Harvey Mudd College invites applications for a tenure-track position, beginning Fall 2024, at the assistant professor level. Exceptional candidates at higher ranks will be considered. The position is jointly held through the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment (HCCE) and the Department of Biology. All areas in the biological sciences that align with the HCCE mission will be considered, with preference given to candidates whose research and teaching interests sit at the interface of biology and climate. The successful candidate will teach new and existing courses in both the Department of Biology and the Hixon Center and help develop a shared vision for climate and environmental studies at a liberal arts college of science and engineering. The Department of Biology and the Hixon Center share a strong commitment to building a welcoming and inclusive department and campus environment. 

Harvey Mudd College is a highly selective liberal arts college of science, engineering, and mathematics. It is located in Claremont, CA, which is approximately 35 miles east of Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.  The college enrolls about 900 students, almost all of whom live on campus, and is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of seven independent institutions that includes Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, Scripps College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute. Harvey Mudd College is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the recruitment of candidates historically underrepresented on college faculties.

The Hixon Center for the Climate and the Environment is a new and fully funded campus initiative designed to be an interdisciplinary home for all campus efforts related to climate, sustainability, and environmental studies, including curricular programming, collaborative research, and connections to off-campus partners. The Hixon Center is developing a leading undergraduate climate program that is forward-looking, technically broad, and aligned with the mission of Harvey Mudd College.

The Department of Biology at Harvey Mudd College excels in teaching, research, and undergraduate research mentoring. Each year we have about 20 graduates in our three majors: Biology, Mathematical and Computational Biology, and the joint major in Chemistry and Biology.   We have well-equipped teaching and research labs, and are across the street from the Bernard Biological Field Station and the California Botanic Garden.  Desert, chaparral, montane and coastal ecosystems are easily accessible from Claremont.  The teaching load is five courses per year, which includes courses offered through both the HCCE and the Biology Department, along with supervising student research.   All faculty at Harvey Mudd College contribute to the Core Curriculum, which includes introductory disciplinary courses,  a first-year course in academic writing, and a course centered on the relationships between science and society. Further information about the college, department, and HCCE can be found at http://www.hmc.edu/,  https://www.hmc.edu/biology/, and https://www.hmc.edu/hixon-center/. 

The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. by the time of appointment, demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching undergraduates, and a strong independent research program that can contribute to various undergraduate research activities such as summer research and senior capstone projects. Harvey Mudd College is committed to broadening participation in STEM fields. Therefore, experience with or demonstrated ability to teach, mentor, and support students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM is among the criteria for appointment. 

Applications must be submitted through the AcademicJobs.org website. Though applications will be accepted until the position is filled, review will begin Monday Sept 18, 2023. Your complete application will include:

• A cover letter, in which you are highly encouraged to address your interest in the liberal arts and Harvey Mudd College in particular, and how you envision your research and teaching interests contributing to the HCCE, Biology Department, and the College.

• A current curriculum vitae. 

• A statement about your research program, including potential research projects for undergraduates (typically 2-3 pages). Please address how your past work supports your intended research program and how you would implement your research program at an undergraduate institution.

• A statement about your teaching philosophy, including principles, practices, or experiences that inform the way you teach (typically 1-2 pages). Please address what you have done to assess and improve your teaching, and what you plan to do in the future. Please address your experience or approach to teaching a student body with diverse backgrounds or needs.

• A statement about diversity and inclusion that describes your interests, experiences, and future plans for promoting diversity and inclusion in your field (typically 1-2 pages). Please address how your classroom and/or research program will promote a sense of belonging among students who may be underrepresented in biology and what your approach will be to mentoring students from diverse backgrounds.

• Contact information for at least three references. At least one reference should be able to evaluate potential as a teacher.

Salary range for the position is $100,000 to $110,000 annually for a 9-month contract.

For further information or questions about the position contact:

Prof. Lelia Hawkins (climate-biology-search-2024-l@g.hmc.edu) 

Chair, Tenure-Track Search Committee, 

Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment 

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA 91711