AST CURATOR

The Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida (UF) seeks qualified applicants for a 12-month tenure-track Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology. This position will be filled at the Assistant faculty level in the Florida Museum’s Department of Natural History . The Vertebrate Paleontology division currently consists of two curators, three full-time staff, and seven graduate students. It has an extensive collection (>1,000,000 specimens) of primarily Cenozoic vertebrate fossils that form the basis for a wide variety of paleontological research. It is the third largest cataloged collection of vertebrate fossils in the United States and provides the most complete foundation available for study of vertebrate life and evolution over the past 65 million years in the eastern United States and the circum-Caribbean Basin area. The collection is notable for housing bio-geographically important vertebrate fossils of South American taxa which were involved in the Great American Biotic Interchange. Additionally, the collection houses Paleogene fossils from Nebraska and Wyoming, early Neogene fossils from the Panama Canal, and one of the world’s largest collections of Quaternary fossils from the circum-Caribbean Basin. More information about these resources is available at the webpage of the Division of Vertebrate Paleontology . The Florida Museum supports a diverse research community studying vertebrates in neontological, paleontological, and anthropological contexts. In addition to collections at the Florida Museum, research is facilitated by UF resources in genetics and genomics, 3D-imaging, and research field stations.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is the official state museum of Florida and is located on the campus of the University of Florida, the state of Florida’s flagship university that is currently ranked No. 5 among the nation’s top public research universities by U.S. News and World Report. The Florida Museum’s mission includes stewardship of 40 million specimens and artifacts, award-winning exhibitions, diverse public programs, and emerging virtual and digital engagement. The research and collections programs of the Department of Natural History are world class and attract about $10 million annually in government and philanthropic support. The Florida Museum is a national and international leader in biodiversity informatics, enhanced by its formative role in iDigBio , the national hub for digitization of natural history specimens.

The Florida Museum, a college-level unit within UF, is a vibrant community of about 300 employees, including 29 full-time faculty, UF undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral research associates, and museum collections, education, and administrative support staff. Numerous volunteers and interns participate in research, education, and collection activities. The museum has dedicated labs for digital imaging, molecular genetics and genomics, and preparing skeletal specimens, as well as a new building dedicated to housing fluid-preserved collections. The Florida Museum enjoys cross-campus collaborations with many of the 16 UF colleges, including those of potential relevance to this new faculty position: Agricultural and Life Sciences (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences), Education, Engineering, Libraries, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. Other campus resources likely of interest to the holder of this position include the UF Genetics Institute, UF Biodiversity Institute, and the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station that is part of National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON).

$90,000 to $105,000, negotiable based on experience.

We seek to hire a creative scholar whose research and teaching are specimen-based and focus on fossil vertebrates. We invite candidates who address questions in the broad field of Paleobiology and who would contribute to, and make use of, the Florida Museum’s vertebrate paleontology collection renowned for its extensive Cenozoic collections of diverse taxa from the southeast US and Caribbean. We anticipate that the successful candidate’s research would bolster current strengths (e.g., evolutionary biology, systematics, biogeography) and grow others (e.g., global change biology, bioinformatics, AI, extinctions, evolutionary paleoecology, conservation paleobiology). An ideal candidate will contribute to the museum’s goals of understanding, preserving, and interpreting biological and cultural diversity, and conduct research with opportunities for integrative collaborations with other faculty and divisions within Florida Museum. Candidates using multidisciplinary approaches are highly encouraged to apply.

Successful candidates should have a Ph.D. in Geology, Biology, or a related field, conduct specimen-based research on fossil vertebrates, and have evidence of excellence in research as demonstrated through publication record, grant record, or potential to conduct grant-funded research.

Applications must include (1) cover letter; (2) full curriculum vitae, including lists of peer-reviewed publications and grants received; (3) research statement describing the applicant’s current and planned research; (4) statement providing the applicant’s experience with museum collections and their vision for curating, using, and growing the Vertebrate Paleontology collection; (5) statement about the applicant’s experience with teaching, mentorship, outreach, and broadening representation; and (6) list of the names and email addresses of a minimum of three professional references (do not send letters).

Review of applications will begin on October 9, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled.

The final candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered official if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States must be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) .

For inquiries concerning this position, contact Dr. Michal Kowalewski, Search Chair, kowalewski@ufl.edu .

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law.