Job Description

Position Description
The Department of Biology at the University of Mississippi is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented individual to join our department as the Collections Manager of the Pullen Herbarium, and as an Instructional Assistant or Associate Professor. This key team member would oversee the day-to-day management, preservation, and accessibility of our plant and fungal biodiversity collection, which includes specimen curation, record keeping, and monitoring specimen inflow/outflow. In addition, the Collections Manager would lead a team of students and volunteer assistants with specimen curation and scientific outreach projects, and would teach at least three courses per year in Botany and related subjects. This is a 9-month, non-tenure-track, permanent position with health and retirement benefits. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.



The Department of Biology's Pullen Herbarium, on the 4th floor of Shoemaker Hall, is a highly valuable resource for science, training, and pedagogy. It currently houses more than 90,000 specimens of plants, fungi, and slime molds in a compactor-shelf system, and a large proportion of specimens have been digitized and are available online (https://sernecportal.org/portal/collections/index.php, https://www.mycoportal.org/portal/collections/index.php).



The Department of Biology is a vibrant, broad-based department that consists of 43 faculty members, educates over 900 undergraduate biology majors and 3300 non-majors, and is currently training 56 graduate students (Ph.D. and M.S.). More information about the department can be found at https://biology.olemiss.edu/.


Position Details
This is a 9-month, non-tenure-track, permanent position with health and retirement benefits. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.



Duties and Responsibilities
Will include but are not limited to:
1. Oversee the day-to-day management, preservation, and accessibility of this biodiversity collection, which includes specimen curation, record keeping, and monitoring specimen inflow/outflow.
2. Seek external funding to support herbarium activities, maintenance, research, and development
3. Teach at least three courses per year related to botany, plant diversity, and systematics (e.g., BISC 318 (Botany) once or twice per year).
4. Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise students as curation technicians to carry out tasks such as label making and mounting, filing, imaging, databasing, and georeferencing specimens.
5. Respond to inquiries from scientists, members of the university community, governmental and consulting agencies, and members of the public.
6. Perform outreach and science communication through herbarium social media.
7. Conduct tours for visiting scholars, students, and the public.
8. Manage the herbarium website to share plant information with internet users worldwide.
9. Upload data to and manage online databases containing information on specimens in the collection.



Minimum Qualifications
● PhD from an accredited university in Plant Sciences, Botany, Ecology, Biology, Horticulture, or related field is required.
● Previous herbarium/botanical experience (at least 1 year) is required.
● Knowledge of botanical museum principles, practices, and procedures is required.
● Strong interpersonal communication skills with the ability to lead a team of assistants to complete collection management projects are required.
● Sound reasoning, analytical thought, attention to detail, creativity, high levels of organization, and innovation in solving minor problems that occur day to day are required.
● Proficiency with relevant computer software (e.g., Word, Excel, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Symbiota Portal) is required.
● Ability to manage and maintain websites/databases as needed is required.
● Previous experience with plant taxonomy and knowledge of plant families and genera are required.
● Excellent verbal and written communication, including experience communicating through social media, are preferred.

Application Procedures
Applications are made at https://careers.olemiss.edu and should include: (1) a concise (1-2 page) cover letter outlining interest and suitability for the position; (2) curriculum vitae (no page limit); (3) a 2-page vision statement that articulates the candidate’s ideas for how they would manage the Pullen Herbarium to ensure that it is a vibrant resource for research, education, and outreach, including a section on plans for inclusive engagement with stakeholders and communities; 4) a 2-page teaching statement, which includes experience and teaching interests; and (5) names and contact information for at least three references.




Review of applications will begin November 7th, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. The desired starting date is August 2025. Questions about this position should be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Jason Hoeksema ([email protected])