Assistant Professor - Plant Conservation Ecology - Department of Biology #25-11

Tenure-Track Faculty Position Announcement

Department: Biology

Faculty Hire Number: #25-11

Rank: Assistant Professor

Effective Date of Appointment: August 20, 2025 (Subject to Budgetary Approval)

Salary Scale: $86,000 to $92,610 (Dependent upon qualifications)

CSUN’s Commitment to You:

CSUN is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning, and inclusion. Our values include a respect for all people, building partnerships with the community, and the encouragement of innovation, experimentation, and creativity. CSUN strives to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. CSUN is especially interested in candidates who make contributions to equity and inclusion in the pursuit of excellence for all members of the university community.

As a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI), inclusiveness and diversity are integral to CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement. As of Fall 2023, CSUN enrolls ~36,000 students, where 55.7% are Latinx, 19.7% are White, 8.9% are Asian-American, 5.0% are Black/African American, 0.1% are Native American, and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. 

For more information about the University, visit: http://www.csun.edu

About the College:

For more information about the College of Science and Math, see: https://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics

About the Department:

For more information about the Department of Biology, see: https://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics/biology

Position:

The Department of Biology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is seeking a tenure-track faculty member in Plant Conservation Ecology at the rank of Assistant Professor.

The successful candidate may teach courses in introductory biology for majors (BIOL 106) and in the candidate’s specialty, which may include field-based courses in Plant Ecology (BIOL 407), Conservation Biology (BIOL 456), or a new senior-level course for majors on Biodiversity and Global Change. The candidate’s teaching portfolio will complement existing courses in the department, including upper division field courses, evolutionary biology, genetics, molecular ecology, biometry, or computational modeling. The successful candidate will demonstrate the potential to develop an independent externally funded research program that actively involves graduate and undergraduate students in field-based research in California. The successful candidate will be familiar with the flora of the California Floristic Province and develop a research program on plant ecology aimed at conservation of species and communities in California ecosystems. The successful candidate will seek opportunities for collaboration with other Biology faculty and peers from state and federal management agencies.

In addition to teaching, the position requires weekly office hours, attending faculty meetings, participation in assessment of student learning, and service to the department, college, and university. The successful candidate will be held to the standards and requirements of the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Biology for recommending tenure and promotion. Given CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement with a diverse student body, the successful candidate will help the Department of Biology achieve equitable academic outcomes for all students through teaching, student mentorship, scholarship, and service.

Required Qualifications:  

• Hold a Ph.D. in Biology or Ecology or a closely related field from an accredited institution


• College or university-level teaching experience, either online or in person


• At least six months of postdoctoral research experience


• Experience in writing and submitting grant applications


• Experience in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in research


• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, including papers as a first author


• Research experience in applied plant conservation ecology

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of effective engagement or potential to engage with a diverse student body


• Research experience that includes working with students from diverse backgrounds 


• Experience adopting inclusive approaches to mentoring


• Experience using culturally responsive pedagogy that leads to equitable outcomes for all students


• Experience creating a student-centered learning environment, including evidence of teaching effectiveness and/or training in pedagogical strategies


• Ability to teach an introductory biology course focused on core principles of ecology and evolution


• Ability to teach specialized courses in plant ecology, conservation biology, and global change


• A research program that is at least partly based on field work in California


• Experience working with, or knowledge of, the flora of the California Floristic Province


• Ability to develop an independent research program in theoretical and/or applied conservation ecology


• Willingness to collaborate with departmental colleagues and/or peers from state and/or federal management agencies

Application Deadline:

Review of applications will begin after October 15, 2024 and preference will be given to applications received by this date. Applications received after this date may not be considered. However, the position will remain open until filled.

How to Apply:

Candidates should apply by completing the CSUN online application. To apply and for more detailed information on the application and hiring process, please visit this link: www.csun.edu/careers 

Applicants must submit to the website in the section above (1) a cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) statement of research interests (two pages), (4) statement of teaching philosophy and experience (two pages), (5) names of three references. Although we do not request a separate diversity statement, candidates should highlight their experience and philosophy for working in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in their research and teaching statements.

At time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work in the United States.

General Information:

In compliance with the Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Northridge has made crime-reporting statistics available on-line here. Print copies are available by request from the Department of Police Services, the Office for Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Equity and Diversity.

The person holding this position may be considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California.

CSUN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Our nondiscrimination policy is set forth in CSU Interim Nondiscrimination Policy. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Casey terHorst at 818-677-3352 or casey.terhorst@csun.edu.