Lecturer in Agricultural Bioinformatics

Description

Full-time 9-Month Lecturer in Agricultural Bioinformatics

 

The Entomology and Plant Pathology (EPP) Department within the Herbert College of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee (UTK) is seeking a Lecturer of Bioinformatics to help establish a nationally recognized undergraduate academic program in agricultural bioinformatics.

 

This is a 9-month, non-tenure track, lecturer position located at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture campus in Knoxville, Tennessee. The majority of teaching and other work duties are expected to be performed on-site, although there is some flexibility in course delivery mode depending on demand. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a collaborative and innovative team, building an excellent academic program from the ground up and having meaningful input in creating a robust teaching curriculum in agricultural bioinformatics. The new program will be housed within the EPP Department in coordination with other units across campus.

 

The successful candidate will contribute to a bioinformatics undergraduate program focused on understanding and leveraging complex datasets (e.g. omics data, environmental data, image data, etc.) produced from agricultural and biological science studies. On the computational front, focal areas may include combinatorial algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-performance computing to enable efficient analysis of big data in agriculture. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the successful candidate will be responsible for service activities primarily related to the development and management of the bioinformatics academic program. Other service activities include assisting with student recruitment and retention, as well as guiding students through undergraduate research and internship opportunities. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to pursue a research program independently or collaboratively, although pursuing research and obtaining external research support are not requirements of this position. Additionally, there is potential for the candidate to secure summer salary annually through other avenues such as external grants or teaching additional courses or workshops.

 

Duties and Responsibilities of the Position Include:

 

●      Teach nine credit hours (approximately three courses) per semester at the undergraduate level on topics such as Introduction to Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computational Genomics, Machine Learning Applications, or related courses according to the candidate's background and expertise. Courses will include both conceptual content and practical, hands-on activities. Existing infrastructure through resources like the AI Tennessee Initiative are readily available for integration into course development.

●      Serve as the primary point of contact for developing, promoting, and growing the agricultural bioinformatics program within the department and engaging with other relevant academic units (e.g., Computer Science, Microbiology) or programs (e.g., Bredesen Center, College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies) across campus.

●      Serve as a primary resource for new and changing agricultural bioinformatics topic areas and for updating or revising course curricula and practical laboratories as needed.

●      Service activities will primarily focus on developing and managing the agricultural bioinformatics undergraduate academic program. Additional service responsibilities will include assisting with student recruitment and student retention, updating the curriculum, and mentoring undergraduate students by guiding research and internship opportunities.About the University of Tennessee and Knoxville:

 

UTK is the state’s public flagship university and a campus of choice for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. As a land-grant university, it is committed to excellence in scholarship, learning, and service and aims to enrich and elevate society. The Herbert College of Agriculture (HCA), which currently enrolls ~1500 undergraduate majors across eight academic departments, educates and prepares students for leading personally satisfying lives as productive members of society with emphasis on careers in the agricultural, environmental