Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Job Description:

APPOINTMENT: August 2027

POSITION: Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences in the College of Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Education.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The successful candidate must demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) students in coursework and research. The successful candidate is also expected to maintain an active program of scholarly research that engages undergraduate and graduate students.

Teaching responsibilities will include biochemistry courses with laboratory instruction for undergraduate minors and majors, advanced biochemistry with laboratory instruction for undergraduate majors, and advanced biochemistry at the graduate level. Additional teaching responsibilities will include other courses appropriate to the candidate's expertise and the needs of the Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs in the School of Natural Sciences at Western Illinois University.

Additional responsibilities will include service on School and University committees and coordination, maintenance, and oversight of general scientific instrumentation.

RANK & SALARY: Assistant Professor, 9-month, tenure-track position. $68,319 - $71,734 per year.

Western Illinois University employees may be eligible for a variety of State of Illinois benefits. These benefits are administered through the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS). These benefits include: Health Insurance plans, (HMO's, OAP's, QCHP, and CDHP), Dental Insurance, Vision Plan, Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Supplemental Long-Term Disability (LTD), Flex Spending Accounts (HAS, MCAP, and DCAP), 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plans and 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plans.

Eligible employees are required to participate in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS). SURS is the retirement administrator for employees in public higher education in the State of Illinois.

Other benefits available to eligible employees include: paid time-off, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Waiver programs, and discounts to the local YMCA.

For a full list of benefits as a WIU employee, please visit our Benefits Homepage:

For questions on benefits, or eligibility, contact our benefits team at View email address on click.appcast.io or by calling View phone number on click.appcast.io.



Requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Ph.D. is required by the time of appointment. Preference will be given to candidates with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Candidates with a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry or Molecular Biology will also be considered. Candidates with a Ph.D. in other closely related disciplines, such as Chemical Biology, may also be considered if they demonstrate substantial expertise in biochemistry through their academic training, teaching, or research experience.

The degree must be conferred by a regionally accredited degree-granting institution of higher education or an equivalent institution recognized by an appropriate international accrediting body.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Postdoctoral research and/or industrial research experience in biochemistry or a closely related field, such as biological chemistry, molecular biology, or chemical biology.
• Experience teaching undergraduate courses in biochemistry.
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students in biochemistry research or research in a closely related field, such as biological chemistry, molecular biology, or chemical biology.
• Experience with fluorescence-based techniques relevant to biochemical research.
• Experience with other instrumental techniques relevant to biochemical research, preferably including one or more of the following: NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chromatography, or capillary gel electrophoresis.
• Experience with laboratory techniques for characterizing biomacromolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids, in one or more of the following areas:
  • Isolation and purification
  • Quantification
  • Structural characterization
  • Functional characterization, including enzyme activity and molecular interactions

Additional Information:

The Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs in the School of Natural Sciences at Western Illinois University offer American Chemical Society (ACS)-certified B.S. degree programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as a pharmacy option. The programs also offer an M.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. degree in Forensic Chemistry. In addition, the Chemistry program offers a teacher certification option for the B.S. in Chemistry. The programs have eight full-time faculty members with doctoral degrees who support teaching, student mentoring, and research. The Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs at Western Illinois University maintain state-of-the-art instrumentation, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), LC-MS/MS, FT-NMR, GC-VUV, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), FT-IR, UV-Vis, HPLC-UV, GC-FID, and fluorescence spectroscopy, along with electronic classrooms that provide excellent opportunities for student learning and research. For more information, visit the website at

THE UNIVERSITY:

About WIU

Since 1899, Western Illinois University has provided outstanding educational opportunities to individuals in west central Illinois and well beyond our region and state. WIU's traditional residential campus in Macomb, Illinois, is the educational, cultural and athletic center of the region, while the WIU-Quad Cities non-residential branch campus in Moline, Illinois, is the only public university in the immediate Quad Cities region.

WIU-Macomb, IL:

Western's traditional, residential main campus offers a comprehensive slate of undergraduate and graduate programs, including a doctorate in education, and post-baccalaureate certificates. A diverse community in west central Illinois, Macomb features a unique blend of agriculture, industry, service, retail, education, and culture. Macomb serves as the county seat, with connections across the state with Amtrak providing twice-daily service from Macomb to Chicago (and point in-between). Macomb is located approximately 75 miles from the Quad Cities International Airport (Moline, IL) and 70 miles from the Greater Peoria Regional Airport (Peoria, IL).

WIU-Quad Cities:

Located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Moline, Illinois, the WIU-Quad Cities campus is the only public four-year regional university that serves the Quad Cities region. Designed as a metropolitan commuter campus, WIU-Quad Cities offers select undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Moline is located just 80 miles north of the Macomb campus and is centered within a diverse, bi-state community of 383,000 that offers a broad range of cultural, social, and entertainment amenities and experiences.

Academics

More than 61 undergraduate degree programs, 41 graduate programs, two doctoral programs and 16 post-baccalaureate certificate programs prepare students for a successful career after graduation.

Student Resources

More than 200 student organizations at Western provide social, academic, recreation, athletics, service, and many other opportunities for students to grow and learn, develop leadership skills, and much more. Numerous concerts, lectures, films, dance performances, cultural events and more are presented and performed each year, along with numerous major theatrical and dance productions and studio shows, and a variety of service-oriented projects and activities.

WIU Intercollegiate Athletics

The University's athletics program, based on the Macomb campus, sponsors 17 NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's and women's varsity sports. All varsity sports compete at the Division I level through The Ohio Valley Conference.



Application Instructions:

Complete applications include:

1. A letter of application.
2. A current curriculum vitae or resume.
3. A teaching statement.
4. A research statement.
5. The names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three current professional references.
6. Copies of unofficial or official academic transcripts; official copies will be requested from the selected candidate.

Please upload the requested documents by clicking APPLY NOW or by navigating to the WIU Employment page at the following URL

Note: Individual documents must be under 2 MB in size.

Screening of applications will begin on February 22, 2027, and continue until the position is filled.

Western Illinois University endeavors to provide a safe environment for its employees and students and requires candidates to submit to a background investigation upon offer of employment. Employment is contingent upon compliance with university policies and procedures relating to the receipt and evaluation of information contained in the background investigation.

Western Illinois University is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity employer. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people, including, but not limited to, minorities, veterans, women and individuals with disabilities. WIU has a non-discrimination policy that includes discrimination based on an individual's membership in the following classes: sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and any other classes protected by state or federal law.

Questions regarding the search may be directed to Liguo Song at View email address on click.appcast.io.

For assistance with the online application system contact the Office of Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io or via email at View email address on click.appcast.io.