POSITION TITLE: Assistant Professor in Insect Ecology

Hiring Organization/Employer:  NC State University
Application Deadline:  10/28/20026
Education Required:  PhD-equivalent degree in entomology, biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, or related field.
Location:  Raleigh, NC

Description:  

 As part of the Land Grant University, the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University is composed of over 40 faculty that direct a diverse portfolio of programs in teaching, research, and extension. Collectively, these strengths serve our clientele and our science, providing a rich environment for graduate education and training that can be tailored to students’ career interests in basic and translational science or extension. Our education and research programs provide graduate and undergraduate students with unique hands-on learning opportunities using the latest technologies. Entomology and Plant Pathology houses the Structural Pest Management Training Facility, an Insect Museum with over 2 million vouchered insects, Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, the Larry Grand Mycological Herbarium, Micropropagation and Repository Unit, and the Center for Integrated Fungal Research.

 

 

Compensation & Benefits:  

 Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

 9 Month Recurring Appointment

 

Responsibilities:  

 

 

The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Insect Ecology with 60% effort in teaching and mentoring and 40% effort in research and discovery. We seek a dynamic scholar committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, student engagement, and innovative teaching, alongside development of an active, externally funded research program.
The Assistant Professor will play a central role in the department’s undergraduate curriculum, including instruction of ENT 201: Insects and People, a high-enrollment course serving approximately 140 students in an in-person spring section and virtual sections offered in spring and fall. Additionally this role will contribute to additional undergraduate and graduate courses aligned with the faculty member’s expertise and departmental needs.
In addition to teaching, you will have the opportunity to establish a nationally recognized research program broadly focused on insect ecology, with research spanning areas such as insect behavior, plant–insect interactions, community ecology, conservation, global change biology, or related fields. Your research program will attract competitive extramural support from federal agencies, foundations, industry, and other sources while providing meaningful research and professional-development opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.
Key Responsibilities:
Teaching and Mentoring:
    • Lead instruction for ENT 201: Insects and People, including in-person and distance-education formats, and teach additional undergraduate and graduate courses aligned with expertise and departmental needs.
    • Develop and use innovative, accessible, and technology-enhanced instructional approaches while contributing to curriculum development, assessment, and continuous improvement.
    • Mentor undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students through research, experiential learning, and career development.
    • Support student recruitment, retention, and success while contributing to departmental teaching initiatives.

 

Research and Discovery:
  • Develop and sustain an externally funded research program in insect ecology that complements and strengthens departmental expertise.
  • Conduct impactful research that may integrate field-based ecological studies with molecular, computational, spatial, or other data-driven approaches, and maintain a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and scholarly productivity.
  • Engage undergraduate and graduate students in research, providing meaningful training and mentorship.
  • Collaborate with departmental, university, and external partners to advance research, teaching, and outreach goals.

Service and Engagement:
  • Contribute to departmental, college, university, and professional service through committee participation, faculty governance, scientific societies, and manuscript and grant review.
  • Foster interdisciplinary collaborations and contribute to a collegial and productive academic environment.
  • Engage in outreach that enhances the visibility and impact of the department and university.

 

 

Preferred Qualifications:  

 

  • Demonstrated teaching experience at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.
  • Expertise in insect ecology, with specialization in one or more areas such as: 
    • Integrated pest management
    • Invasive species and biological invasions
    • Pollination biology and ecosystem services
    • Vector ecology and disease systems
    • Trophic interactions and food web dynamics
    • Urban and managed ecosystems
    • Climate change and global change biology
    • Forest and conservation ecology
    • Molecular, population, community, or ecosystem ecology

 Record of research efforts supported by serving as PI, Co-PI or listed author on  peer-reviewed publications.

 

 

How to Apply:  

 

 

Please attach the following:
  • Cover letter
  • CV
  • Teaching philosophy
  • Research statement

 

 

 

Contact:  

 

 If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.