Assistant Professor of Biology

University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is a primarily undergraduate institution located in the heart of downtown Houston. As stated in its mission statement "The University of Houston-Downtown is a dynamic and welcoming community of faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future." A large proportion of UHD students are also the first in their families to attend college. U.S. News ranked the University among Top Performers on Social Mobility and awarded UHD a No. 1 ranking as the most diverse institution of higher education in the southern region of the U.S.

The NS Department at UHD offers undergraduate degree plans in biology, biotechnology, chemistry, and geosciences. Our tenured and tenure-track faculty are dedicated to engaging students in research across diverse fields. Much of the research and teaching in the NS Department takes place in a new, state-of-the-art building equipped with modern equipment to support a wide array of projects and classes. We value student and faculty interactions through low student/instructor ratios, a variety of student clubs with faculty sponsors, and robust support for undergraduate research.

Expectations:

The Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Biology is expected to contribute to UHD's mission by excelling in teaching (50% of effort), scholarship (25% of effort), and service (25% of effort).

The teaching load is 4/3 (4 courses one semester and 3 the next, each 3 contact hours). A typical semester teaching load could consist of both lectures and labs (for example, 2 lectures and 1 lab). The successful candidate is expected to teach introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses in biological sciences. Teaching may be conducted fully face-to-face, hybrid, or online, depending on the course.

The successful candidate is expected to develop an active research program in their area of expertise, integrate undergraduate students into research projects, fostering mentorship and hands-on learning, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and seek extramural funding for research projects. Opportunities for internal funding are also available.

Faculty members are expected to contribute to departmental, college, and university initiatives through committee work and other service activities.

Required Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in biological sciences at the time of appointment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research background in microbiology or organismal biology
• Experience in teaching undergraduate courses in a range of instructional modalities
• Potential for establishing an active research program with undergraduate students and seeking/obtaining external funding

Application

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Review of materials will be followed by online interviews with prospective candidates and continuing with on-campus interviews until the position is filled. Only candidates with complete applications will be considered. Preference will be given to applications received by March 15th, 2026, but the search will continue until the position is filled.

The following materials should be submitted in separate documents:

• A cover letter
• Current CV
• A teaching philosophy detailing how you will support the UHD mission and vision and how you will apply your teaching philosophy to the student body of UHD. https://www.uhd.edu/about/mission.aspx
• A research statement that describes the scope of your research, how you will incorporate undergraduates into your research program, and describes your needs for conducting research at UHD.
• Three letters of recommendation to be requested later in the process. It is recommended that the letters should address the candidate's experience/potential in both teaching and research, either in the same letter or in separate letters. The process of submitting these letters will be provided separately.

Questions can be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Yuan Yuan (Connie) Kang at KangY@uhd.edu.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.