Faculty Position: Assistant/Associate Professor in Integrative Shellfish Biology

Job Details

The Department of Marine Science and Marine Science Institute at The University of Texas at Austin (UTMSI) is seeking an assistant or associate professor in the field of Integrative Shellfish Biology. Fields of study can include, but are not limited to, physiology, functional biology, ecology and evolution, reproduction and development, disease, and host–pathogen interactions, as well as fisheries science and mariculture.

We seek to fill this position in coordination with the development of a new state-of-the-art oyster mariculture research facility that will be located at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory in Port Aransas, Texas. In doing so, UTMSI is building the capacity to advance commercial oyster mariculture activities in the state of Texas, which includes facilities for broodstock husbandry, spawning, larval rearing, and spat production. As such, we are most interested in candidates that can make use of these facilities and contribute to the broader mission of the facility, but we strongly encourage applicants with both fundamental and applied research portfolios to apply.

The Department of Marine Science is housed in the College of Natural Sciences and is home to an expanding group of 15 faculty who are engaging in research across a broad range of marine science disciplines. The successful applicant is expected to establish an internationally recognized, extramurally funded research program and mentor research personnel, teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and contribute to departmental service.

The position is located at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas, which is located 3.5 hours from Austin but holds strong collaborative ties to the research community on the university’s main campus, including the Department of Integrative Biology and the Jackson School of Geosciences. The Institute is home to the Department’s graduate degree program and has state-of-the-art laboratories and seawater-supplied facilities for experimental research. The Institute is also in close proximity to a variety of marine habitats that include near-pristine to anthropogenically altered estuarine ecosystems (oyster reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarshes, microbial mats, open water), with salinities ranging from oligohaline to hypersaline, as well as near- and offshore habitats of the Gulf of Mexico. The Institute hosts the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research program, Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory complex, and the Center for Coastal Ocean Science. The Institute also houses full-service core analytical facilities, a fleet of research vessels, and will take ownership of a new 78-ft Technikraft catamaran research vessel in spring 2027. This vessel will be fully equipped and specifically designed to support diverse research activities, including biological, geological, biogeochemical, and physical oceanography.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a PhD in marine science, biology, fisheries science, or a closely related field at the time of appointment. Postdoctoral or equivalent research experience is expected. Candidates must demonstrate the potential to establish (Assistant Professor) or an established record of (Associate Professor) an independent, externally funded research program in shellfish biology or a related discipline, along with a commitment to graduate and undergraduate teaching and mentorship.

Contact Information