Description

The Department of Plant and Soil Science in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University invites applications for a 9-month, tenured or tenure-track, open-rank professor position in environmental microbiomes and human health (approximately 75%/20%/5% Research/Teaching/Service) to begin Fall 2026, although a later start date may be negotiated. 

The successful candidate is expected to develop and lead a high impact, extramurally funded, and internationally recognized research program that investigates the mechanistic linkages between environmental and human microbiomes. Example areas of research include but are not limited to human and environmental microbiome linkages in urban or rural communities, soil-borne pathogens and human health, and the effects of land-use change and management in the built environment, contaminants and pollution, or climate change stressors on human-environment microbiome relationships and health impacts. Candidates with interest and expertise in soil-human health linkages in the built environment are highly encouraged to apply (e.g., heat effects on human health and soil ecosystem services as driven by microbiomes). Subject areas include but are not limited to soil & environmental microbiomes in urban ecosystems and their connections with human microbiome/health, epidemiology, pathogen ecology, pathogen population biology, host-microbe interactions, immunity and disease resistance, bioenvironmental sciences, and vector-borne disease.

Requirements

A Ph.D. or equivalent degree in biology, microbiology, soil science, ecology, or related area is required, including but not limited to pathology, genetics, genomics, entomology, crop science, computational biology, or quantitative ecology. Candidates with post-doctoral research experience are preferred. Evidence of the potential for developing an outstanding interdisciplinary research program and indications of strong mentorship and teaching skills are required. Applicants are expected to have a strong publication record, interpersonal and communication skills, and the desire to collaborate with others in a collegial team environment. We seek candidates who will use creative and collaborative approaches to elucidate host/microbial/environmental interactions at various geographic and trophic levels to understand their impacts on emergent ecosystem properties. Researchers with a focus on the impact of climate change are of particular interest. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty from additional departments within the Davis College such as Landscape Architecture, additional departments and centers across the TTU campus such as environmental engineering, TIEHH, and the Climate Center, and will be expected to work closely with researchers within TTU-HSC and the Institute for One Health Innovation.

Please include the following documents in your application:

1.      Curriculum Vitae

2.      Cover Letter that summarizes how the application aligns with the job qualifications and the TTU Strategic Plan (not to exceed 3 pages)

3.      Statement of research interests (not to exceed 2 pages)

4.      Statement of teaching effectiveness/philosophy (not to exceed 2 pages)

5.      Contact information for 3 professional references (letters will be requested later)

Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Lindsey Slaughter, Search Committee Chair at lindsey.slaughter@ttu.edu. If you need assistance with the application process, contact Human Resources, Talent Acquisition at hrs.recruiting@ttu.edu or 806-742-3851.

 The deadline to submit applications is March 01, 2026. 

To ensure full consideration, please complete an online application at: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/workattexastech/  Requisition # 43311BR