Job Information
Montana State University Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology in Bozeman, Montana
Position Details
Position Information
Announcement Number FAC - VA - 25031
For questions regarding this position, please contact:
Bernadette Diaz
Business Operations Manager
(406) 994-4481
bernadette.diaz@montana.edu
Classification Title
Working Title Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology
Brief Position Overview
The Ecology Department at Montana State University seeks applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology whose research addresses fundamental and applied questions relevant to the conservation and management of ecological systems across large geographies and who can contribute to undergraduate and graduate education.
Faculty Tenure Track Yes
Faculty Rank Assistant Professor
Position Number 4A5288
Department Ecology
Division College of Letters & Science
Appointment Type Faculty
Contract Term Academic Year
Semester
If other, specify From date
If other, specify End date
Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining
FTE 1.0
Benefits Eligible Eligible
Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications
Contract Type MUS
If other, please specify
Recruitment Type Open
Position Details
General Statement
The Ecology Department at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology.
The department seeks candidates using quantitative approaches to address fundamental and applied questions relevant to the conservation and management of large geographies and ecosystems and to educate future generations of ecologists. Strong candidates will have research experience in prominent topics at the forefront of landscape ecology and may span terrestrial and aquatic systems. Examples of such topics include the causes and consequences of spatial patterns in ecological systems; management of spatial patterns to restore or sustain ecological systems, including at the scale of large urban to wildland ecosystems; development and application of cutting-edge tools and techniques to study landscapes, including geographical information systems, simulation modeling, big-data analyses, artificial intelligence, and/or social survey; and hindcasting and forecasting ecological responses to global change at multiple spatial and temporal scales. We are especially interested in candidates with expertise that is synergistic with that of existing faculty and who have a strong interest in collaborative research. The successful candidate will help the department address pressing regional challenges, such as how land use, climate change, and human population growth influence landscape connectivity, community structure, biological diversity, and ecological processes across wild and working lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.
The Department of Ecology is highly committed to undergraduate and graduate education, and the successful candidate is expected to participate actively in the department curriculum. The Department seeks faculty who can teach students and collaborate with professionals of all backgrounds, so underrepresented minorities in science are encouraged to apply.
Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an innovative research program in landscape ecology funded by extramural and competitive grant programs and to publish in peer-reviewed journals.
The successful candidate will contribute to undergraduate and graduate education. The specific teaching assignment will be worked out with the Department Head, but will involve courses for undergraduate and graduate students on landscape ecology and management, including quantitative methods in spatial ecology, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses related to the candidate’s expertise and teaching needs of the department.
The successful candidate also will advise undergraduates and mentor graduate students.
Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
Ph.D. (or degree before date of hire) in ecology or a discipline closely related to landscape ecology.
Strong background and interest in undergraduate and graduate education with a demonstrated record of, or high potential for, effective teaching at the college or university level.
Demonstrated record of, or high potential for securing competitive, extramural funding.
Solid record of research and publication in landscape ecology, commensurate with time since degree.
High potential for collaboration with existing faculty at MSU .
Demonstrated record of, or high potential to effectively mentor and instruct a student body of all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups.
Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
Demonstrated record of, or high potential for, developing partnerships with state and federal agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, and land managers, among others, to address conservation and management questions of mutual interest.
Well-poised to investigate topics of high interest in the region, such as the rates, consequences, and management of habitat fragmentation on ecological structure, function, and composition, including organism dispersal and migration; tipping points in ecological systems as influenced by land use change, climate change, and invasive species, and their effects on disturbance regimes such as fire, flooding, or pest outbreaks; monitoring and evaluation of vital signs of ecological health across large landscapes grading from urban to wildland; integrated study of human and natural systems, including consideration of traditional ecological knowledge.
Potential to promote an equitable working environment for people from all backgrounds through research.
The Successful Candidate Will
Be an excellent scientist.
Be an excellent teacher.
Have excellent written and oral communication skills.
Have the ability to inspire and mentor students.
Demonstrate an appreciation for all backgrounds and the ability to help students from underrepresented groups succeed.
Have effective interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate successfully and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and students.
Position Special Requirements/Additional Information
Required applicant documents:
Curriculum Vitae
Teaching Statement – A statement of teaching experience and philosophy that describes your goals as an educator, the methods you use, and how you assess teaching and learning.
Letter of interest addressing the required and preferred qualifications.
Research Statement – A description of research approaches, accomplishments, and future directions.
Copies of up to 3 publications.
Please note: A list of 3 references with their contact information will be required on the online application form when applying for this position. Applicants without a PhD at the date of submission should provide at least one reference who can discuss the applicant’s progress toward their degree.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Physical Demands
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
The Program
The Department
The Department of Ecology at Montana State University is part of the College of Letters and Science. Ecology is a leading department in teaching and research that addresses fundamental and applied ecological questions for Montana, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Northern Rockies, and farther afield.
The department offers a B.S. degree in Biology with four options (Conservation Biology and Ecology, Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management, Organismal Biology, and Biology Teaching), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Fish and Wildlife Biology, and Biological Sciences. With 600 undergraduate majors and 56 graduate students, the department is one of the largest and most active programs at Montana State University. The department also houses Montana’s USGS Cooperative Fishery Research Unit.
The department maintains ties with the Montana Institute on Ecosystems, and the Departments of Mathematical Sciences, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Plant Science and Plant Pathology, and Animal and Range Sciences. Collaborating resource agencies include Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the USGS Northern Rockies Science Center (both headquartered near campus), Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, the Custer-Gallatin National Forest (and many others). Montana State University is a founding member of the National Ecological Observatory Network ( NEON ) and is affiliated with the Yellowstone NEON ecological observatory.
The College
Montana State University values all perspectives and is committed to continually supporting, promoting and building a whole community, which includes people of many backgrounds. The College of Letters & Science ( CLS ) at Montana State University encourages individuals interested in advancing the University’s Strategic Plan goals to apply. CLS is committed to developing a faculty, staff, and student body which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in research, teaching, and service/outreach engagement, and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, the College encourages applications from candidates from all backgrounds. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
CLS , the largest center for learning, teaching, and research at Montana State University, offers students an excellent liberal arts and sciences education in nearly 50 majors, 25 minors and over 25 graduate degrees within the four areas of the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics and social sciences.
Building on the great strength of our traditional disciplines, the college provides exciting opportunities for faculty and students at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary inquiry. CLS is dedicated to supporting student success, discovering and disseminating new knowledge, and providing an atmosphere in which discovery and learning are integrated and valued. CLS is at the confluence of intellectual tradition, discovery, and innovation.
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies 1
Desired Start Date August 2025
Position End Date (if temporary)
Open Date
Close Date
Applications will be:
Screening of applications will begin on November 9, 2024 and applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established. On-campus interviews are planned to take place during early Spring semester of 2025.
Special Instructions
EEO Statement
Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.