Assistant Professor of Criminalistics

Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services
School of Criminal Justice & Criminalistics

Position: Assistant Professor of Criminalistics

Starting Date: August, 2022

Minimum Qualifications:

1. An earned MS or PhD degree in Forensic Science, Forensic Biology, or another closely related discipline from an accredited institution (or equivalent) is required. Applicants nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) will be considered, but the doctorate must be completed by the date of appointment (8/18/2022).

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Professional experience that includes court qualification as a forensic science practitioner, particularly in the disciplines of forensic biology and crime scene investigation
2. Evidence of publications in peer-reviewed scholarly journals
3. Evidence of successful teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate level 

Duties:
The primary professional responsibilities of instructional faculty members are: teaching, research, scholarship and/or creative activity, and service to the University, profession, and the community. These responsibilities generally include: advising students, participating in campus and system-wide committees, maintaining office hours, working collaboratively and productively with colleagues, and participating in traditional academic functions.

The successful candidate will be committed to the academic success of all of our students and to an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates diversity and differences. To this end, the successful candidate will work effectively, respectfully, and collaboratively in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings. In addition, the successful candidate will be ready to join faculty, staff, students, and administrators in our University’s shared commitment to the principles of engagement, service, and the public good. 

Salary: Initial salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The University:
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is one of 23 campuses within the California State University system. The University is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the U.S. for the upward mobility of its students, and is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. We offer nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, ethnic studies, and the humanities. Our faculty have a strong commitment to scholarship, research, creative pursuits, community engagement, and service.

Our 240,000 alumni reflect the City and County’s dynamic mix of populations. The University has one of the most diverse student populations of any college or university in the nation. As a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, and Asian-American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, Cal State LA recognizes the transformative power of education and embraces its duty to identify and serve the needs of all of its students. The University is committed to creating a community in which a diverse population can live, work and learn in an atmosphere of civility and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual.

The Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services:
Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services offers specialized courses in audiology, child development, community health, community leadership, criminal justice, criminalistics, environmental health, exercise and human performance, food science and technology, forensic mental health, nursing, nutritional science, parenting, physical education, rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise, social work and speech-language pathology through the following academic schools and departments: Department of Child and Family Studies, Department of Communication Disorders, Department of Public Health, School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics, School of Kinesiology and Nutritional Science, Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing and School of Social Work.

The School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics:
The School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics contributes to student success by providing students specialized knowledge and skills to become well-informed justice professionals, creating significant learning experiences and partnerships to conduct applied research that improves policy and practice, and promoting social justice, public awareness, scientific investigation, and continuing education related to justice issues.

In 2007, the School moved to the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, along with the Los AngelesPolice Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Forensic Science Laboratories, and the California Forensic Science Institute. This inter-agency, educational, and public safety partnership created numerous hands-on, active learning experiences for students due to the extraordinary exposure to cutting-edge research and important practical experience in juvenile/criminal justice and forensic science.

Required Documentation:
Please submit the following to the Search Committee Chair at the email address below: 

1. A cover letter specifically addressing minimum and preferred qualifications. 
2. A narrative statement describing your commitment to working effectively with faculty, staff, and students in a multicultural/multiethnic urban campus environment with a substantial population of students who are among the first-generation of their family to attend a college or university.
3. A curriculum vitae.
4. A list of three professional references.
5. A University Application for Employment Form

(https://www.calstatela.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Human%20Resources%20Management/forms/empl_application_academic_2017_11_28.pdf)

Finalists will be required to submit: 
Official transcripts.

Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. 

Application:
Review of applications will begin November 15, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled. 

Please email all application materials in a single PDF to Paige Williams: pwilli19@calstatela.edu. Please type “Criminalistics Tenure-Track Application” in the subject line.

Please address all questions to Dr. Katherine A. Roberts at: krobert2@calstatela.edu.

Note: The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so. Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to OfficeHRM@calstatela.edu. 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

In addition to fully meeting its obligations under federal and state law, Cal State LA is committed to creating a community where a diverse population can live, work and learn in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility, and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual. To that end, all qualified individuals will receive equal consideration without regard to economic status, race, ethnicity, color, religion, marital status, pregnancy, national origin or cultural background, political views, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, disability, disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran status.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/TITLE IX EMPLOYER

Upon request, reasonable accommodation will be provided to individuals with protected disabilities to (a) complete the employment process and (b) perform essential job functions when this does not cause undue hardship.