Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology

Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology Position Overview

Salary: $105,700 - $129,600 (annual). Off‑scale salaries and other pay components may be offered to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience.

The Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis recruits a tenure‑track, academic‑year (9‑month) Assistant Professor with an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members with an AES appointment are expected to conduct research and outreach relevant to the AES mission and to participate in outreach programs and service at the University.

The successful candidate will establish a competitively funded research program addressing critical or emerging issues in fish ecology. We seek a rising scholar specializing in the ecology of freshwater and anadromous cold‑water fishes and their ecosystems, with demonstrated potential to build a robust, extramurally funded research program. The applicant will address critical questions in coldwater fish ecology and conservation in California’s dynamic freshwater environments, engaging stakeholders with competing interests.

The candidate should be an enthusiastic, productive, and visionary scientist able to work effectively with diverse interest groups and provide science leadership to ensure long‑term viability of aquatic systems and fish communities.

As a fish ecologist, the applicant will regularly analyze challenging data with complex statistical models to estimate population sizes, survival, growth, reproduction, behavior, and community interactions. The appointee will be responsible for teaching 2–3 undergraduate courses per year, including:

• Biology and conservation of fishes (WFC 120/L)
• Field studies in fish biology (WFC 102/L)
• Applied fish conservation in alternate years (WFC 137)
• Other courses may include Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WFC 10), Natural History of California’s Wild Vertebrates (WFC 50), Field Methods in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology (WFC 100/101/L), or a course in the candidate’s area of expertise.

Graduate teaching and any additional courses consistent with the applicant’s expertise, contributing to the department’s mission, will be at the discretion of the candidate and in discussion with the chairs of the department and appropriate graduate group. The successful applicant will train and mentor graduate students and participate in graduate instruction within the Ecology, Population Biology, and/or Animal Behavior graduate groups.

Participation in and development of public outreach and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service, is expected. The selected candidate is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists, partners in industry, federal/state agencies, non-governmental organizations, or other appropriate public stakeholders. For example, this position is well poised to interface with state agencies (e.g., California Department of Fish & Wildlife), federal agencies (e.g., U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Service), non‑profit organizations (e.g., California Trout, The Nature Conservancy), Tribal governments (e.g., Yurok, Karuk Tribes), and the public.

The hire will have research interests and expertise in working with groups to improve management and conservation outcomes from the perspective of stakeholders and resident and anadromous fishes.

The recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank regardless of qualifications.

Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential will be advanced to full review.

UC Davis supports family‑friendly recruitments. Travel expenses for a second person accompanying an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother or single parent of a breast or bottle‑feeding child under two years of age are covered. UC Davis provides a Work Life Program and related services to support faculty in balancing work, home, and community commitments.

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