Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) - Biochemistry
Position Overview
Organization: Department of Sciences and Mathematics
Title: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) - Biochemistry
Position Details
Position Description
Position Overview
The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Sciences and Mathematics (SAM) within the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (SIAS). This is a full-time (100% FTE), tenure-track position with a 9-month service period and an expected start date of September 16, 2026. The initial appointment will be for a three-year term, eligible for reappointment after successful academic review.
Responsibilities
All tenure-track faculty at the UW engage in teaching, research, and service within their school, the University, and their professional community. UWT, SIAS, and SAM are committed to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research, and service activities.
The successful candidate will be expected to perform highly effective and inclusive teaching, using a variety of pedagogical techniques and technologies, in an urban-serving campus environment. The successful candidate will also be expected to successfully mentor undergraduate students in an academic setting with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
The Assistant Professor of Biochemistry’s research area is open within Biochemistry broadly interpreted, inclusive of both computational and laboratory-based biochemistry methods. The candidate will be expected to actively seek extramural support to develop and maintain a productive research program involving our undergraduates. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to teach biochemistry and other laboratory-based courses related to their field, which may include lower division chemistry and/or biology courses and other courses of their own design. The successful candidate is currently expected to teach four (4) undergraduate courses that contain both lecture and laboratory components, and one (1) seminar or research experience course per academic year. As teaching needs may fluctuate, specific arrangements of courses may change, but the load for this position is set at a level equivalent to six (6) undergraduate lecture courses per academic year. Additionally, the candidate will be expected to support the department's commitment to institutional service, professional development, and community outreach. For more information about community partnership opportunities, visit https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/community-partnerships
Compensation
The base salary range for this position is $9110 to $9600 per month ($81,990 to $86,400 per 9-month academic year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Other compensation associated with this position may include a one-time relocation allowance, if applicable, and professional/research funds. A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/.
About UW Tacoma
UWT is an urban-serving institution committed to providing a community-engaged education to a diverse student body. The UWT campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians within the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Established in 1990, our thriving downtown campus serves students of a wide range of ages and backgrounds; including an overall undergraduate population consisting over more than 50% first-generation college students.
UWT is one of three campuses of the University of Washington, providing faculty with access to the resources of a major, state-flagship research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. The University of Washington is among the 119 institutions of higher education in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation denoting institutional commitment to community engagement. UWT is a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) and a federally funded Asian American Native American Pacific Islander- Serving Institution (AANAPISI). In particular, the Tacoma campus is renowned for its community-engaged activities, wherein many of its faculty, students, and staff are taking an active role in transforming the city and region into a thriving and just collective of communities.
Faculty at UWT have access to the resources of a major research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. UWT consists of approximately 5,000 students, across seven schools, and offers a variety of professional and academic degrees and certifications. UWT’s commitment to equity and inclusion is central to maintaining an atmosphere wherein students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth.
Consistent with UWT’s urban-serving mission, our campus provides a unique environment for faculty to creatively develop their teaching, scholarship, and service portfolios, and to engage with the Tacoma community. UWT’s commitment to diversity and belonging is central to this mission, and to creating an atmosphere where students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. For more information about UW Tacoma, visit www.tacoma.uw.edu.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
UWT, SIAS, and SAM are dedicated to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, social equity, and inclusion in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Creative scholarship agendas linking knowledge, community service, and professional practice are supported and encouraged. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice to apply.
Qualifications
An earned Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Biochemistry or related field at the time of appointment, demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and research in the candidate’s area of expertise.
In exceptional circumstances, candidates in the final stages of their terminal degree (pending conferral) may be selected and appointed on an acting basis.
Instructions
To apply, please submit the following, via Interfolio:
A cover letter, providing an overview of your academic qualifications, field of research, and relevant experience in teaching and mentoring undergraduates. (2 page maximum)
A curriculum vitae, including your scholarship, a list of courses taught, their frequency, and your role in each course (e.g., primary instructor vs. teaching assistant), and your academic and professional service roles
A statement about expanding access in STEM. Drawing on your previous experiences, describe how your work in Research, Teaching, and Service will advance UW Tacoma’s mission to expand access and opportunities for students of a variety of preparations and from diverse backgrounds. (2 page maximum)
A research statement, including a concise description of planned research areas and potential collaborations with UW Tacoma faculty, a summary of the impact of your research, and plans for seeking additional support and/or funding. If your research area is connected to human health, please articulate those connections. Please include how you will involve and support the success of UWT undergraduate students in your research. (3 page maximum)
A teaching statement, including a summary or courses you have taught or are willing to teach at UW Tacoma, inclusive teaching methods and high-impact practices you use (or intend to use), and an example of how you would incorporate these methods into a biochemistry course. (2 page maximum)
Teaching Portfolio. This can be a compilation of evidence of teaching effectiveness and might include: sample syllabi, quantitative and/or qualitative student evaluations, and/or peer teaching evaluations.
Names and contact information for three professional references, with letters available upon request.
All application materials must be submitted through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/172884. Application materials received via mail or email will not be considered. Screening of applications will begin on October 15, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. For further information or specific inquiries, please contact Jim Gawel, search committee Chair, at jimgawel@uw.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Benefits Information
A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
Privacy Notice
Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.
Disability Services
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.