As part of a campus-wide cluster hire on invasive species, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation in the College of Natural Resources and the Environment at Virginia Tech seeks applicants for a 9-month, tenure-track, research (60%), teaching (30%), and service (10%) position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank. The successful candidate will study fish or wildlife populations using cutting-edge genetic/genomic tools to improve detection, identification, rapid response, management, and/or eradication of invasive species. Possible areas of research could include the use of environmental DNA, metabarcoding, genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, gene editing, or related approaches for studying invasive species that affect fish or wildlife populations.
The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their area of expertise in the department. Advising and mentoring both graduate and undergraduate students is required. Participation in departmental, college, and university affairs and collaboration with faculty both within the department and across the university is expected.
The successful candidate will also be affiliated with Virginia Tech’s Invasive Species Collaborative (ISC). The ISC is a university-wide initiative with its academic home within the Global Change Center (GCC) at Virginia Tech, a campus-wide center within the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. The ISC seeks to foster growth in transdisciplinary research to develop solutions to the complex global problem of invasive species, which impacts the lives of all people, costing the global economy more than $423 billion annually. This position is part of a cluster hire funded by the Provost’s office that includes seven faculty positions related to invasive species in environmental law and public policy, science and technology, predictive modeling, and research and extension. The successful candidate is expected to leverage the expertise of the Department, the ISC, the broader GCC, and other vibrant, collaborative research communities at Virginia Tech to engage in team science with associated faculty.
Researchers who can collaborate with a range of scientists and stakeholders, and who can secure funding from national and international funding sources, are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to collaborative individuals employing cutting-edge research methods and who have a demonstrated ability to effectively disseminate research results through diverse outlets across the scientific-public spectrum. The individual will also be expected to contribute to the development of proposals to secure significant extramural funding to support a center of excellence at Virginia Tech focusing on invasive species science, technology, management, outreach, and policy.
The department and university values diversity and continually strives to maintain and promote an inclusive learning and research environment that embraces all students, faculty, and staff. We are particularly interested in applications from persons identifying with groups currently underrepresented in natural resources fields, including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, people of color, and underrepresented genders. This includes cis women, trans women, trans men, non-binary people, and those who are otherwise marginalized.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND COLLEGE
Established in 1972, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation’s vision is to significantly contribute to fish and wildlife resource conservation and management at state, national, and international levels through integrated programs in research, teaching, and engagement. The Department currently comprises 22 teaching, research, and extension faculty, 6 technical support and research staff, and approximately 75 graduate and 300 undergraduate students. The department is also home to 8 federal scientists, including the USGS Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Approximately 35 postdoctoral associates and research scientists are supported by department faculty. The department’s educational, research and outreach missions are supported by research laboratories in at least 6 buildings on campus with most faculty offices housed in portions of the adjacently located Cheatham, Latham, and Steger Halls. Field operations are conducted out of the Wild Animal Research Facilities which includes the Research Aviary, the Freshwater Mussel Conservation Laboratory, and the Conservation Aquaculture Laboratory.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation is well known for encompassing diverse disciplines and promoting interdisciplinary collaborations including but not limited to areas such as ecosystem ecology, behavioral ecology, population dynamics, physiology, ecotoxicology, disease ecology, human-wildlife conflicts, human dimensions of natural resource conservation, marine ecology and fisheries, natural resource policy, and fish and wildlife habitat management.
The Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Fish and Wildlife Conservation and a minor in Biodiversity Conservation. The Department also offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. Graduate students study a diverse range of subjects reflecting the broad expertise and interest of the faculty and participate widely in interdisciplinary programs across campus and beyond.
