Assistant Professor- Microbial Ecology

Job Description:

The Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston seeks applicants for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor to pursue a research program in microbial ecology. The position will begin September 1, 2026. Areas of interest within microbial biology include (but are not limited to) the impact of microbial communities on human or environmental health, the effects of microbes on multiple levels of biological organization (i.e., from cells to ecosystems), interactions among microorganisms, and evolutionary processes in microbial communities.

The successful applicant is expected to establish an externally funded research program, direct the research of students at the doctoral, masters, and undergraduate levels, and interact with a dynamic group of biologists in research areas ranging from molecular and cellular biology to ecology and evolution. The faculty member will be expected to teach a broad Microbiology course for upper-level undergraduate Biology students, which includes physiological, biochemical, molecular, and evolutionary aspects of microbiology. The faculty member may also teach more specialized courses at the upper undergraduate and/or graduate level. Applicants must have a PhD or equivalent degree and relevant postdoctoral research experience. Commitment to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels is expected.

For further information, visit the Biology Department website at http://www.umb.edu/academics/csm/biology or contact the Chair of Search Committee, Doug Woodhams at douglas.woodhams@umb.edu or Rachel Skvirsky, Chair of Biology, at rachel.skvirsky@umb.edu.

UMass Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, whose impact is both local and global. We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who engage the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

Application instructions:

Candidates should submit: (i) a cover letter detailing how their proposed experimental work would complement existing research within the Department, (ii) a curriculum vitae, (iii) a statement of research plans, and (iv) a statement of teaching philosophy, including teaching experience and preferred teaching areas. Applicants should also include contact information for three references. Applications should be submitted by December 1, 2025, for full consideration. Review of applications will then continue until the position is filled.

UMass Boston expects to pay within an approximate range between $80,000 and $104,000 for this position.

The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on the consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend an offer of employment. Exceptional candidates may be considered for salaries above the published range to ensure competitiveness within the academic market.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.