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The Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor nine-month faculty position in the area of Arthropod Biodiversity.

Biodiversity lies at the heart of all ecosystems, from the smallest microbiomes to the global expanses of continents, oceans, and the atmosphere. It holds intrinsic value across many dimensions, encompassing species, genes, functions, processes, and cultures, while also providing tangible benefits such as food, medicine, and other natural products. Biodiversity underpins essential ecosystem services, including clean air, water, and soil, and contributes profoundly to human health, cultural identity, and psychological well-being. Arthropods, which E.O. Wilson famously described as “the little things that run the world,” are the majority of Earth’s macrobiota and have recently faced threats from multiple stressors, including climate change, habitat loss and degradation, and cumulative use of agricultural chemicals.

Loss of biodiversity, both locally (α-diversity) and among locations (β-diversity) is occurring at a rate exceeding our current efforts to discover, document, and understand the species with which we share our planet. These patterns are particularly true for arthropods, with insects showing global declines in populations across multiple orders (sometimes referred to as “insect apocalypse”). At the species level, arthropods now represent 70-80% of the documented loss of biodiversity. At the same time, many other arthropods are becoming increasingly problematic as invasive species, pests of agriculture and forests, and vectors of plant and animal pathogens. Expertise is needed in understanding drivers of arthropod biodiversity change, including understanding processes leading to resilient populations, communities, and ecosystems.

ESPM is a multidisciplinary community of scholars from across the sciences and humanities who conduct research, teaching, and outreach to advance scientific understanding and develop solutions for the world’s pressing environmental problems. ESPM is home to a top-ranked Ph.D. program in environmental science, environmental studies, and ecological/evolutionary biology. Our undergraduate students have a choice of vibrant majors that span the disciplines in the department.

ESPM is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths, who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit the Office for Faculty Equity and Welfare's website.

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment