Professor - Biology jobs in Asheville, NC

The Biology Department at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina welcomes applications for the position of Visiting Assistant Professor of Conservation Biology for the 2024-25 academic year. We seek a broadly trained conservation biologist who is strongly committed to teaching and student-engaged research in an undergraduate liberal arts environment.

The Biology Department at Warren Wilson College offers a traditional major and minor in Biology, as well as an increasingly popular major in Conservation Biology that aligns well with a student body committed to environmentalism and social justice. The Conservation Biology major has a solid foundation in the natural sciences and statistics alongside interdisciplinary coursework in Environmental Ethics and Geographic Information Systems, as well as introductory and upper-level courses specifically in conservation biology. Students also complete a capstone research project over three semesters with mentorship from a faculty member. The College campus includes forests, river, farm, and garden that offer a variety of ecosystems for field-based research and experiential learning in the biodiverse Southern Appalachian mountains. Asheville and the surrounding region also have many opportunities for community-engaged partnerships with conservation organizations, the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and other public lands.

The position is open to any area of conservation biology. The successful applicant will teach 22 credits of courses, as well as mentor students in their capstone research for an additional 2 credits. The 3/3 teaching load is expected to include two full-length classes (one with a lab, the other without) and a shorter seminar class each semester. Courses taught will include General Biology, Ecology, Introduction to Conservation Biology, Conservation Biology, and Topics in Conservation Biology seminars in the applicant’s area of specialty.

This is a 10 month teaching position, with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2024, and an end date of May 31, 2025. This temporary, benefit eligible position has been approved for the 2024-25 academic year only, to support an extended research leave. The position will not be eligible for any extension of employment after the 2025 spring semester. The expectation is the successful candidate will occupy an affordable campus housing rental unit while in this role. Please be aware relocation assistance is not available for this position.

About the College:

Warren Wilson College is located on a beautiful 1,135-acre campus in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. We enroll approximately 750 undergraduates and 100 graduate students. Rooted in liberal arts education, the College provides educational programs that foster students’ curiosity, empathy, and integrity to prepare graduates to engage in groundbreaking scholarship and creative work; to pursue meaningful careers with professionalism; and to lead purposeful lives dedicated to fostering a just, equitable, and sustainable world. The College utilizes an innovative educational approach that intentionally integrates academics and experiential learning (through campus work and community engagement) for a rich, challenging student experience. Our students matriculate through deliberately scaffolded courses and signature capstone experiences that combine intellectual foundations with experiential skill development and problem solving.

To fulfill this mission, the College, through its Strategic Imperative for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is unwavering in our commitment to the dignity of all people—particularly those populations who have been both historically oppressed and continue to experience systemic oppression. As we value the breadth of diversity necessary for a rich campus culture, we also recognize the particular challenge and opportunity for growth and leadership around race, noting that such a focus necessarily intersects with deepening efforts around other aspects of identity (such as ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, class, and worldview). We are committed to a culture of educational access and to ensuring that students and employees from a diverse range of identities and experiences will thrive in this community. We seek and support an academically and culturally diverse faculty and staff with a genuine interest in our innovative approach to education and focus on inclusive excellence, as well as a willingness to fully participate in the life of the College. We welcome applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (e.g., people of African, Latiné, Indigenous, and/or Asian descent) and individuals who have experience working with diverse student populations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Conservation Biology, Biology, Environmental Science, or related field. ABD candidates will also be considered.
• Evidence of experience and excellence in teaching undergraduates.
• Demonstrated experience with advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in learning spaces, or relevant lived experience. For instance, experience incorporating inclusive teaching modalities and working with diverse student populations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• One or more years of full-time teaching experience as the instructor of record at the undergraduate level.
• Evidence of experiential and applied learning pedagogy.
• Experience of successfully mentoring and integrating undergraduate students in research.
• Evidence of scholarly publication and productivity.
• Evidence of institutional and/or professional service (including, but not limited to committee service, collaboration, leadership).

Interested candidates should submit: a curriculum vitae and a cover letter which includes a discussion of your demonstrated engagement in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in learning spaces. Applicants should also describe how their teaching, research, and/or creative scholarly activity connects to Warren Wilson’s distinctive learning approach and community. First consideration will be given to candidates who apply by November 15, 2023. Electronic submission is required.

Warren Wilson College is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.