The Department of Earth & Environmental Scienceat the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY seeks to fill a tenure-eligible faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level with expertise in the field of Ancient DNA Paleoecology/Geomicrobiology. This is a 9-month position in the regular title series with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2025. We seek a highly motivated scholar that can build and lead a new research laboratory designed for measuring environmental and ancient DNA from geological archives (sediment, water), in order to evaluate the influence of climate change on biodiversity. This scholar will have demonstrated analytical abilities in state-of-the-art ancient/sedimentary DNA techniques, and pursue research that emphasizes aquatic environments (e.g., rivers, lakes, and karst ecosystems). The successful candidate will support a new NSF-EPSCoR Track 1 award focused on the vulnerability of Kentucky's waterways to climate changes. Additionally, the faculty scholar is expected to develop an internationally recognized externally funded research program, and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with academic, industry, and government partners. Ideally, this will include cross-disciplinary collaborations with the department faculty and across UK, including allied academic departments (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Anthropology) and research centers (e.g., Kentucky Geological Survey, Center for Applied Energy Research, Center for the Environment, etc.) to address complex challenges of climate-related hazards and support climate resilience in the Commonwealth.

A Ph.D. in Geobiology, Paleoecology, or equivalent degree is required as well as relevant post-doctoral research experience.

Applicants must include the following: 1) Cover Letter, 2) CV, 3) Research Statement (upload as Specific Request 1), 4) Teaching Statement (upload as Specific Request 2), 5) Transcripts, and 6) Published Writing. In addition, please provide the names and contact information of three references when prompted in the academic profile. This information may be utilized to solicit recommendation letters from your references within the employment system.

The University of Kentucky provides comprehensive benefits which are fully described at https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/our-benefits.

Questions about this search should be addressed to Dr. Michael McGlue, Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Science, (michael.mcglue@uky.edu)

Review of applications will begin on October 21st, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled.