Assistant Professor of Community Ecology

Assistant Professor of Community Ecology

Apply now Job no: 552990
Work type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track
Location: Monterey Bay
Categories: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Tenured/Tenure-Track, Full Time, Faculty - Natural Sciences

The Department of Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry at California State University, Monterey Bay invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level to begin in Fall 2026. We seek a teacher‑scholar whose work examines the structure, dynamics, and/or function of ecological communities. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching, inclusive mentoring, and a sustainable research program that actively engages undergraduates.

California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid‑sized university in California’s Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation’s largest four‑year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year.

With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students’ lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB’s sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The university’s Strategic Plan prioritizes inclusive excellence through recruiting and investing in developing a diverse body of faculty, staff and administrators. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University.

As one of the 23 campuses in the CSU system, CSUMB offers excellent benefits, including access to below‑market‑rate rental housing on East Campus, and competitive salaries for faculty and staff. With proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, opportunities for faculty, staff and students are as endless as the shores of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Teaching responsibilities include contributing to both introductory courses in ecology and upper‑division courses in Community Ecology or based on the candidate’s area of expertise (such as Theoretical Ecology, Field Methods, Quantitative Ecology, or Organismal Biology). Candidates should be able to deliver inclusive, student‑centered courses that use evidence‑based pedagogy and incorporate course‑based undergraduate research experiences where appropriate. The ideal candidate will also be able to mentor and advise diverse undergraduate students in research, capstone projects, internships, and career/graduate‑school preparation.

The candidate will be expected to develop a research program in community ecology that provides authentic research opportunities for undergraduates and, where feasible, leverages the diverse coastal and inland ecosystems of the Monterey Bay region, as well as pursue internal and external funding to support research and scholarly activity.

Finally, the ideal candidate will be able to contribute to service at the department, college, university, and community levels, including assessment and curriculum development aligned with program learning outcomes.

• Teach lower and upper division courses in Biology and Ecology (like BIO 211 - introductory biology, BIO 340 - Ecology, BIO 449 - community ecology, and a potential new upper division elective course for the Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology concentration)
• Employ innovative teaching and learning techniques that engage students through the use of technology, hands‑on experience and problem solving
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students in research
• Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in…