Job Description

School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area: Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Position Description:

The Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, in partnership with the Museum of Comparative Zoology ( MCZ ), seeks to appoint a tenure-track or tenured professor in the field of animal comparative physiology and biomechanics. We are excited to attract an outstanding individual to develop an innovative research program in such areas as (but not limited to) evolutionary biomechanics, ecological mechanics and physiology, movement ecology, bioinspired design, and the neuromotor bases of animal behavior. The position will be based at the Concord Field Station ( CFS ), a MCZ research facility in Bedford, MA ( that supports biomechanical and physiological research of animal performance. The position will also be associated with an appointment in the MCZ and potentially as Director of the CFS .

The successful candidate is expected to establish a dynamic, externally funded research program, teach two courses per year at the undergraduate/graduate levels on the topics of biomechanics and physiology, or contribute to existing courses (e.g., vertebrate anatomy), mentor a diverse community of students, and contribute to departmental and university service. The appointment is expected to begin in summer 2025.

OEB is a supportive and collaborative research community with interests in a broad range of topics that include evolution, ecology, biomechanics, behavior, development, paleobiology, population genetics, and public health. Tenure track faculty are assigned a mentoring committee that advises them on all aspects of setting up a successful research group.

An appointment in OEB provides access to state-of-the-art animal and plant facilities and core facilities for imaging, proteomics, genomics, and bioinformatics as well as access to multiple supporting institutions including the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Herbaria, Harvard Forest, and the Arnold Arboretum. Please visit the OEB webpage ( for more information.

External applicants and finalists considered for a tenured appointment will need to complete the same procedures as external applicants and finalists in a search designated specifically for a tenured appointment.

OEB celebrates the multiple dimensions of diversity that each member of our community offers, including diversity of background, perspective, and lived experience. We strongly welcome applications from people from underrepresented groups.

Basic Qualifications:

Doctorate or terminal degree in animal comparative biomechanics, physiology or related discipline required by the time the appointment begins.

Additional Qualifications:

Demonstrated strong commitment to teaching, advising, and research is desired. Candidates for a tenured appointment should also evince intellectual leadership and impact on the field and potential for significant contributions to the department, University, and wider scholarly community.

Contact Information:

For information about the position, please contact Profs. Stephanie Pierce ( spierce@oeb.harvard.edu ) or George Lauder ( glauder@oeb.harvard.edu ). For administration questions, please contact Christian Flynn ( cflynn@fas.harvard.edu) .

Contact Email: cflynn@fas.harvard.edu

Special Instructions:

Please submit the following materialsby October 15, 2024; all applications will be reviewed by November 1.

1. Cover letter

2. Curriculum Vitae

3. Teaching/advising statement (describing the candidate's teaching philosophy and practices as well as their approach to creating a learning environment in which every student is encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas)

4. Research statement

5. Service statement describing efforts to strengthen academic communities (e.g., the candidate's department, institution, and/or professional societies)

6. Candidates for a tenure-track position are also required to submit names and contact information of 3-5 referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate's application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received. For candidates for a tenure-track position, at least one letter must come from someone who has not served as the candidate's undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral advisor.

7. Up to four representative publications

8. External applicants to a tenured position are required to complete, sign, and upload/submit the form entitled

About Harvard University

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education. Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

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