Head of the Department of Biological Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
4400 5th Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
The Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University seeks an accomplished scientist to head the Department of Biological Sciences. The head will be invested with a newly-endowed chair for Biological Sciences and oversee a significant improvement in research space with the opening of the Richard King Mellon Hall of Science in 2027. The candidate will facilitate and increase the footprint of life sciences across the university, leveraging the highly collaborative environment at Carnegie Mellon and local expertise in computational biology and engineering, to support interdisciplinary research and conduct breakthrough discoveries in fundamental science.
The Department of Biological Sciences is one of four departments in the Mellon College of Sciences. It is home to 20 internationally-recognized tenure-track faculty, with a focus on molecular and cellular biology, neuroscience, microbiology, as well as evolutionary and developmental biology. The tenure-track faculty includes a dynamic group of assistant professors hired in the past 5 years who have already been successful in obtaining external funding. The department has an engaged and collegial community, including 60-70 graduate students, 6 staff members, with 10 postdoctoral fellows and associated research scientists. The department also includes 16 teaching-track faculty located in Pittsburgh and in our Qatar campus. Both faculty and staff are dedicated to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education including a PhD program and master’s programs in Computational Biology, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, and Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering.
CMU and the department have a long and notable history of innovation and technology development. Faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences have developed new methods for biological imaging, microscopy, molecular visualization, and cell tracking. Currently, faculty in the department hold approximately $7 million in grants annually, of which 70% are supported by the NIH. The scientific environment in Pittsburgh is vibrant and collaborative, with many faculty holding secondary appointments both at CMU and the University of Pittsburgh, where they share graduate students and both internal and external grants.
Distinguished candidates with demonstrated excellence in biological research, administration, and teaching are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must possess a doctoral degree with training in a field of Biological Sciences complementary to our department research areas, and qualifications warranting an appointment as Full Professor, including a strong record of research, leadership, and mentorship.
Nomination and Application Procedures:
Interested candidates are invited to apply with a cover letter, CV, and through the CMU Workday application portal: https://apply.interfolio.com/174916.
Contact: Ferra Executive Search has been retained to manage the search. If you have any inquiries or nominations, please send an email to:
Kevin Ferra, Founding Partner
Ferra Executive Search
kevin@ferrasearch.com
Please use ‘Department of Biological Sciences’ as the subject line when you contact Kevin.
Review of applications will be ongoing, starting December 1st
Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition, family status, marital status, parental status, religion, ancestry, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws or executive orders. The university’s Discriminatory and Sexual Misconduct Policy contains grievance procedures that provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of Complaints alleging any action which would be prohibited by this Policy. Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the Office for Institutional Equity and Title IX, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-7125.
