Major functions

The Department of Plant and Soil Science in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University invites applications for a 9-month, tenured or tenure-track, open-rank professor position in environmental microbiomes and human health (approximately 75%/20%/5% Research/Teaching/Service) to begin Fall 2026, although a later start date may be negotiated.

The successful candidate is expected to develop and lead a high impact, extramurally funded, and internationally recognized research program that investigates the mechanistic linkages between environmental and human microbiomes.

Candidates with interest and expertise in soil-human health linkages in the built environment are highly encouraged to apply (e.g., heat effects on human health and soil ecosystem services as driven by microbiomes). Subject areas include but are not limited to soil & environmental microbiomes in urban ecosystems and their connections with human microbiome/health, epidemiology, pathogen ecology, pathogen population biology, host-microbe interactions, immunity and disease resistance, bioenvironmental sciences, and vector-borne disease.

As a faculty member in the Department of Plant and Soil Science and part of the One Microbiome initiative in the Institute for One Health Innovation, you will be expected to:

• Engage in the advancement of scientific knowledge through research and/or scholarship
• Publish in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals
• Work collaboratively across One Health areas, integrating with TTU’s One Microbiome initiative
• Present research at scientific meetings
• Submit grant proposals to external competitive funding agencies
• Develop and deliver an up-to-date curriculum related to the research specialty and rotate into teaching undergraduate and/or graduate classes within the department
• Provide individual support, feedback, and advice to undergraduate and graduate students
• Perform service activities from local to professional levels, consistent with expectations at rank

Qualifications

• A PhD or comparable terminal degree in biology, microbiology, soil science, ecology, or a field related to these (e.g., pathology, genetics, genomics, entomology, crop science, computational biology, quantitative biology) by start date
• A record of peer-reviewed research in soils and environmental microbiomes, appropriate to rank
• Commitment to teaching general or specialized courses within microbiomes and soil science

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Postdoctoral or relevant experience/training
• A strong record of peer-reviewed publications
• Evidence of ability to collaborate across One Health or Microbiome-related fields
• Evidence of ability to secure external funding for research activities (especially for appointments above assistant professor rank)
• Evidence of effective mentorship of undergraduate and/or graduate students in research
• Knowledge and evidence of effective teaching experiences and student learning
• Ability to effectively develop and teach general or specialized courses within their field
• Ability to engage individuals outside of academia in their work and contribute to departmental, university, and professional service initiatives

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