Tenure-Track: Assistant Professors of Entomology - Arthropod Systematics and Biodiversity

The Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, invites applications for two (2) full-time, 9-month academic faculty positions as Assistant Professor of Entomology in Arthropod Systematics and Biodiversity. Both positions are located on the main campus of Texas A&M in College Station, TX.  One of these positions will have responsibilities for research (50%), teaching (30%), and service (20%).  The increased service percentage includes duties as the Curator of the Texas A&M University Insect Collection (TAMUIC), where they will be responsible for its direction and development, including supervision of a full-time collection manager.  The second position will have responsibilities for research (60%), teaching (30%), and service (10%), and will support the TAMUIC in their area of taxonomic specialization as a member of the departmental systematics group. Competitive candidates will have strong backgrounds in collection-based research, documented taxonomic expertise in one or more groups of insects or terrestrial arthropods, and strong records of scholarly accomplishment. Specialized experience and interests may include descriptive and revisionary taxonomy, phylogenetics and phylogenomics, comparative biology, molecular evolution, population genetics, genomics, functional morphology, biodiversity informatics, or any other field relevant to modern systematics research. We seek two systematists with different but complementary programs and interests that will synergize systematics research and teaching within the department. Position duties may change in accordance with Departmental needs, in consultation with the Department Head. The anticipated start date for both positions is 01 August 2026.

Justification and Impact: These positions build on the Department of Entomology’s established strengths in systematics, genomics, insect ecology, and evolutionary biology. Systematics is a foundational biological discipline that encompasses biodiversity discovery and documentation, identification and classification of organisms, and comparative phylogenetics. We seek energetic new faculty members to continue and expand the department’s historical strengths in the field of systematic entomology. The research programs of both appointees are expected to be highly competitive for funding from relevant federal (e.g., NSF, USDA, NIH) and state agencies (e.g., Texas Parks and Wildlife Department).

The Texas A&M University Insect Collection is a core shared resource that supports research activities in multiple areas at local, state, and national levels, including systematic entomology, insect ecology, evolutionary biology, medical and veterinary entomology, and pest identification and management. The TAMUIC is a major regional entomological research collection with geographic strengths in the faunas of the southern Nearctic and northern Neotropical regions. It currently contains ca. 3.2 million curated specimens, ca. 1.4 million digital specimen records, several million specimens in bulk and partially sorted ethanol samples, and more than 45,000 species. It is the largest entomological research collection in Texas, and one of the largest university collections in the U.S. The collection is a critical resource for citizens of the state and for state and federal agencies, including TAMU AgriLife Extension, TAMU AgriLife Research, Texas Department of Agriculture, and USDA. It assists these agencies, and many researchers, by providing authoritative resources for identifications of insects and related arthropods and by vouchering specimens that physically document the species involved in research and extension programs. The TAMUIC supports the activities of an on-campus USDA/APHIS/PPQ Insect Identifier, who collaborates with faculty and staff in Entomology. The TAMUIC is professionally managed by a full-time, staff-level, collection manager and has active ongoing programs for the development of both its physical and digital collections. As a result, the TAMUIC has received substantial funding from a series of major awards from NSF and is a leader nationwide in the development and application of methods for digitizing and delivering the vast information resources contained in insect research collections. Successful candidates will build on these strengths to further develop both the departmental systematics program and the TAMUIC.

General Duties and Responsibilities: The new faculty members will develop nationally and internationally recognized, extramurally funded research programs in arthropod systematics and biodiversity; will teach undergraduate and graduate courses; and will engage in appropriate service activities, including, for the Curator appointment, direction of the TAMUIC. The Department defines a 30% teaching appointment as teaching two 3-credit hour courses per year and one additional specialty course in alternate years. Teaching duties will include undergraduate and graduate courses that address the needs of the Department and that match the interests and expertise of the appointee. Core undergraduate courses in the field of systematics currently include ENTO 301 (Biodiversity and Biology of Insects), which is required for Entomology majors, and ENTO 455 (Field Entomology in the Tropics), which is a study abroad course offered in Costa Rica. Graduate courses currently include ENTO 601 (Principles of Systematic Entomology), ENTO 602 (Insect Biodiversity and Biology), ENTO/WFSC 606 (Quantitative Phylogenetics), and ENTO 612 (Insect Evolution). Assignment of courses is done by the Department Head in consultation with the Associate Department Head for Academic Programs. The Department offers two baccalaureate degrees, one in Entomology (ENTO) and one in Forensic and Investigative Sciences (FIVS). Graduate degrees include M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Entomology and individual faculty may be affiliated with university-wide interdisciplinary degree programs in genetics, neurobiology, biotechnology, and ecology & evolutionary biology, etc. Teaching also involves mentoring of undergraduate researchers, M.S. and Ph.D. students, and post-docs, as applicable, and is expected of all faculty.

Resources: Texas A&M University is a public land-grant institution with high-quality academic units conducting research in critical areas impacting Texans. The successful candidates will be offered competitive salaries, appropriate startup packages, office and laboratory space, and access to services and core research facilities that are centrally supported by Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. All departmental faculty have opportunities to collaborate with a broad range of TAMU System research and Extension employees around the state. A generous benefits package that includes health care, sick leave, and retirement accompanies all faculty positions.

Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Entomology or a related field of biological science with emphases on systematics and collection-based research, or candidates who have completed all Ph.D. requirements except the dissertation will be considered, provided they demonstrate clear progress toward completion of the Ph.D.

Preferred qualifications: include documented achievements with (1) quality peer-reviewed journal publications, (2) demonstrated success in or strong potential for obtaining competitive extramural funding at the national level, (3) experience in teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and (4) particularly for the Curator appointment, experience and training in the management and development of entomological research collections.

Application: All applications must be submitted through apply.interfolio.com/175600, and must contain: (1) a cover letter of interest, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a personal statement to include philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service (up to six pages total) which includes a vision statement for leading (Curator applicants) or supporting (non-Curator applicants) the TAMUIC, and (4) contact information for three professional references (to be contacted at a later stage). For each reference, provide a mailing address, an email address, a phone number, and a brief statement that explains how the reference knows the applicant. Applicants should clearly indicate if they wish to be considered for the Curator position, the non-Curator position, or both. The Department intends to interview 4-6 applicants from one application pool to fill both positions. Applications received by the end of business on December 12, 2025 will receive full consideration. Questions about the position may be sent to Search Committee Chair Dr. Julio Bernal (juliobernal@tamu.edu) and copied to Teresa Gold (teresa.gold@ag.tamu.edu).

For more information about the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M, visit here.