Job Details

Tenure Track (Open Rank) Professor Aquatic Ecotoxicology

The University of Southern Mississippi is currently accepting applications for the position of Tenure Track (Open Rank) Professor Aquatic Ecotoxicology.

The Division of Coastal Sciences (COA) in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) invites qualified applicants for a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track faculty position in Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level, to begin in Fall 2026.

We seek a scientist with a focus on aquatic ecotoxicology who investigates questions related to organismal responses to current and future anthropogenic stressors and contaminants. Potential areas of research include but are not limited to molecular, biochemical, and organismal responses to contaminants (e.g., metals, pesticides, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, and/or emerging contaminants); mechanisms of toxicity; and multi-stressor experimental research. The successful candidate will be expected to use a custom-built, state-of-the-art 11,000 ft2 biosafety level 2 toxicology facility. This facility contains two aquatic exposure chambers and is supported by an in-house aquaculture lab, molecular biology lab, and instrumentation lab. It is capable of precise flow-through control of a wide range of environmental variables and toxins. Additional information on the facility can be found at

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

1. Develop a strong, nationally recognized and externally funded research program;
2. Publish in peer-reviewed literature;
3. Mentor graduate students and undergraduate students;
4. Deliver engaging instruction, contributing to the educational mission of COA and SOSE by developing and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses related to aquatic ecotoxicology and broader coastal/marine sciences;
5. Engage in service activates to COA, SOSE, and USM;
6. Foster collaborations across USM's diverse academic units.

Additional Information: SOSE offers graduate (M.S. and Ph.D.) and undergraduate degree programs in Coastal Sciences, Marine Science, Hydrographic Science, Marine Biology, and Ocean Engineering, and a certificate program in Uncrewed Maritime Systems. The faculty and staff of SOSE leverage its location on the Gulf Coast and expertise in marine and coastal science, engineering, and policy to address challenges facing coastal and marine environments regionally, nationally, and internationally. SOSE has significant research infrastructure and facilities across four principal sites spanning the Mississippi Gulf Coast: the NASA Stennis Space Center, the Gulf Park Campus at Long Beach, the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise at the Port of Gulfport and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. This position will be located in Ocean Springs at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, a marine laboratory featuring comprehensive research programs in coastal and marine biological sciences. Research program support includes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and instrumentation; a fleet of small and large research vessels; the GCRL Museum collection; facilities at the Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) and Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC); and the NSF I/UCRC Science Center for Marine Fisheries. Ocean Springs is known for its beauty, natural resources, and arts community. It is home to galleries, restaurants, and schools that are ranked among the best in the state.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience in a relevant discipline.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Collaboration: the ability to effectively and efficiently collaborate with others in a group
• Engagement: takes initiative to be proactive and responsive in communicating with the university community and participating in school, college, university research and service.
• Intelligent risk-taking/Problem Solving: the ability to weigh potential benefits and disadvantages of exercising ones choice or action to assume calculated risks; the ability to determine the cause of a problem by identifying prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution and then implementing a solution.
• Flexibility: the willingness to change or compromise according to the situation
• Professional Commitment: the desire to stay current by acquiring new knowledge and seeking explanations- even when the applications for that new learning are not immediately apparent; the ability and desire to continually improve their mastery of discipline/Academic field, their excellence in pedagogy, and their active participation in the universitys mission.
• Academic Perseverance: the drive to persist based on the belief that projects will result in better learning for students and improvements beyond ones own institution; the drive to engage in goal directed behavior in order to see projects through from implementation to completion.
• Enterprising: the ability to initiate and leverage available resources to further a goal.
• Leadership: the ability to motivate or persuade others to act to achieve a goal by communicating a vision, communicating and supporting the vision of the organization, and inspiring trust; the ability to lead students through mentoring and pedagogically sound educational experiences.
• Communication: the ability to convey information in numerous ways at different levels such that it is understood by different audiences (students, colleagues, stakeholders, general public) and delivered in a sensitive and inclusive manner.
• Technology Proficiency: the ability to use technology to communicate effectively and professionally, organize information, produce high-quality products, and enhance thinking skills; the desire and ability to achieve proficiency in technological tools and devices through experience and instruction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Publication in peer-reviewed literature and a record of scholarship, service, and grant development appropriate for the applicant's rank.

About The University of Southern Mississippi

Since our founding in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi has remained dedicated to preparing students for success. We deliver programs to more than 13,000 students in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as online. We are a community-engaged Carnegie R1 university, earning distinction as one of the nation's leading research institutions.

Southern Miss is known for pioneering work in polymer science, ocean science, spectator sports safety and security, and bringing language to children with communication disorders. We are also a national leader in a broad range of disciplines, including cybersecurity, hydrography, nutrition, aquaculture, kinesiology, and economic development, among others.

We produce graduates ready to enter fields that are leading the way in emerging technologies through programs such as computer engineering, information technology, and ocean engineering. We're developing the next generation of business leaders, while also responding to critical workforce shortages by producing skilled professionals in education and nursing. With a tradition of excellence in the arts, we are one of only 36 public institutions in the nation accredited in four major areas of the arts. Home to the Golden Eagles, our student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division I sports. With a culture marked by passion and persistence, Southern Miss is delivering graduates who are ready for life.

The University of Southern Mississippi is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. EOE/VETS/DISABILITY.