Job Description

Job Summary
The Department of Biology at Xavier University of Louisiana invites applicants for a tenure track position in biology at the assistant professor level beginning August 2025. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in the biological sciences. Postdoctoral experience is strongly preferred.

The department seeks candidates whose area of concentration, academic interest and training is in Neuroscience. Candidates with an interest in neurodevelopment disorder or the cellular mechanisms of disease are encouraged to apply. Qualified candidates should possess a promising record of scholarship and a strong research agenda. Candidates must demonstrate effective undergraduate teaching ability and be able to support our growing department of HBCU students through advising and mentorship.  The department is particularly interested in candidates who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds, minimizing barriers, and increasing equity and completion rates between members of different demographic groups. 

Duties 

Teach 12 credit hours of Biology courses per semester;
Develop and maintain an active research program;
Mentor undergraduate students in research projects;
Advise Biology majors;
Develop and sustain independent and externally funded research; and
Participate in service activities for the Department, the University, their discipline, and the community.
 
The Department of Biology is the largest in the College of Arts & Sciences at Xavier with a total of 800 majors each year. There are 24 full-time faculty members ready to serve all students, including three former XU-Biology graduates.  Faculty members in the department are research active and provide opportunities for our students to receive research experience.  The department has taken the lead on redesigning and revising our pre-med curriculum so that our students will excel on the redesigned Medical College Admissions Test and to address the growing and urgent national problem of declining numbers of African American professionals in the field of medicine.

Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in the biological sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology;
Experience teaching at the undergraduate level, and experience mentoring students in the biological sciences;
Teaching and research experience in at least one of the following areas: Neural Development, Neurobiology of Disease; Synaptic Activity and Plasticity, Cellular Neuroscience;
Ability to teach and develop face-to-face as well as online classes;
A strong potential for excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students;
Commitment to developing an active research program within the area of the applicant’s expertise, including seeking external funding and submitting scholarly articles;
Established record of research productivity, proportional to experience, in a research area mentioned above; 
Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population; and
Write and Speak English proficiently.

Preferred Qualifications
Advanced training beyond the Ph.D., e.g., post-doc, industry, etc.;
Successful experience teaching undergraduate courses in biological sciences; 
Established track record of meaningful mentorship of undergraduate students;
Successful experience teaching biological sciences to a diverse student body and knowledge of effective strategies (e.g., culturally responsive or inclusive pedagogy, awareness of issues that may affect the success of minoritized students) supporting underrepresented groups in STEM;
Awareness of pedagogical best practices and ongoing commitment to developing and maintaining knowledge in this area;
A research project that complements existing department research and instrumentation; and
Experience recruiting undergraduate students.