesson planning, and creating meaningful assessments.

• Mentorship: The ability to guide, train, and inspire undergraduate students within a research environment, fostering their development as young scientists.

• Grant Writing: A strong skill in writing clear, persuasive, and successful grant proposals to secure funding from agencies like the NIH, NSF, or private foundations.

• Communication: Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential for publishing research in peer-reviewed journals, presenting at scientific conferences, and delivering clear lectures.

• Laboratory Management: Competence in running a research lab, which includes overseeing lab safety, managing a budget, ordering supplies, and maintaining equipment.

• Interpersonal Skills: The ability to collaborate effectively with other faculty, staff, and students, contributing to a positive and productive departmental community.

Preferred Proficiencies

• Biomedical Laboratory Techniques: Proficiency in a range of modern laboratory techniques relevant to biomedical research. This could include, but isn't limited to:

  • Molecular biology techniques (PCR, qPCR, DNA/RNA extraction, electrophoresis).

  • Aseptic cell culture techniques.

  • Advanced microscopy (light, fluorescent, confocal).

  • Dissection techniques for both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms.

  • Protein analysis (Western blotting, ELISA).

• Data Analysis Software: Proficiency with statistical software (e.g., R, SPSS, Prism) and other relevant bioinformatics tools for analyzing research data.

• Instructional Technology: Competence in using Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Canvas or Blackboard and other digital tools to enhance teaching.

Preferred Knowledge

• Subject Matter Expertise: A deep and comprehensive understanding of Human Anatomy, Comparative Anatomy, and Zoology (both invertebrate and vertebrate).

• Research Design: Thorough knowledge of the scientific method, experimental design, and the ethical considerations involved in conducting biomedical research.

• Scientific Literature: A strong grasp of the current and foundational literature in the candidate's specific field of biomedical research.

• Funding Landscape: Knowledge of major external funding agencies, their specific missions, and their grant application cycles.

• Laboratory Safety: In-depth knowledge of safety protocols and regulations (e.g., OSHA, biosafety levels) necessary for maintaining a safe research and teaching environment.