Research Assistant Professor - CURE program - Pharmacy/Drug Discovery

The First-year Research Immersion (FRI) program at Binghamton University invites applications for a one-year renewable (based on performance), full time Research Assistant Professor (also known as the Research Educator) position, to begin August 2023. This is a unique 10-month non-tenure track faculty position that directly combines teaching and research, with additional extra service commitment available for two summer weeks. This position is for the FRI program's new Drug Discovery research stream (open to Ph.D.'s with pharmaceutical science and/or biochemistry background). Candidates must have graduate degree before starting.

The Research Educator will guide first-year and second-year students in innovative research that advances the field of pharmaceutical sciences. The Research Educator helps shape the research theme and subsequently student research projects. This position will entail guiding student cohorts (~30 per cohort) through authentic research experiences and, in doing so, will help students develop the professional skills desired by graduate schools and employers. Within that process and working with faculty stream collaborators, the Research Educator maintains and/or expands their own research program. More detail about the FRI program is available at our web site: www.binghamton.edu/fri   

FRI Drug Discovery is a new research stream in the FRI program with a focus on transforming new biological discoveries into therapeutic agents that can positively impact human health.  The Drug Discovery research stream is specifically focused on identifying new drug leads that can be used for the treatment of human diseases.  We will employ methods such as high-throughput screening, in silico screening, and molecular modeling to identify "hits" from large compound collections.  These hits will be evaluated in various binding assays and functional assays in order to open up new avenues for drug discovery and development.  Projects are performed in close collaboration with faculty in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (L. Nathan Tumey, Mohammed Ali, Tony Davis, and Tracy Brooks) and in the Department of Chemistry (Ming An). The long-term goal of our work is to develop new treatment options for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases.

The Research Educator reports to the FRI Director, and also works closely with the faculty stream collaborators of this research stream. Overall, FRI provides an excellent education and research training program for new PhDs and, thus, is an exceptional transition that positions the Research Educator for a wider array of future STEM positions (from full range of higher education institutions to STEM education research). There are also opportunities for continuation in the FRI program with expanded roles and responsibilities overtime.

Responsibilities:

Teaching & Mentorship: 

• Serve as instructor or co-instructor for stream FRI courses
• Continually develop, maintain and revise stream curriculum
• Supervise, train & manage undergraduate peer Mentors (UGPMs) 

Research:

• Maintain research lab & budget
• Perform research in conjunction with stream students
• Collaborate with faculty and relevant collaborators on research projects
• Disseminate research results

Service:

• Participate in FRI program events as needed (recruitment, poster session, student professional development, etc.)
• FRI committee membership
• Support students in continuing efforts and activities post-FRI program experience

General:

• Attend and actively participate FRI faculty/staff meetings
• Facilitate formative and summative assessments of the research stream and FRI students

Professional Development:

• Actively participate in research and educational professional development activities

Requirements:

Strong candidates must have:

• Graduate degree in a discipline that matches the research stream goals
• Advanced experimental design and technical skills that align with the research stream goals
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience in higher education (can be as a teaching assistant)
• Ability to train undergraduate researchers and evaluate their work
• Ability to train, evaluate and supervise undergraduate peer mentor assistants
• Ability to manage a research laboratory
• Effective communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, Google apps and video conferencing software, with the ability and willingness to learn new technology as it evolves
• Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines simultaneously with a high degree of organization, accuracy and efficiency
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively
• Strong professional and organizational skills
• Ability to problem solve, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks
• Ability to analyze and organize information and materials for a variety of research projects

Additional Information:

The State University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is the policy of Binghamton University to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

As required by title IX and its implementing regulations, Binghamton University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the educational programs and activities which it operates. This requirement extends to employment and admission. Inquiries about sex discrimination may be directed to the University Title IX Coordinator or directly to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and OCR, as well as the University's complete Non-Discrimination Notice may be found here.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Binghamton University is a tobacco-free campus effective August 1, 2017.

Application Instructions:

Please submit as separate documents:

1. Cover letter (1 page maximum) telling us why you are interested in the position, why you feel you are qualified, and your contact information
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for three references, who will be contacted by the search committee following an initial review of applicants via http://binghamton.interviewexchange.com
4. Your philosophy of teaching undergraduates how to conduct research (250-500 words)

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.  Electronic applications are required; please submit your application materials to: http://binghamton.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=157671