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3 Tenure Track Faculty Positions
DEPARTMENT OF Zoology
Weber State University
2 Positions available in Ecology: 1 aquatic and 1 terrestrial. Potential areas of expertise include: Ichthyology, Entomology, Herpetology, and Behavior.
Human Physiology and Anatomy: Broadly trained Physiologist or Anatomist with teaching to include human physiology, human anatomy (with cadaver laboratory), and upper-level courses in specialty area.
Ph.D. is required and development of a research program with undergraduates is expected. To be considered for this position, all applicants must complete an application online at http://jobs.weber.edu. Send curriculum vitae, statements of teaching and research interests, up to three reprints, and three reference letters, at least one of which addresses teaching, to: Dr. Sam Zeveloff, Chair, Department of Zoology, Weber State University, 2505 University Circle, Ogden, UT 84408-2505, U.S.A. E-mail: szeveloff@weber.edu. Application review begins November 7, 2005. Weber State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
The teaching load in the Department of Zoology is two to three courses per semester, including laboratory sections. Teaching responsibilities are coordinated each semester to reflect faculty schedules and student demand. A major focus for the successful ecologist candidates will be lower division courses for zoology majors on invertebrate and vertebrate zoology. It is expected that these individuals may also teach ecology and animal biology on a rotational basis with other upper division courses in his or her area of expertise. Dependent upon the candidate’s training, this upper division course might be aquatic ecology, animal behavior, ichthyology, entomology, or herpetology. The principal responsibility of the successful physiologist candidate is human physiology. It is expected that this individual will teach human physiology and human anatomy on a rotational basis. Depending on the candidate’s background and interests, an upper division specialty course might include neurobiology, endocrinology, advanced physiology, comparative physiology, or an organismal course (http://documents.weber.edu/catalog/current/catcrs.htm).
The College of Science houses seven departments, including three separate biology departments: Zoology, Microbiology, and Botany (http://weber.edu/COS). The College of Science has a strong tradition of research involving undergraduates and undergraduate research has become a campus-wide initiative (http://weber.edu/OUR). In the Department of Zoology, students are encouraged to participate in research activities with faculty and to pursue a senior thesis. Students engaged in research have presented their findings at national meetings, including the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Ecological Society of America, American Ornithologists’ Union, National Council on Undergraduate Research, and the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Over the last five years, seven zoology students have been authors on six published articles as well as nine published abstracts.
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, the only such facility in the state dedicated to undergraduate research (http://departments.weber.edu/zoology/DNA LAB.htm). The DNA Laboratory comprises 1800 sq. ft. of space distributed among four rooms, including a photographic darkroom and a clean room for DNA isolation, amplification and cloning. Current equipment includes networked Macintosh and PC computers and associated software programs for molecular analysis, a scanning densitometer, a Kodak digital imaging system, an Agfa X-ray film processing system, two DNA thermocyclers, equipment for nucleic acid and protein gel electrophoresis, a Waters high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, preparative and microcentrifuges, a visible-ultraviolet spectrophotometer, a hybridization oven, a laminar-flow sterile hood, microscopes, incubators, shakers, refrigerators, and –20oC and –80oC freezers. The DNA Laboratory has all of the equipment and space needed to conduct modern molecular research.
Many opportunities exist for ecological field research near the Weber State campus. For example, the Great Salt Lake has been the focus of a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program during the last two years (http://departments.weber.edu/zoology/REU.htm). The western edge of the Great Salt Lake is bounded by the Great Basin Desert. This area is a vast complex of playas and includes several unique plant species. The eastern boundary of the Great Salt Lake valley is formed by the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. The lake is tied to the Wasatch Range by a series of streams and rivers that drain into it. In the desert west, these rivers create ribbons of riparian habitat, which are critical migratory and breeding habitats for a variety of wildlife. Furthermore, these upland areas provide linking habitat types that create the highly productive marsh ecosystems surrounding the lake. The Great Salt Lake ecosystem supports a diverse biota in a unique mosaic of upland, wetland, mudflat, river delta, brackish and freshwater marshes, and ephemeral ponds.
Weber State University (http://www.weber.edu) is a prominent influence and dynamic force in the city of Ogden. In addition to the Stewart Library (http://library.weber.edu) and buildings housing classrooms and laboratories, the university recently completed the renovation of the Browning Center for Performing Arts (http://departments.weber.edu/performingarts) 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 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. (http://www.peerysegyptiantheater.com). Thirty-five miles from the Salt Lake International Airport, the Ogden area boasts 12 golf courses, three ski resorts, and Historic 25th Street, a commercial, cultural, and dining destination in the heart of downtown. (http://www.utah.com/culture/ogden.htm). Weber State University occupies a site in the foothills of the Wasatch Range of the Rockies, adjacent to the Great Salt Lake and convenient to a wealth of year-round outdoor recreational activities. (http://skiutah.com). The quality of life in northern Utah is truly exceptional.