Working Title: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Animal Development

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Science and Mathematics

Department: 100006 - Biology Department

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 10/10/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Department of Biology at James Madison University invites applications for a 10-month tenure-track Assistant Professor position with specific expertise in Animal Development. This is a full-time position with an anticipated start date of August 2026.

The successful candidate will join a thriving community of more than 60 biologists with broad sub-disciplinary diversity and will expand this diversity in organismal and evolutionary biology through expertise in animal evolutionary development (evo-devo). Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, comparative and experimental embryology, developmental physiology, and eco-evo-devo (e.g., ecotoxicology). Collaborative scholarship with other faculty members within and beyond the department is encouraged.

The department is committed to increasing the success of all students by creating and sustaining inclusive learning environments in and out of the classroom. The successful candidate will be expected to exemplify these principles in their teaching, mentorship, scholarship, and service to the institution. Please visit our web site at http://www.jmu.edu/biology/ for more information about the department.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Expectations of the position include establishing and maintaining an externally funded research program that includes mentoring and publishing with student co-authors, primarily undergraduates. The successful candidate will teach existing courses in the core curriculum for biology majors and upper division animal development courses within their expertise for both majors and pre-professional health students, with opportunities to contribute to or create course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs).

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a field related to Animal Development with emphasis on comparative and evolutionary biology such as developmental biology, embryology, organismal biology, etc. Post-doctoral experience preferred.

Additional Posting Information:

Candidates will complete the application and attach the following documents:
1) Letter of Application (up to 2 pages) that addresses the outlined minimum and preferred position qualifications and the applicant’s interest in undergraduate education.

2) Curriculum Vitae

3) A Teaching Statement (up to 2 pages, uploaded to PageUp under “Statement of Teaching Philosophy”) that describes your planned and/or ongoing approach to:
* Effectively teach undergraduate students
* Foster a supportive environment for students in teaching and research

4) A Research Statement (up to 2 pages, uploaded to PageUp under “Other Document #1”) that includes:
* A ~5-year plan that centers undergraduate students at JMU
* Plans to promote the growth and excellence of student researchers

Review of applications will begin 10/10/2025. For more information, please contact Dr. Rocky Parker (parke3mr@jmu.edu).

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.