Tenure Track Faculty in Wildlife Biology in the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Sciences

Posting Details

Title Information

Faculty Title

Job Class Code

FLSA

Position Information

Posting Number
FRGV1731
Working Title
Tenure Track Faculty in Wildlife Biology in the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Sciences
Number of Vacancies
1
Location
Brownsville, Texas
Division/Organization
Provost - Academic Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position

Tenure Status
Tenure Track
FTE
1.0
Scope of Job

We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's student body as an Assistant Professor in Wildlife Biology in the School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences, Brownsville Campus, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. The successful candidate will specialize in conservation biology, population ecology, ecological genetics, community ecology, evolutionary applications, or wildlife management research, focusing on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates. Successful candidates will be expected to establish a competitive, extramurally funded research program; recruit and train graduate and undergraduate students in wildlife research; teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Conservation Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Wildlife Ecology and Management and other courses in the candidate's area of expertise; and develop certificate programs in wildlife biology and natural history of the Rio Grande Valley. The Brownsville Campus lies within a unique mosaic of subtropical National Wildlife Refuges, State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, and private ecological reserves that seek to conserve and protect wildlife in one of the most biodiverse and threatened regions of the U.S. The successful candidate will network and engage a diverse group of stakeholders in developing sustainable solutions to wildlife conservation and otherwise serve the school, college, university and academic field through committee appointments and other activities.

About UTRGV :

UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valley and beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading research, healthcare, and application of University discoveries, we support sustainable development, community engagement, and well-being. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ( UTRGV ) is committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do, including teaching, research, and service.

Drawing on our unique identity as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in a bilingual and bicultural environment, UTRGV will promote student access and success by building from strength in education and creating a vibrant campus experience. By 2027, we will accelerate transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond by driving meaningful advancements in research and creative works, expanding access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, and fostering authentic community engagement and integration.

UTRGV is a distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top 3 universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students. For additional information, please visit our website .

Department/CollegeBackground

The School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences ( SIBCS ), located in the College of Sciences , provides a diverse and dynamic learning environment where students and faculty delve into the convergence of biological and chemical inquiry, offering interdisciplinary courses, degrees and research programs that foster a holistic understanding of these interconnected fields. SIBCS has 28 research faculty and 35 lecturer appointments in diverse fields of biology and chemistry. SICBS has 1,996 undergraduates and 82 graduates that receive coursework and training in Environmental Chemistry, Material Chemistry, Biochemistry, Computational Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Forensics, Organic Chemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology, Astrobiology, Biophysics, Evolutionary Ecology, Animal Behavior, Neurobiology, Genetics, Vector Borne Diseases, Cancer Biology, Physiology, Endocrinology, Development, Food Safety & Microbiology, Botany, Herpetology and Ornithology leading to B.Sc., M.Sc degrees and teaching certificates in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemical and Molecular Biology. It is anticipated that SICBS will begin offering Ph.D. degrees during the candidates' tenure period. School resources include the Center for Vector Borne Disease, The Pollinator Garden and the Duckhead reserve, located on the Brownsville campus, providing student and faculty access to 50 acres of Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub habitat encircled by an ancient arm of the Rio Grande, less than a mile away. The Costal Studies Lab, located on South Padre Island provides research facilities and access to the Gulf of Mexico, the hypersaline Laguna Madre and Delta of the Rio Grande. SIBCS students and faculty enjoy access to bioinformatic and computing resources at the Texas Advanced Computing Center , academia's largest high-performance computing facility. Faculty and students regularly engage and collaborate with the Gladys Porter Zoo , a mile from the Brownsville campus. More on the School can be found here: https://www.utrgv.edu/sibcs/index.htm . Questions should be sent to the Search Committee Chair: karl.berg@utrgv.edu

Minimum Qualifications

Ph.D. in biology, ecology, wildlife management, environmental science or related field and a strong record of research accomplishments and grant writing.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications

We seek a colleague specializing in ecology and evolutionary biology and that can complement and synergize with existing strengths and exploit the unique and diverse subtropical ecosystems of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Based on the Brownsville campus, which is nestled within a mosaic of federal, state and private ecological reserves, we seek a colleague that uses cutting edge techniques in population or ecological genetics or ecological genomics; that can network with governmental and non-governmental organizations in search of sustainable solutions to wildlife conservation amidst rapid development of the RGV ; and that can educate, train and shape the following generations of wildlife managers in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the U.S.

Preferred Qualifications

Postdoctoral experience, record of scholarly publications and demonstrated ability or potential to establish a cutting-edge, extramurally funded research program in wildlife biology, using population ecology, ecological genetics or genomic approaches to wildlife management. Demonstrated evidence of teaching or inspiring underrepresented groups in science and math is a plus.

License or Certification Required?
No
Salary
Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Desired Start Date
09/01/2025

Posting Detail Information

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Open Date
11/03/2024
Close Date
12/01/2024
Additional Information

UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may
require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is
performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive
and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code
• 51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of
Texas ( TRS ), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least
135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement
Program ( ORP ) instead of TRS , subject to the position being 40 hours per week
and at least 135 days in length.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Dear Applicant,

Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:

Date of Birth
Social Security Number
Gender
Ethnicity/Race

Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right to discontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close date of this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three (3) calendar days.

Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check ( CBC ). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview

Please Note

Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to
demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based
test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ). Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.

Quick Link
https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/44698

Posting Supplemental Questions