New Faculty Position Available:  Behavior

Job Advertisement (due to appear in Science in September 2003):

The University of Akron Department of Biology invites applications for the Leuchtag Endowed Chair, a tenure track position in BEHAVIOR at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin August 23, 2004.  Applicants with research and teaching experience in any area of behavior (broadly defined) are encouraged to apply, and we are especially interested in applicants who will contribute to our growing emphasis on Integrative Biology.  Significant set-up funds are available. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree, and post-doctoral experience is preferred.   Successful candidates will be expected to develop an externally funded research program in their area of expertise, advise graduate students, and contribute to the undergraduate and graduate curricula.   The University of Akron is one of the largest state universities in Ohio with over 24,000 students. For further information visit the department's website at http://www.uakron.edu/biology/. Review of applications will begin November  17, 2003.  Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a summary of teaching interests, a research statement, copies of recent publications, and three letters of recommendation to: Chair, Behavior Search Committee, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908. The University of Akron is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified women, minorities, Vietnam-era veterans, disabled veterans, and the disabled are encouraged to apply.

 

Note: Please do not submit application or supporting materials electronically. No such material will be considered.

 

 

 

Further information about the Department of Biology

The Biology department is currently expanding and improving our research efforts, and results are beginning to show. During the last 8 years have hired 9 new faculty, and in the last two years our faculty published over 38 peer-reviewed papers. We currently hold grants from NIH, NSF, EPA, and AHA (total of 25) that total over $600,000 per year. Although we encourage all faculty to seek external funding (>20 grants submitted in 2002), substantial internal funding opportunities are also available (>$70,000 in internal grants came to the dept. in 2002). 

The biology department maintains several facilities and pieces of major equipment for common use. Our state-of-the-art animal care facility (Biology Resource Center or BRC) has 23 live-animal rooms, a surgical suite (with recovery and preparatory rooms), and 9 research rooms. The animal rooms have user controlled temperature and light cycle capabilities. There is also an animal observation suite for undisturbed monitoring of behavior. The BRC currently houses rats, mice, freshwater fish, sharks, fence lizards, freshwater shrimp, snakes, iguanas, toads, and tortoises.

 

Our undergraduate program is home to approximately 700-800 majors, producing about 18,000 to 20,000 credit hours/year.  We also have a vigorous M.S.-granting graduate program (~30 students) and are actively seeking to establish a Ph.D. program.  Teaching load depends upon research productivity; most of our junior faculty teach two courses during the academic year, with one of those courses including a lab. Unfunded researchers teach more.

 

Further Information about the Leuchtag Chair

The Dr. Harry A. Leuchtag Endowed Fund was established through an unrestricted gift to The University of Akron Foundation from the estate of Dr. Harry A. Leuchtag. This gift provides most of the salary money necessary to allow the Department of Biology to hire a new faculty member in the important area of Behavior. Neither the Endowment Fund nor the Department has placed any restrictions on the specific field of behavior.

 

Dr. Leuchtag was a retired urologist who spent his entire career in the Akron/Cuyahoga Falls area. Born on October 18, 1906 in Cleveland, he began his studies at Ohio State University when he was 16 years of age. He first majored in accounting, and then changed to pre-medicine. He completed his medical studies in 1932 and in 1934, and completed a residency at Mount Caramel Medical Center in Columbus. His medical career spanned 46 years, including five years at the Army Medical Core (stationed in New Guinea, Philippine Islands, Okinawa and Korea) and 18 years in general practice. When Dr. Leuchtag was in his 40’s, he returned to medical school to specialize in urology and served in that field for 25 years. He was a member of the American medical association, the Ohio State Medical Association, American Red Cross, and the Fairlawn Garden Club. Dr. Leuchtag retired from practice in 1979.

Dr. Leuchtag was generous in supporting the University; a previous gift was designated to purchase lab equipment for the Biology Department.

Dr. Leuchtag placed no restrictions on the area of interest for this endowed chair.

 

The University of Akron is located near downtown Akron, a mid-sized city of around 250,000 residents and is about 30 miles south of Cleveland Ohio. The Akron area is a pleasant place to live, with many cultural and recreational activities in the region, including Blossom music center (summer home of the internationally renowned Cleveland Symphony Orchestra). Akron itself is home to the Ohio Ballet, and the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Akron is also is at the southern edge of the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which provides abundant opportunities for hiking, biking, skiing, and other activities.

The University of Akron information:

Local information:

 Last updated 09/16/2003

Contact: Randall Mitchell