Assistant Professor of Biology - Neurobiology

Job Family Group:

Faculty

Time Type:

Full time

Department/Office:

Biology

Exemption Status:

Exempt

Job Description:

The Department of Biology at Trinity University is excited to invite applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Neurobiology beginning August 2027.

This position will also support the interdisciplinary Neuroscience major. Candidates must have a Ph.D. (or equivalent terminal degree) in neurobiology, neuroscience, or biology with a concentration in neuroscience (or a related field). Postdoctoral research experience (or equivalent) is preferred. Teaching responsibilities will include Neurobiology and contributing to labs and/or lectures in the Biology core sequence.

Neurobiology, the final core course for the Neuroscience major and a Biology upper division elective, is team-taught as an integrated lecture and lab course focused on cellular and molecular understanding of the nervous system using structural and functional experimental approaches. The Biology core sequence consists of three semesters of lecture-lab combinations which are team-taught.
Additional teaching opportunities are available in upper division Biology/Neuroscience electives of the candidate’s choosing and general courses in the University curriculum.

The candidate is expected to build a sustainable neuroscience research program actively involving undergraduates in obtaining, presenting, and publishing data. Our current faculty employ model systems using lizards, birds, rodents, and non-human primates with emphasis in behavioral research. We therefore aim to hire a faculty member who will broaden experiences available to students in the areas of cellular and molecular research using aquatic vertebrate (e.g. Zebrafish, Xenopus, etc.), invertebrate, cellular, or computational model systems.

This research program is core to the mission of the University to provide experiential learning. The candidate’s research and teaching goals should align and demonstrate a commitment to the teacher-scholar model, excelling in both. The candidate must also demonstrate an ability to positively interact with and contribute to the Department and University.

 

BACKGROUND

Trinity University is a secular, independent, private institution, founded in 1869. Trinity offers high-quality science, liberal arts, and pre-professional programs as represented by the four schools (STEM, Arts & Humanities, Social Science and Civic Engagement, and Business) to approximately 2,500 undergraduate students from the U.S. and more than 45 countries. The attractive campus overlooks downtown San Antonio, a city rich in heritage and ethnic diversity. Additional information can be found on the Resource Guide to Trinity & San Antonio.

Teaching excellence is promoted through the Collaborative for Learning and Teaching, which provides pedagogical and professional development opportunities to all disciplines. Research excellence is supported by a generous startup package, equipment and facilities often found at R1 institutions, such as a confocal imaging center, a pre-tenure one semester leave (provided three years teaching and successful reappointment) and eager and capable undergraduate students. Additionally, departments are rebalancing faculty time from a 9/9-contact hours per year, to 6/9 contact hours per year, with opportunity for a course reduction stemming from acquisition of a national grant. Lecture and laboratory teaching are equally weighted as teaching time. While many students work in the lab during the semester, there is a robust and well-supported, 10-week undergraduate summer research program employing over 200 undergraduates across campus. All biology faculty are expected to contribute, with summer compensation secured by the faculty member through a combination of internal and external sources.

The Department of Biology is one of eight departments in the D. R. Semmes School of Science, endowed with a gift of $26 million that in part supports student research and faculty development. The D. R. Semmes School of Science is housed in the Center for the Sciences and Innovation, an innovative and collaborative hub for interdisciplinary research and teaching.

The Department of Biology serves our majors as well as a wide range of other majors across the university, to include Neuroscience, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (BCMB, ASBMB-accredited), Chemistry/Biochemistry (ACS-certified), Psychology, Environmental Studies and a large population of pre-health professional students. We are unified in our commitment to a teacher-scholar model and provide high quality education and active undergraduate research and mentorship programs. Tenured and tenure-track faculty in the Department regularly secure competitive externally funded grants and maintain research agendas with national and international visibility. Our laboratories and facilities are stocked with state-of-the art instrumentation and we maintain close ties/user agreements with local universities and research institutions for equipment not housed in the department. In addition, the University and School are committed to supporting faculty in their aspirations to maintain and expand their research interests and agendas. Further information about our department, its faculty and our facilities is available at https://www.trinity.edu/academics/departments/biology

In particular, this position will contribute to the Neuroscience Program. The faculty of the Neuroscience Program, an interdisciplinary committee with members from Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Sciences, have active research programs with undergraduate students. Further information can be found at https://www.trinity.edu/academics/departments/neuroscience-bs

Both the Department of Biology and the University as a whole value and safeguard academic freedom for faculty members in their teaching and scholarship. Trinity is guided by a set of core values and is committed to implementing practices in pursuit of an inclusive campus for all students, faculty, and staff to feel welcomed and engaged in a community of learning.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching 

Successful candidates will be expected to teach 3 lecture and/or laboratory courses per semester. These courses will include Neurobiology, other upper and lower division electives, and other courses related to broader University initiatives. Additionally, the successful candidate will be expected to teach in the core curriculum. 

Research

Successful candidates will be expected to develop a sustainable research program involving undergraduate students in any field of neurobiology or neuroscience, a highly interdisciplinary science, though model systems are restricted to aquatic vertebrate, invertebrate, cellular, or computational model systems. 

Service 

Successful candidates will be expected to advise departmental majors and engage in other departmental service. The candidate will also become an active member of the Neuroscience steering committee, contributing to curricular discussions, advising majors, and engaging in service to the major. Other service opportunities to the University and the profession is expected as the candidate approaches tenure.

APPOINTMENT DETAILS

This position will be a 9-month appointment (9 or 12 month disbursement) starting August 2027, with a standard pre-tenure probationary period.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Required: Ph.D. or similar terminal degree in Neuroscience, Neurobiology, or Biology with a Neuroscience concentration.

EXPERIENCE

Preferred: Postdoctoral or equivalent experience is highly preferred.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

A thorough grasp of cellular and molecular neurobiology.

ATTENDANCE

Maintaining and satisfying minimum on-site attendance (classroom and office hours attendance) is an essential function of this position. All employees in this position are required to satisfy this requirement.

HOW TO APPLY

For internal applicants, please apply through Workday using the 'Jobs Hub' application, see instructions provided here.

For external applicants, when starting the application, select "Apply Manually.” Only complete fields with a red asterisk, which are required. Please create your Workday application account using a personal email address, as you will need to maintain access to this account throughout the pre-hire process, if selected. 

For all applicants, you do not need to complete the “(Work) Experience,” “Education,” “Certifications,” or “Languages” fields - these details will be provided in your curriculum vitae.

In the “Application Documents” field, please upload the following as seen below. 

File 1: Cover letter

File 2: CV with at least 3 references with contact information listed at the end. These will be contacted if you advance to the interview stage.

File 3: Append the teaching statement and research statement into one file.

• Teaching statement should highlight your philosophy of teaching and discuss your experience. Please also address your approach to teaching Neurobiology, and which of the Biology core curriculum you would most like to teach and why. (2 pages or less)
• Research statement needs to highlight your previous experience, and a plan to establish an independent lab incorporating undergraduates and with external funding. The plan should include ideas to establish your lab with thoughts towards continuing research past tenure. You might consider projects or pieces of projects done by undergraduates working during the semester, 10-weeks during the summer, and/or a thesis. Your model system should be apparent in this plan. (No more than 5 pages)

File 4: Unofficial transcripts from Undergraduate and Graduate schools, appended into one file.

File 5: Intentional inclusion statement - Intentional Inclusion is a core value at Trinity University. Please provide a brief (1-2 page) reflection on the ways that you might contribute to cultivating an environment where people feel welcomed, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. Provide examples of how that relates to your teaching, research/scholarship and other professional activities.

Review of applications will begin October 1, 2026. The position remains open until filled.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Neurobiology Search Chair

Gerard Beaudoin, III

[email protected] 

OR

Neurobiology Search Administrator

Crystal Ramos

[email protected]

Please ensure that all required documents are uploaded prior to submitting an application. If you have revisions needed to an application already submitted or need help submitting an application, please contact Human Resources at 210-999-7507 or email [email protected].