Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
The Neuroscience Program at St. Mary's College of Maryland is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, beginning August 2026. Specifically, we seek applicants who use rodent models in research within any area of behavioral neuroscience or related fields, and who can develop and sustain an active research program that engages undergraduates. Teaching responsibilities include Introduction to Neuroscience and Introduction to Neuroscience laboratory, as well as Topics in Neuroscience courses and laboratory elective courses in the applicant's area of expertise. All professors at St. Mary's are expected to contribute to the college-wide LEAD (general education) curriculum, such as LEAD first-year seminars. Additionally, the successful hire will teach in the Neuroscience program's curriculum, including Introduction to Neuroscience and its associated laboratory, Topics in Neuroscience, upper-level laboratory courses in the hire's area of experience, and mentoring senior honors projects. The Neuroscience faculty are committed to creating a respectful community of educators and scholars and seek colleagues who are eager to nurture and support growth of students, staff, and faculty representative of the diversity of Maryland.
Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience or related field and be committed to excellence in undergraduate teaching. Postdoctoral training and/or teaching experience preferred. The salary range for this position is $76,000 - $82,000 based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.
The College has excellent infrastructure for rodent research in its Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory with dedicated support staff. The lab is equipped with a range of equipment for behavioral testing, such as activity boxes, rotarod, operant chambers, open field arenas, light/dark boxes, conditioned place preference boxes, and a Morris water maze. For molecular work, we have access to a -80°C freezer, a cryostat, and microscopes capable of brightfield and epifluorescence imaging.
Non-sectarian since its founding, St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public liberal arts institution located in St. Mary's City, 70 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. It holds the distinction of being Maryland's public honors college and is classified as a Carnegie Baccalaureate Arts and Sciences institution. With selective admissions policies, academically talented students, and a rigorous curriculum, we offer a small college experience similar to that found at exceptional private colleges. St. Mary's faculty benefit from a comprehensive program of support for scholarship, research, travel, and curriculum development, including start-up funds and course releases for pre-tenure faculty and leaves for tenured faculty. The quality of life is enhanced by the recreational opportunities of the Chesapeake region and by our proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.
St. Mary's College of Maryland embodies diversity and inclusion in its mission. We create an environment that recognizes the value of individual and group differences and we encourage inquiries from applicants who will contribute to our cultural and ethnic diversity. Application materials should include cover letter (within the cover letter, applicants are requested to speak to ways in which their teaching will contribute to a culture of inclusion and campus diversity), curriculum vitae (include e-mail address), statement of teaching philosophy, statement of research interests, and evidence of teaching effectiveness (if available). In support of inclusive hiring practices, for all SMCM faculty searches, the College will also request three professional references (rather than letters of recommendation) at the time of application. Of these three references, at least one referee should speak to the candidate's disciplinary expertise and at least one should have seen the candidate deliver or design classroom instruction. References will be contacted only for candidates who advance to finalist interviews. Applications are being accepted online at: apply.interfolio.com/170643. Questions may be directed to Dr. Elizabeth Leininger at 240-895-2004.
Review of applications will begin on Friday, September 12, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. St. Mary's College of Maryland is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
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Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.