Professor and Center for Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases Director

Position Description

The Center for Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 12-month, tenured, Professor to begin August 2024. The successful candidate will be expected to provide foundational leadership and administrative guidance for the further establishment, growth, and long-term success of the Center. Such efforts will include the recruitment of new faculty as well as participation of current TTU faculty, and liaison with federal, state, and private agencies/entities that sponsor basic and applied research related to arthropod-vectored and zoonotic diseases. Also, the successful candidate will be expected to continue being productive in their individual research and scholarly accomplishments.

 

Major/Essential Functions

 

In line with Texas Tech’s strategic priorities to engage and empower a diverse student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants should have experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

 

Faculty Qualifications

 

• A Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a related field from an accredited institution is required.
• Evidence of success in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level; supervising to completion both M.S. and Ph.D. students; and mentoring post-doctoral researchers.
• An established and continuous record of peer-reviewed research publications in leading, high impact, discipline-relevant journals
• Evidence of research productivity in applied or basic research directly relevant to arthropod vectors, the zoonotic pathogens they may transmit, avian and mammalian reservoir hosts of relevant pathogens, and/or their influence on human/veterinary/environmental health.
• An established and continuous record of successful grantsmanship to support research from state, federal, and/or private funding
• Evidence of administrative leadership in building and/or sustaining multi-disciplinary research initiatives with relevant stakeholders within and/or outside academia
• Evidence of successful leadership and management of research grants, teams, students, staff and faculty at the level of research teams; Centers or Institutes.
• Active membership and engagement in relevant professional service and societies, as well as effective engagement with the public

 

Preferred Qualifications

A specific academic discipline or field of study for the Center Director position is not predetermined but the successful applicant’s expertise must be relevant to either applied or basic research of arthropod vectors, the anthroponotic or zoonotic pathogens they may transmit, avian and mammalian reservoir hosts of zoonotic pathogens, or their influence on human/veterinary/environmental health.

 

Also, the successful applicant will be expected to continue being productive in their individual research and scholarly accomplishments.

 

Please include the following documents in your application:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter
3. Statement of leadership and outreach philosophy.
4. Statement of scholarly research and engagement philosophy.
5. List of five professional references.

 

Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Steve Presley, Search Committee Chair at steve.presley@ttu.edu

 

About the University

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

 

About the Center

The Center for Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases is a newly established One Health Concept-focused, interdisciplinary research center at Texas Tech University that currently includes researchers with well-established highly successful research programs. Participating faculty researchers represent the College of Arts & Sciences, the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

 

About the Department/School/Area

As a One Health concept-focused, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and inter-institutional research strategic initiative at Texas Tech University, the Center for Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases currently has faculty participants representing several academic departments and research-focused institutes and labs. Those include the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Environmental Toxicology, the Natural Sciences Research Laboratory, The Institute for Environmental and Human Health, the Department of Natural Resources Management, the Llano River Field Station, and the School of Veterinary Medicine.