Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Luther College

Luther College invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology.  This is a one-year, full-time, non-tenure track position, to begin in late August 2024.  Ph.D. or ABD and teaching experience required.  The successful applicant will demonstrate potential for excellence in college teaching and a commitment to the liberal arts.

Teaching responsibilities include participation in our team-taught introductory Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity course, and courses that complement current departmental offerings based upon the applicant’s expertise and needs of the department.    Potential teaching areas may include but are not limited to courses for majors or non-majors including an upper-level ecology course; specialized subdivisions of ecology (e.g. disease ecology, agricultural ecology, spatial ecology, urban ecology); environmental conservation; organismal courses (e.g. botany, ichthyology, ornithology); or applied courses (e.g. GIS, epidemiology, virology, biostatistics, fisheries biology).

Luther College is an undergraduate liberal arts college with a population of fifteen-hundred students. Our faculty and students are highly engaged in academics and research, music programs, athletics, social justice, sustainability, and service. Founded in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants, Luther values its heritage, just as it values the diversity of its students, staff, and faculty, who hail from many faith backgrounds and heritages. Coming from 40 states and 62 countries, 13% of our students are domestic students of color and 13% are international students.

Our location in the beautiful Driftless region of northeast Iowa offers a wealth of opportunities.  The economic vitality of the Decorah area is attributable to being a regional hub for outdoor recreation, two nationally recognized healthcare systems, top ranked schools, business, agriculture, specialty retail, dining and tourism.  In a scenic rural setting, we are an easy 70-mile drive to three urban areas including Rochester, MN, home of Mayo Clinic and an IBM major campus.  With over 800 acres of natural areas (prairie, oak woodland, Upper Iowa River) on campus, this is an ideal setting to teach field biology.

Luther College is committed to increasing the diversity of our faculty, with a focus on mentoring and providing development opportunities and support to new faculty cohorts. This support includes new faculty workshops, development and research funding, faculty mentoring groups, programming by the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, providing membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), and opportunities through the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM).  Applicants from historically underrepresented groups, in particular ethnic, racial and gender groups are encouraged to become a candidate for the following position.

Apply:  Review of applications will begin immediately and continues until the position is filled; applications received by February 15 will be given full consideration.  Apply for position at https://www.luther.edu/offices/hr/careers.  Applicants’ dossier will include:

• Cover letter describing candidate’s interest in the position
• Curriculum vitae
• Statement of teaching philosophy, experiences, and interests
• Evidence of effective teaching (e.g., student evaluations, sample syllabi, other course materials)
• Unofficial graduate and undergraduate transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation (the college will send an e-mail to each letter writer identified in the application process with a link to upload their letter)

Inquiries about the positions may be directed to Kirk Larsen, Search Chair & Head of the Department of Biology, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101; phone: 563-387-1558; email: larsenkj@luther.edu. Additional information about the college is available by visiting the college website www.luther.edu. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to hr@luther.edu.