Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences (Elasmobranch Biologist)

Position: Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences (Elasmobranch Biologist)
Effective Date: August 17, 2026 (Fall Semester)
Salary Range: The Assistant Professor (Academic Year) classification salary is $74,652 to $158,688/per year, $6,221 to $13,224/per month. The anticipated hiring range is $88,008 to $95,004/per year, $7,334 to $7,917/per month. Salary offered is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application Deadline: Review of applications to begin September 3, 2025. Position is open until filled (or recruitment canceled).

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department of Biological Sciences

Required Qualifications:
• Ph.D. in marine biology, zoology, ecology, evolution, or a related field
• Postdoctoral research experience or equivalent
• Research experience in elasmobranch biology
• A record of research productivity commensurate with experience level
• Demonstrated commitment to effective teaching of biology courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population, including Black/African American, Latine/x, Native American/Indigenous, low-income, first-generation, and minoritized students.

Preferred Qualifications:
• At least two years of postdoctoral research experience or equivalent
• Research experience (field and laboratory) in studying the biology of elasmobranchs. Topics may broadly include species interactions, population dynamics, movement ecology, behavior, physiology, etc.
• Demonstrated potential for establishing an externally funded research program
• Demonstrated interest in increasing the participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields through teaching and mentoring
• Teaching experience at the college level, with the ability to teach elasmobranch biology, fisheries ecology and conservation, ichthyology, or other courses in their area of specialty
• Commitment to learning and incorporating pedagogical best practices to create equitable courses that promote student learning
• Experience of successfully working with populations demographically and/or socioeconomically similar to the CSULB student body.
• Experience mentoring or supporting students with minoritized identities or experience using inclusive and culturally relevant teaching strategies in a diverse classroom

Duties:
• Develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in elasmobranch biology, fisheries ecology and conservation, ichthyology, and/or courses in the core biology curriculum
• Contribute to our efforts to diversify the scientific workforce by effectively training students both inside and outside the classroom
• Develop and sustain an independent externally funded research program in elasmobranch biology that involves undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) students and leads to peer-reviewed publications with student co-authors
• Participate in service to the department, college, university, and community

CSULB seeks to recruit faculty who enthusiastically support the University’s strong commitment to the academic success of all of our students, students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. CSULB seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the People of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students a rich variety of expertise, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

CSULB is proud to be a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The Department of Biological Sciences https://www.csulb.edu/biological-sciences is dedicated to ensuring that our highly diverse graduates are prepared for future success by offering a welcoming and challenging education that includes high-quality curriculum and research opportunities. Our students learn to think like scientists, using concept-based knowledge, rather than mastering facts. We value teaching and research as essential components of education; our graduate and undergraduate students engage in research mentored by 25 tenured/tenure-track faculty, leading to diverse career outcomes, such as health professions, academia, teaching, industry, and government agencies.

We have a strong record of graduating underrepresented and underserved students; at CSULB these efforts are supported by an extensive array of federal and state grants to support training of undergraduate and graduate students for research careers. Research facilities [ https://www.csulb.edu/biological-sciences/marine-biology/facilities ] include a dedicated research laboratory, access to departmental field vehicles and a fleet of small boats, dive facilities with a compressor and fill station, biological collections, and extensive shared molecular, imaging, and computational instrumentation [ http://web.csulb.edu/colleges/cnsm/research/instruments/ ]. The CSULB Marine Biology Lab has two temperature-controlled recirculating seawater systems with mechanical and biological filtration and UV sterilization (6,000- and 8,000-L), an additional 24,000-L seawater storage tank, cold-room, aquaria and associated infrastructure for maintaining live organisms. The Shark Lab, immediately adjacent to the Marine Lab, is a uniquely recognized facility both on campus and in the local community due to a long history of public outreach. Additional resources specific to the Shark Lab include AUVs, a drone fleet, and an acoustic telemetry array of 80 receivers and 15 buoys [ https://www.csulb.edu/shark-lab/about-the-shark-lab-0 ].

CSULB is a member of the Southern California Marine Institute [ https://www.scmi.net/who-we-are/ ], a consortium of 25 major universities, colleges, and foundations in Southern California which maintains a marine lab facility located at the Port of Los Angeles that provides access to a variety of wet lab spaces, waterfront docks, and the 75’ research vessel RV Yellowfin. The CSULB campus is two miles from the ocean in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which has a population of more than 18.5 million.

Information on excellent benefits package available to CSULB faculty is located here: CSU Employee Benefits

How to Apply - Required Documentation:
• An Equity and Diversity Statement about your teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population (maximum two pages, single-spaced). For further information and guidelines, please visit: http://www.csulb.edu/EquityDiversityStatement
• Letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications
• CV (including current email address)
• Research Plan (maximum two pages, single-spaced)
• Teaching Statement (maximum two pages, single-spaced)
• Reprints of up to three representative publications
• Copy of transcript from institution awarding highest degree
• Names and contact information for three references (to be contacted for confidential letters of recommendation should you reach the finalist stage)
• Finalists should be prepared to submit an official transcript (e-transcript preferred, if available)

How to Apply: Click Apply Now icon to complete the CSULB online application

Requests for information and process should be addressed to:

Christine.Whitcraft@csulb.edu
California State University, Long Beach
Department of Biological Sciences
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach CA 90840-9502

Requests for information about the position should be addressed to:

Christine.Whitcraft@csulb.edu
California State University, Long Beach
Department of Biological Sciences
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach CA 90840-9502

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:
A background check (including a criminal record check and telephone reference check with most recent employer) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.

Pursuant to the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California is prohibited effective January 1, 2022. By prohibiting employment outside of California, the CSU also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently from a business location outside of the United States. Exceptions to the Policy are limited to approved and documented purposes for conducting CSU business outside of California.

CSU Vaccination Policy
The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in-person program or activity (on- or off-campus) operated or controlled by the University follow the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus.

Additionally, per the CSU COVID19 Vaccination Policy, all faculty, staff, administrators, and students who are accessing campus facilities are recommended to receive immunization against COVID 19 but are not required to be vaccinated at this time. The systemwide COVID19 questions may be sent to fahr@csulb.edu.

CSULB is committed to creating a community in which a diverse population can learn, live, and work in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual, without regard to race or ethnicity (including color or ancestry), nationality, religion or religious creed, gender (or sex), gender identity (including transgender), gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information, age, veteran or military status. CSULB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Advertised: Jun 17 2025 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close:

• 

• Cal State University (CSU) Long Beach

• 562.985.4111

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