College of the Atlantic seeks a full-time faculty member in field ecology who is committed to teaching at the undergraduate level and collaborating across disciplines. We seek an ecologist with both strong natural history knowledge and quantitative skills, and who is excited about teaching and mentoring students at a small college that offers a single undergraduate degree in human ecology, an interdisciplinary inquiry into the human relationship with the environment. The successful candidate…
will hold the title of William H. Drury, Jr. Chair in Ecology and Natural History. Candidates at any career stage are welcome. A Ph.D. in ecology, evolutionary biology, organismal biology, or related field is required before the anticipated start date (September 1, 2027).
The successful candidate will be an interdisciplinary scholar who investigates questions across spatial and temporal scales, integrating both field data collection and quantitative methods such as GIS or other spatial computational approaches. They will have a demonstrated commitment to a place-based approach to both teaching and research, and an interest in using coastal Maine and environs (especially Acadia National Park, the COA campus, and our island and forest field stations) as sites for study and teaching as part of COA’s experiential, hands-on curriculum. The candidate should have an interest in the ways that ecology connects to other disciplines in the broader study of the human-environment relationship.
The candidate must demonstrate potential for excellent and inclusive teaching. Teaching responsibilities will include a range of interdisciplinary, undergraduate courses from introductory to advanced, related to natural history, spatial ecology, GIS, quantitative methods in field ecology, and human interactions with the environment. The candidate will have considerable flexibility to develop courses in their area of specialty, as well as contributing to foundational courses in biology and ecology. The teaching load is five courses across three ten-week trimesters (e.g., 1-2-2). Other responsibilities include mentoring and advising students, supervising senior capstone projects and independent studies, and contributing to college governance. Though there is no contractual research or publication expectation for COA faculty, most continue to conduct research that includes undergraduate training opportunities.
COA faculty have the opportunity to develop curricular and co-curricular projects connected to the resources available on campus and in the surrounding area, including the Dorr Museum of Natural History, the College waterfront, the school’s fleet of boats, Beech Hill and Peggy Rockefeller farms, and the Cox Protectorate; the College’s field stations located on Great Duck Island, Mount Desert Rock, and in Willimantic, Maine; as well as the College’s proximity to and relationship with Acadia National Park, the Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, and other local and regional communities and institutions.
All COA students design individualized, interdisciplinary degrees within our Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology. Students who study ecology at COA pursue a wide range of paths, including graduate study in biology and related fields; careers in conservation, natural resource management, government, nonprofits, museums, politics, and advocacy; and work in education, the arts, community organizing, and values-driven businesses. The successful candidate will have experience working with a diverse student population with diverse goals.
Compensation
Annual salary range is $75,000 to $105,000, commensurate with experience.
Benefits package includes health, dental, and life insurance, retirement, vacation, short- and long-term disability, and College of the Atlantic tuition relief for the employee and dependents.
Equal opportunity
COA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering learning and working environments free from discrimination. The college adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. In employment, admissions, and access to our educational programs, COA does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex or gender (including gender identity and expression), pregnancy, sexual orientation, religion, religious practices, mental or physical disability, genetic predisposition, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, or any other legally protected status.
About College of the Atlantic
COA enriches the liberal arts tradition through a distinctive educational philosophy—human ecology—which integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate, and ultimately improve, the relationships between human beings and our social, natural, and built environments. The human-ecological perspective guides teaching, learning, research, and engagement at the college. Our approximately 350 students, 30 full-time faculty, and 75 staff members share a commitment to place-based, interdisciplinary, experiential learning, while envisioning a world where people value creativity, intellectual achievement, and the diversity of nature and human cultures.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit the following materials here, combined as a single PDF file, in the following order:
- a cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for this position;
- a curriculum vitae including contact information for three professional references;
- a statement of teaching philosophy;
- and short descriptions of three courses you would be excited to teach at COA (course titles and one-paragraph descriptions, not syllabi).
Application review will begin on September 1, with successful candidates expected to visit campus in late September and early October. Questions about the search can be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Susan Letcher (sletcher@coa.edu).