Assistant Professor – Quantitative Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Biologist

Position Description 

The School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor (F-3) in Quantitative Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Biology. This is a permanent, tenure-track, full-time, 9-month faculty appointment to begin August 1, 2025, subject to position clearance, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

This position is part of a new fisheries unit and graduate degree program being developed across the campus.  This initiative is designed to better understand and manage the dynamics of fisheries species in terms of population biology, ecology, and evolution in the context of regional, state, and community fishery needs, including those of Native Hawaiians.Research should extend beyond traditional fisheries stock assessment methods to include broader issues of how management will affect ecosystem dynamics and be affected by global change, and how traditional assessment methods can learn from Native Hawaiian cultural practices. Research that will focus on Hawaiian species and ecosystems is of particular interest.

We are seeking a colleague with expertise to contribute to our current undergraduate course in biostatistics, and marine biology courses that relate to the candidate’s expertise in ecology, evolution, or organismal biology of marine species and to develop an undergraduate course in ecosystem-based fisheries science. The successful candidate will help build on our current strengths in conservation, ecology, evolution, organismal biology, and quantitative biology. This includes research incorporating the dynamics of ecological factors such as food resources, predators, competitors, and the abiotic environment that interact with a fisheries stock.  

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) is a Native Hawaiian place of learning and a Carnegie Research 1 University with a strong emphasis on research and undergraduate and graduate education. Our vision is to be recognized locally and globally as a premier student-centered and community-serving university (https://manoa.hawaii.edu/strategicplan/). The School of Life Sciences hosts the largest academic program on the University of Hawai‘i’s flagship campus, serving over 1,500 undergraduate majors and 150 graduate students for degrees in biology, botany, marine biology, microbiology, molecular cell biology, and zoology. Research interests of the 40 faculty members span all biological scales, with many focusing on ecology, evolution, organismal, and conservation biology. The School of Life Sciences is committed to serving our community and state, and to excellence in research and teaching (https://manoa.hawaii.edu/lifesciences/).

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and teach a graduate course in ecosystem-based fisheries biology
• Contribute to undergraduate courses in biostatistics, fisheries biology, and marine biology
• Develop and sustain an innovative, externally-funded research program
• Mentor and advise graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Life Sciences
• Become an active member of the new graduate program in fisheries biology
• Serve on departmental, college, and university committees as appropriate
• Contribute to service to the professional and local/regional community that is relevant to the individual’s academic specialty
• Research focused on the development and implementation of quantitative methods aimed at tropical ecosystem-based fisheries science
• Commitment to supporting the key principles of the School of Life Sciences, which are inclusiveness, personal and professional integrity, and the pursuit of excellence

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree from a college or university of recognized standing in a field relevant to the position by time of hire.
• Professionalism in meeting and conferring with others.
• University level or equivalent teaching experience
• Research excellence and creativity in ecosystem-based fisheries biology, marine ecology, marine conservation biology, or a related field as demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals

Desirable Qualifications

• Postdoctoral research experience
• Participation in efforts and evidence of external research funding
• Demonstrated experience and excellence in instruction of undergraduate and graduate courses in the life sciences, with an emphasis on marine biology
• Experience working with diverse student and community populations
• Vision of research that takes advantage of Hawai‘i’s unique location, resources, and faculty expertise in the School of Life Sciences, other university units, and state and federal agencies engaged in marine research
• Incorporate broad issues into research such as climate change, sustainability consequences of fishing effects on seafloor habitats, stock age structure and reproduction, or fish evolution
• Potential ability to develop a graduate course in ecosystem-based fisheries biology