Lecturer - Wildlife Ecology

Lecturer - Wildlife Ecology
Department of Environmental Conservation
University of Massachusetts Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region. https://www.umass.edu/prospective-faculty/

Job Description:
The Department of Environmental Conservation seeks talented applicants for a full-time (9-month academic year), non-tenure-track appointment as Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation. Earliest appointment date is January 2021 with an initial appointment for two years. Teaching responsibilities include five courses per year: 1) Wildlife Habitat Management, an undergraduate course with 2 lab sections taught in fall, 2) Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management, a required undergraduate class taught in fall, 3) Wildlife Conservation, a large-lecture undergraduate course taught in the spring, 4) Wildlife Sampling and Identification, 2 sections taught in spring, and 5) Conservation Biology, a graduate-level seminar/course. Advising responsibilities include serving as the coordinator and primary academic advisor for the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation concentration. The successful candidate will serve, as do all other faculty, as a mentor to minorities and other underrepresented groups within the Department. The University of Massachusetts Amherst places special emphases on faculty-student interaction and a commitment to teach and attract a diverse student body.

Requirements:  
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in any aspect of wildlife or animal ecology and conservation, preferably with demonstrated teaching experience at the university level and an ability to teach courses remotely or online. The successful candidate will be creative and demonstrate a collaborative attitude. They must have an understanding of and commitment to the conservation of biological diversity. Successful candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education, and a desire to excel as a teacher, mentor, and scientist whose interests are broad and support the pedagogy that allows students to gain the ability to analyze and solve complex problems in environmental sustainability.

Additional Information:
There is great potential to engage with an innovative teaching program that incorporates student-centered teaching and learning, and to conduct collaborative interdisciplinary research in ecology with faculty in Environmental Conservation and Organismic & Evolutionary Biology graduate programs as well as the School of Earth and Sustainability. The Department is committed to practices that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion; successful applicants will gain experience and training in mentoring students from underrepresented groups in STEM.

The ECO department hosts a multi-disciplinary group of faculty with nationally ranked programs in Building and Construction Technology, Natural Resources Conservation, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Science. Our program has an established culture of collegiality and collaboration between faculty, students, staff, industry, and government partners. We place special emphasis on faculty-student interactions, interdisciplinary activities, and cooperation among faculty, and we share a fundamental commitment to teach and attract a diverse student body. Close working relationships with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are well established within the department, on campus, and in the area. 

Application Instructions:
Applications should include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching and mentoring, a statement of research interests, and the names, addresses and contact information of three references to:  https://secure.dc4.pageuppeople.com/apply/822/gateway/Default.aspx?c=apply&sJobIDs=505981&SourceTypeID=801&sLanguage=en-us .

Additionally, all applicants must submit a statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, identifying past experiences and future goals. These contributions may result from lived experiences, scholarship, mentoring, teaching and/or outreach activities. As part of a commitment to their own multicultural community, CNS seeks an individual with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and one who will understand and embrace university initiatives and aspirations. For more information, please review the College’s diversity statement: https://www.cns.umass.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion. Search questions can be addressed to: Prof. Todd Fuller, Search Chair, (tkfuller@eco.umass.edu). Applicants should apply by the priority deadline of September 25, 2020 to ensure consideration.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.  To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.  It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.