Tenure-Track Professor of Biochemistry

Cornell College, a residential-undergraduate liberal arts college, is seeking a biochemist for a joint appointment in both the Biology Department and the Chemistry Department.  This is a full-time, tenure-track position at the assistant or associate professor level beginning fall 2023 focused on supporting our interdepartmental Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program.  Primary teaching responsibilities will include courses in biochemistry, general or organic chemistry, 100 and 200 level cell and molecular biology, an advanced topics course, and participation in the college’s core curriculum. The area of specialization is open. A Ph.D. is required by fall of 2023.  Teaching experience is required and post-doctoral experience is preferred.

The departments seek individuals committed to excellence and innovation in undergraduate education with an emphasis on hands-on research projects and active engagement of students in research endeavors.  The College strongly supports STEM education and provides internal funding to facilitate student-faculty research including student and faculty stipends, supplies, and equipment.  The candidate will be expected to participate in  student-faculty research, including frequent participation in the Cornell Summer Research Institute.  Start-up funding beyond annual research funds and Departmental funds are available to support new faculty.  The Biology and Chemistry departments are located in the newly built Russell Science Center which houses a variety of instrumentation to support coursework and research projects.

Because Cornell College values diversity and strives to create a welcoming community in which all individuals are respected and included, the entire campus community engages in dialogue around issues of difference, identity, and ideology. The College is committed to fostering a faculty and staff community that reflects our diverse student body. We encourage applications from candidates who share our vision for a campus that embraces differing backgrounds, viewpoints, and identities, and who will excel at teaching and mentoring students who are broadly diverse.    (See our diversity statement.)

All Cornell faculty are expected to participate in committee work and to facilitate their department’s support of the College’s Ingenuity core curriculum. The College seeks individuals who are committed to building a creative, dynamic and diverse workplace that celebrates the uniqueness of our faculty, staff and students.  The College is committed to excellence in teaching and encourages interdisciplinary interests among its faculty to develop teaching strategies that capitalize on our unique academic calendar. Our year is divided into eight- 3½ week blocks in which students enroll in a single course.  This academic calendar allows us the freedom to take students off-campus without impinging on other course commitments.  In the sciences, this calendar allows us to reinforce regular lab experiences with frequent, timely demonstrations/activities.  Students naturally create living and learning communities each block which meet informally in Russell Science Center for hours per day to review material, work example problems, cover case studies, collaborate on lab reports, and complete other group projects.  In addition, class size is limited to 25 students, and upper-level courses are often smaller. Faculty teach 6 courses during the year with the other 2 blocks reserved for ongoing research projects, course preparations, service work, or travel to academic meetings.

About Cornell College

Founded in 1853, Cornell’s distinctive campus community reflects our ongoing pursuit of our core values and continuing tradition of shared governance.  Always a coeducational institution, we were the first college west of the Mississippi to graduate both men and women and the first college in the country to afford a female faculty member the same title and pay as her male colleagues. Academic immersion, real world experience requirements through Ingenuity in Action, and unparalleled flexibility attract an ambitious student body from around the world. Three quarters of our students are from outside Iowa, representing 44 states and 13 foreign countries. Students of color comprise one-fifth of the student body.

Cornell's picturesque hilltop campus contains a mix of historic and modern facilities. Mount Vernon, Iowa, is a flourishing community with a vibrant arts scene, recognized by Frommer's as one of "America's Coolest Small Towns" and located in the heart of the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids technology corridor.

How to Apply

In order for an application to be considered complete, interested applicants should submit all of the following materials (other than recommendation letters) in one PDF file.  Specific required materials include:

•       A letter of application/cover letter, which includes a description of any experience working with individuals from historically marginalized or underserved groups
•       Current Curriculum Vitae
•       Graduate transcript(s) (may be unofficial)
•       Teaching statement, describing teaching interests, experience, and philosophy, including examples of inclusive pedagogy
•       Research statement, describing the proposed research, the involvement of undergraduates, and the equipment necessary to carry out the research
•       At least 3 letters of recommendation sent directly to BioChemSearch@cornellcollege.edu

Applications will be reviewed beginning September 15, 2022 and continue until the position is filled.

For more information about both departments, please visit their respective departmental websites, https://www.cornellcollege.edu/biology/index.shtml  and https://www.cornellcollege.edu/chemistry/index.shtml as well as the interdepartmental Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program page at https://www.cornellcollege.edu/biochemistry-and-molecular-biology/index.shtml.

Any questions can be directed to Catherine Volle, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at cvolle@cornellcollege.edu and/or Jai Shanata, PhD, Chair of the Department of Chemistry at jshanata@cornellcollege.edu. 

Cornell is an AA/EO employer and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. Cornell complies with Iowa's Smoke-free Air Act, participates in e-verify for verification of employment eligibility, and conducts background checks.