Assistant or Associate Professor of Microbiology (Microbe-Plant Interactions), Fall 2025

The Department of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is seeking candidates for a tenure-track faculty appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor level using molecular, genetic, biochemical, omics, mathematical modeling and / or cell biology approaches to study microbes (prokaryotic, eukaryotic, or viral) associated with plants.

Competitive applicants will meet minimum requirements of a PhD in a related field and at least two years postdoctoral (Assistant level), four years in a tenure track position (Associate level), or similar experience at the onset of the position.

The successful candidate will have established a record of research that includes significant scientific advancements to their field, as evidenced through peer-reviewed publications and other contributions.

Faculty in this position are expected to establish an innovative, externally funded research program and contribute to the departmental teaching and training mission at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to :

• Microbe-plant interactions in the context of resilience in agricultural ecosystems and maintenance of plant-growth promoting microbes
• Microbe-mediated plant defense response, disease resistance, and pathogen suppression
• Mechanistic linkage of plant-microbiome composition, function, and plant growth from microscopic to regional scales
• Tritrophic interactions among plants, microbes, pollinators, and / or herbivores

This position is part of a faculty cluster hire in Bioinformatics, Genomics and Quantitative-based Solutions for Food Security.

Recruitment into the cluster creates opportunities to build bold agendas that advance big ideas. The successful candidate will join a team of approximately 25 established and successful faculty with shared and complementary research interests in areas including, but not limited to, bioinformatics, data science, machine learning, microbiology, entomology, plant sciences, agricultural informatics, quantitative climate change biology, as well as a strong desire to grow the scholarly and educational impact of their work.

For early career faculty, the cluster also offers a unique framework for professional development and mentorship with a rich transdisciplinary environment.

The ideal candidate for this position has a collaborative mindset and prioritizes working with colleagues to realize shared research and educational achievements, including large-scale proposals, joint publications, and new transdisciplinary curricular programming.

As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant institution, UT is particularly interested in recruiting candidates who are deeply connected to the organizations and communities in which their work will have translational impact, as well as those who will contribute to a climate that values diversity and inclusion.

The successful candidate is anticipated to start this nine-month, tenure-track position August 1, 2025. Evidence of prior formal or informal teaching and outreach will be an advantage.

UTK is a land-grant university and values engaged forms of research / scholarship / creative activity, teaching and service, and considers evidence of these commitments in the records of applicants.

Our current faculty have broad interests in the realms of microbial ecology and microbial pathogenesis, with labs using bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral models, and with work in mammalian, avian, plant, algal, and invertebrate hosts.

As part of a cluster hire initiative in Bioinformatics, Genomics and Quantitative-based Solutions for Food Security and interfacing with the Tennessee Plant Research Center, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to join collaborators with shared research interests and a strong desire to grow the scholarly and educational impact of their work.

Additionally, the Microbiology department has strong interdisciplinary ties to engineering, chemistry, veterinary, and material sciences, as well as the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville.

UTK is the flagship university of the University of Tennessee System and is designated as a Carnegie Very High Research Activity’ University.

A competitive salary and generous start-up package, as well as ample laboratory space, are available.

The Department of Microbiology values the quality of life of all its members and is committed to supporting the intercultural goals of the University.

Located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, The University of Tennessee Knoxville was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the nation.

There are over 30,000 students enrolled at the Knoxville campus, who train and study in a city where excellence in academia meets the natural beauty of the southern Appalachian region and in the company of the artists, makers, and entrepreneurs that call Knoxville their home.

The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University.

Appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor requires the minimal requirements of a PhD in the discipline or a related discipline and at least two years of postdoctoral experience.

Appointment at the rank of Associate Professor requires prior accomplishments commensurate with the expectations for the rank as outlined in departmental by-laws ().

• Of particular note, candidates should : (1) hold a PhD in the discipline or a related discipline; (2) have served as an Assistant Professor (or equivalent for those at non-academic institutions) for a minimum of four years;
• 3) have a strong record of nationally recognized research and scholarly activity with clear promise that promotion to Professor is likely at some point in the future;

4) show clear evidence of competence in teaching and student mentoring; (5) have a reasonable and balanced record of contributions to meeting the service needs of their institution, discipline, and community.