Department of Zoology	home | index | search | contact us

WSU Home  Department of Zoology Home

Tenure Track Faculty Position

POPULATION GENETICIST

Brief Description

Tenure-track position for a broadly trained geneticist, beginning Fall 2008.  Teaching duties include introductory courses, genetics, evolution, and upper-level courses in specialty area.  Ph.D. required.  Research with undergraduates expected.  To be considered for this position, all applicants must complete a WSU application online at http://jobs.weber.edu.  Send curriculum vitae, statements of teaching and research interests, up to three reprints, and have three reference letters, at least one of which addresses teaching, sent to:  Dr. Sam Zeveloff, Chair; Department of Zoology; c/o Human Resources; Weber State University; 1016 University Circle; Ogden, UT  84408-1016.  Application review begins December 1, 2007. See website: http://weber.edu/zoology for information.  Weber State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Teaching Duties

The teaching load in the Department of Zoology http://weber.edu/zoology is two to three courses per semester, including laboratory sections.  Teaching responsibilities are coordinated each semester to reflect faculty schedules and student demands.  The principle responsibility of the successful candidate is teaching genetics and evolution and it is expected that this individual will also participate in introductory biology courses for both zoology majors and nonmajors.  The candidate could also teach an upper division specialty course on a rotational basis, such as population genetics or an existing organismal course. http://documents.weber.edu/catalog/current/catcrs.htm  The opportunity exists to develop other upper division courses as well.

Research Environment

The College of Science http://weber.edu/COS at Weber State is home to seven departments, including three separate biology departments: Zoology, Microbiology, and Botany.  The College has a strong tradition of research involving undergraduates and the Department of Zoology is a campus leader in research activities.

During the past five years:

• zoology faculty have published 16 peer-reviewed papers on research conducted at Weber State, 12 of which have included undergraduate student co-authors.

• 39 students have presented their findings at national and international meetings, including Gordon Research Conferences, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Ecological Society of America, American Ornithologists’ Union, the SSB/ASN/SSE Evolution meeting, Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, and the National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Click here http://weber.edu/OUR for more information on undergraduate research at Weber State.

Research Infrastructure

The facilities and infrastructure to support research at WSU are impressive for an undergraduate institution.  The anchor of the research facilities within the Department of Zoology is the DNA Laboratory, http://departments.weber.edu/zoology/DNA LAB.htm the only such facility in the state dedicated to undergraduate research.  The DNA Laboratory comprises 1800 sq. ft. of space distributed among four rooms, including a photographic darkroom, a hot room, and a clean room for DNA isolation, amplification and cloning.  Current equipment includes networked Macintosh and Windows computers; Macvector software for DNA sequence analysis; PAUP and MacClade software for phylogenetic analysis; a Bio-Rad ChemiDoc digital imaging system; an Agfa X-ray film processing system; a Perkin-Elmer liquid scintillation counter; DNA thermocyclers; equipment for nucleic acid and protein gel electrophoresis; a Waters’ high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system; preparative and micro centrifuges; a visible-ultraviolet spectrophotometer; a hybridization oven; a laminar-flow sterile hood; microscopes; incubators; shakers; refrigerators; and –20°C and –80°C freezers.  DNA sequencing facilities in Salt Lake City provide a one- to two-day turn around.  The DNA Laboratory has all of the equipment and space needed to conduct modern genetic research.

Field Research Opportunities

The Weber State campus is convenient to a remarkable variety of ecological habitats.  Aquatic ecosystems include mountain streams, rivers and lakes, wetlands, and the Great Salt Lake.  Terrestrial environments include the Great Basin desert, Colorado plateau, and the Wasatch mountains, the upper elevations of which are topped by alpine habitats.  The accompanying biota, both resident and migratory, provide ample opportunity to explore unique ecological issues as part of ongoing or newly-designed research.

Quality of Life

Weber State University http://www.weber.edu is a prominent influence and dynamic force in northern Utah.  The university recently completed the Browning Center for Performing Arts http://weber.edu/performingarts/default.html and the Kimball Visual Arts Center http://departments.weber.edu/dova, each of which hosts national and international arts events.  Major campus recreational facilities include the Dee Events Center http://community.weber.edu/deeeventscenter, a 12,000-seat arena used for WSU basketball and for concerts, and the Ice Sheet, home of WSU hockey and the 2002 Olympic Winter games curling venue.

Ogden http://www.ogdencity.com lies at the northern edge of the Salt Lake City-Ogden metropolitan region and serves as a cultural and intellectual center for the region.  Located 35 miles from the Salt Lake International Airport, the Ogden area boasts 12 golf courses, three ski resorts http://skiutah.com, and Historic 25^th Street http://www.utah.com/culture/ogden.htm, a commercial, cultural and dining destination in the heart of downtown.  Peery’s Egyptian Theater http://www.peerysegyptiantheater.com is host to year-round cultural activities and is one of the venues for the Sundance Film Festival, http://www.sundance.org/festival held each January.  Ogden lies on the western slope of the Wasatch range and is convenient to a wealth of year-round outdoor recreational activities. http://travel.utah.gov  The quality of life in northern Utah http://www.utah.com is truly exceptional.