Visiting Assistant Professor - Biology

University of Puget Sound

Job

Department of Biology, 1‑year Visiting Assistant Professor position; begins Fall 2026.

The Department of Biology at the University of Puget Sound, a predominantly undergraduate liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington, seeks to recruit a Visiting Assistant Professor for the 2026‑2027 academic year. Excellence in teaching is highly valued at Puget Sound and we are seeking candidates with genuine interest in and enthusiasm for teaching introductory biology at the undergraduate level.

The successful candidate will teach BIOL 111 (Unity of Life: Cells, Molecules and Systems) in both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. This foundational course explores the properties shared across all living organisms from chemical, molecular, and cellular perspectives. The course typically has an enrollment of 42 students. Each section includes an accompanying laboratory component (typically, 3 laboratory sections of 14 students) where students develop hands‑on biology research skills and foster critical thinking, independence, collaboration, and science literacy, writing and communication through experiments, data collection, and analysis.

The instructor will teach 1 out of 2‑3 concurrent sections of BIOL 111 and will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other instructors to coordinate these sections and their labs. All labs have pre‑written manuals that can be adjusted as required, or used as‑is.

In addition, the successful candidate should be available to teach a laboratory section for Genetics (BIOL 213). For this course, the lecture and laboratory curriculum are coordinated by another faculty member, and laboratory materials, learning objectives, and assessments are provided.

We are particularly interested in candidates with:

• Experience or strong interest in teaching foundational biology courses
• Background in basic cellular, molecular, developmental, or biochemistry topics
• Commitment to creating a supportive, inclusive learning environment

While there is no expectation for research or mentoring,
laboratory space and modest funds are available if the incumbent is interested in pursuing professional development activities or research with undergraduates during their stay at Puget Sound. If interested, the individual might also collaborate with researchers at the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History, a world class collection comprising >105,000 specimens of mammals, birds, herps, plants, insects, molluscs, and fossils with strengths in tetrapod vertebrates.

Ph.D. in Biology or similar discipline (ABD considered).

Search and selection procedures will begin when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have been identified. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit application materials no later than March 1, 2026 to ensure consideration.

Rank:
Visiting Assistant Professor

Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Faculty salaries at the University of Puget Sound are based on a common salary scale based on experience. Assistant Professor salaries in 2025‑2026 begin at $73,904 annualized for an assistant professor without a terminal degree in their field in their first year of full‑time post‑doctorate teaching through $83,262 annualized based on experience.

Puget Sound offers a generous benefits package. For more information, visit:
Summary of 2025 Benefits for Faculty Members.

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of Interest
• Teaching statement
• Diversity Statement (see prompt below)
• Contact Information for 3 References

We acknowledge the richness of commonalities and differences we share as a university community; the intrinsic worth of all who work and study here; that education is enhanced by the investigation of and the reflection upon multiple perspectives. We aspire to create respect for and appreciation of all persons as a key characteristic of our campus community; to increase the diversity of all parts of our University community through commitment to diversity in our recruitment and retention efforts;

to foster a spirit of openness to active engagement among all members of our campus community. We act to achieve an environment that welcomes and supports diversity; to ensure full educational opportunity for all who teach and learn here; to prepare effectively citizen‑leaders for a pluralistic world.

Puget Sound is committed to an environment that welcomes and supports diversity. We seek diversity of identity, thought, perspective, and background in our students, faculty, and staff.

All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion of a background inquiry.

The University of Puget Sound is an equal opportunity employer.