Assistant Professor in Molecular Genetics

The Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Kentucky University seeks to welcome a new colleague into a tenure track assistant professor position in Biological Sciences with a focus in Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, and/or Genetics starting Fall 2026. Applicants with experience teaching Genetics and Genetics Laboratory, or that have research experience utilizing diverse molecular genetics techniques, are highly encouraged to apply. We welcome any cellular/molecular/genetics expertise in any model or non-model organism that may utilize a wide range of molecular techniques that complement our department's expertise.

Our new colleague will teach undergraduate courses, run a research program involving undergraduate students, provide student mentoring and participate in the university community. Candidates should be strongly committed to teaching at the undergraduate level and should incorporate innovative, dynamic instructional methods into courses such as inquiry-based or active-learning methods. Primary teaching responsibilities will include in-person courses in our Cellular/Molecular/Genetics track curriculum, specifically Genetics, Genetics Laboratory, and Advanced Molecular Biology. Candidates will also be responsible for coordinating multiple sections of Genetics Laboratory. Additional teaching assignments will depend on the candidate's expertise and departmental needs but may include Introductory Biology, Cell Biology, Scientific Writing, or other courses that the successful candidate is interested in developing. Candidates are encouraged to revamp or reimagine courses they are responsible for to incorporate new teaching strategies and technologies. The successful candidate is also expected to grow a productive research program that involves undergraduate students and is encouraged to pursue external funding. Faculty members are also expected to engage in service activities at all levels of the university and provide mentoring to students.

The Department of Biological Sciences has 24 full-time faculty members and approximately 500 undergraduate students. NKU is a comprehensive regional university of approximately 15,000 students located seven miles from downtown Cincinnati, OH in an area offering an outstanding quality of life. It is near a variety of natural areas and is a nationally recognized metropolitan university committed to active engagement with the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region of nearly two million people. The university serves traditional students who enroll directly after high school, post-traditional students, and working adults. NKU has a large population of students who commute, with only 20 percent of full-time, undergraduate students living on campus. The university has been recognized as one of America's most military-friendly and disability-friendly schools. Resources available to science faculty include and are not limited to advanced confocal microscopy, quantitative PCR, general PCR, greenhouse, environmental chambers (bacterial, plant), computing resources, tissue culture cabinets, herbarium and museum, newly renovated classroom spaces in the science building expansion, analytical chemistry, and state-of-the-art vivarium.

For additional information on NKU and the Department of Biological Sciences please visit: https://www.nku.edu/, https://inside.nku.edu/artsci/departments/biology.html.

A Ph.D. in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biology, Cell Biology or other closely aligned fields of study; research experience in molecular genetics/techniques; evidence of potential for developing a significant research program in involving undergraduates. Teaching experience in Genetics in both laboratory and lecture is preferred. Candidates should be strongly committed to teaching at the undergraduate level.

To Apply: Submit to https://jobs.nku.edu 1) a cover letter specifically addressing experience and qualifications, 2) a statement of teaching philosophy, including a discussion on the use of evidence-based instructional practices in the classroom in past or future classes and strategies for reaching students of different backgrounds, 3) a description of current research and goals for future research with undergraduates, 4) a current curriculum vitae, 5) transcripts, and 6) contact information for three references.

Review of applications will begin on Nov 7, 2025.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Joshua Cooper ( cooperjo@nku.edu).