Join the Department: Open Faculty Positions in Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Mass Spectrometry

September 20, 2022

Search Committee
1. Soma Dhakal (Committee Chair), Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Tenure-track
2. Julio Alvarez, Associate professor, Chemistry Department, Tenured
3. Xuewei Wang, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Tenure track
4. Thomas Ashton Cropp, Professor, Chemistry Department, Tenured
5. Matthew S Halquist, Associate Professor and Laboratory Director, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutics

Virginia Commonwealth University
Open Rank, Tenure-track Position in Analytical Chemistry- Mass Spectrometry

The Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites applications for a tenure-track, open-rank position in Analytical Chemistry (broadly defined) with a research interest in the field of Mass Spectrometry to begin in fall 2023. Candidates are required to have an established research agenda and clear potential for extramural funding as well as the potential for nationally-recognized scholarship that complements or expands existing expertise in the Department of Chemistry. Teaching will primarily be in undergraduate and graduate courses in Analytical Chemistry. Preferred candidates are those who use mass spectrometry to solve advanced chemical problems, broadly defined.

A Ph.D. in chemistry is required and post-doctoral experience is strongly encouraged. Applicants at all levels of professor rank will be considered. Candidates at the Associate and Full Professor levels must have a well-developed research portfolio with evidence of multi-disciplinary applications and external funding. Candidates need to submit (1) a cover letter, (2) a complete curriculum vitae, and (3) a statement of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/), and (4) a document containing detailed research proposals, teaching plans and an estimate of start-up costs to the job posting. In addition, the names of three references must be entered; these individuals will be asked to provide recommendation letters. Review of applications will begin November 1 and continue until the position is filled. Please contact Soma Dhakal, Search Committee Chair, sndhakal@vcu.edu; for any questions about the position.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) enrolls ~ 29,000 students, has highly ranked medical and pharmacy schools, and is an R1 Doctoral University. Diversity is among our greatest assets at VCU and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment as we know this is the best approach to achieve universal excellence and success. In 2021, 29.2% of our freshmen identified as first-generation and 32.3% of our students were underrepresented minorities. In 2022, VCU was designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI).

VCU The Department of Chemistry has 20 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 15 instructional term faculty appointments, 2 term facility directors, more than 400 undergraduate majors, and 75 graduate students. It is committed to the dual mission of teaching and research at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. In teaching, the purpose is to provide high-quality education in chemistry to undergraduate as well as graduate students, in preparation for professional careers at all levels. In research, the goals are to advance the science of chemistry, to keep faculty at the forefront of the field, and to maintain an educational program consistent with the latest technology and development of the discipline. Service to the chemical profession is also an important aspect of the department`s activities. VCU is currently ranked as #58 of 415 public research universities by the National Science Foundation which tracks federally funded research expenditures. In addition, it has combined awards for sponsored programs, including grants, contracts, and other funding types directed towards research activity, totaling $363M in 2021.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, Affirmative Action University providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Search Committee for Physical Chemistry
1. Sherif Moussa (Committee Chair) Associate Professor, Chemistry Department, Term
2. Kate Tibbetts, Associate Professor, Chemistry Department, Tenured
3. Ka Un Lao, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Tenure-track
4. Dusan Bratko, Professor, Chemistry Department, Term

The Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for a non-tenure track assistant professor position in Physical Chemistry to begin either January 2023 or August 2023. Primary responsibilities will include the management, supervision, and instruction of the undergraduate teaching laboratories and the instruction of the associated undergraduate chemistry course. For Physical Chemistry, the position will be for the physical chemistry laboratories and course (CHEZ313, CHEZ315; CHEM315).

We seek applicants who are excited about teaching chemistry to a diverse pool of undergraduate students and working with graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) to create independent thinkers capable of addressing and solving the next generation of scientific and technological problems. Applicants must be willing to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment, participate in curriculum development, and effectively deliver course content. These renewable instructional positions bring numerous opportunities for training undergraduate and graduate students, working on students’ independent research projects, and engaging with research faculty with a state-of-the-art instrumentation facility. Richmond is a fantastic place to live with numerous cultural events taking place throughout the year including the Richmond Folk Festival and RVA Street Festival as well as great restaurants to indulge your culinary tastes. The position is at the level of an assistant professor and there are university-wide procedures in place for faculty promotion to associate and then full professor. Our salaries are competitive and opportunities to teach in the summer are also possible. Chemists with applied industrial or government experience are also encouraged to apply. A Ph.D. in chemistry is required.

Candidates need to submit (1) a cover letter, (2) a statement of teaching experience and interests, (3) a diversity and inclusion statement, and (4) a complete curriculum vitae to https://www.vcujobs.com/. In addition, the names of three references must be entered into VCUjobs.com; these individuals will be asked to provide recommendation letters. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Please contact the search committee chair, Professor Sherif Moussa (smoussa@vcu.edu) with any questions about the position.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: As a preeminent national, urban, public research university and academic health center, Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion - an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences, and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU’s mission of promoting equity and inclusion. For more information and guidelines, see https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/

Search Committee for Analytical Chemistry
1. Joseph Turner (Committee Chair) Professor, Chemistry Department, Term
2. Soma Dhakal, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Tenure-track
3. Amanda Harris, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Term
4. Nicholas Kuklinski, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Term

The Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for a non-tenure track assistant professor position in Analytical Chemistry to begin either January 2023 or August 2023. Primary responsibilities will include the management, supervision, and instruction of the undergraduate teaching laboratories and the instruction of the associated undergraduate chemistry course. For analytical chemistry, the position will be for theInstrumental Analysis laboratories and course (CHEZ409; CHEM409). Brief descriptions of these courses can be found at http://bulletin.vcu.edu/azcourses/.

We seek applicants who are excited about teaching chemistry to a diverse pool of undergraduate students and working with graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) to create independent thinkers capable of addressing and solving the next generation of scientific and technological problems. Applicants must be willing to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment, participate in curriculum development, and effectively deliver course content. These renewable instructional positions bring numerous opportunities for training undergraduate and graduate students, working on students’ independent research projects, and engaging with research faculty with a state-of-the-art instrumentation facility. Richmond is a fantastic place to live with numerous cultural events taking place throughout the year including the Richmond Folk Festival and RVA Street Festival as well as great restaurants to indulge your culinary tastes. The position is at the level of an assistant professor and there are university-wide procedures in place for faculty promotion to associate and then full professor. Our salaries are competitive and opportunities to teach in the summer are also possible. Analytical chemists with applied industrial or government experience are also encouraged to apply. A Ph.D. in chemistry is required.

Virginia Commonwealth University enrolls ~ 29,000 students. Diversity is among our greatest assets at VCU and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment as we know this is the best approach to achieve universal excellence and success. In 2021, 29.2% of our freshmen identified as first-generation and 32.3% of our students were underrepresented minorities. The Department of Chemistry has 20 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 15 instructional term faculty appointments, 2 term facility directors, more than 400 undergraduate majors, and 75 graduate students. VCU Chemistry attracts a diverse student population including women, underrepresented minority students, and first-generation students. According to IPEDs (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; 2019), we were 4th in African American BS Chemistry degrees (2nd among non-HBCUs), 5th for women BS Chemistry degrees, and 9th for the total number of BS Chemistry degrees among 1137 Colleges and Universities in the USA.

Candidates need to submit (1) a cover letter, (2) a statement of teaching experience and interests, (3) a diversity and inclusion statement, and (4) a complete curriculum vitae to https://www.vcujobs.com/. In addition, the names of three references must be entered into VCUjobs.com; these individuals will be asked to provide recommendation letters. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Please contact the search committee chair, Professor Joseph Turner (jturner9@vcu.edu) with any questions about the position.