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Department Head

     The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at James Madison University invites applications for a Department Head at the rank of Associate or Full Professor to lead a vibrant department that is dedicated to undergraduate teaching and research and is in the midst of an exciting period of growth and change. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Chemistry or a related field, a strong scholarly record and a commitment to excellence in teaching. The successful applicant will maintain an active research program, teach lower and upper division undergraduate chemistry courses, and work with faculty, staff and administration to achieve departmental goals. A competitive start-up package will be provided in support of this individual’s continued research productivity.

    In addition to the qualities and activities described above, the successful applicant will: 

  • Possess excellent interpersonal skills and inclusive leadership style
  • Encourage teamwork and collegiality
  • Build consensus in the department
  • Communicate effectively with all department faculty and staff and university administration
  • Advocate effectively for the interests and needs of the department’s faculty, staff and students
  • Help guide new faculty as they establish themselves in the department and in the chemistry community
  • Recognize and capitalize on the strengths and interests of the faculty and staff
  • Foster collaborations both within the department and with other departments / universities
  • Respond to changes in chemistry and related fields
  • Provide leadership in curriculum development
  • Respond to changes in undergraduate enrollments
  • Work with faculty to shape and implement the department’s 5-year plan for continuing on the upward trajectory supported by a recently completed Research Corporation departmental development grant.

     See http://www.jmu.edu/chemistry/jobs.shtml for a complete job description. Applications and should be submitted via http://joblink.jmu.edu. Review of applications will begin on November 26, 2012.

 

     The chemistry department is housed in a state-of-the-art building completed in 2005 containing approximately $7 million of modern instrumentation including three Bruker NMR spectrometers (300, 400 and 600 MHz), three Agilent LC/MS spectrometers, a JEOL TOF Mass spectrometer, three Veeco SPMs, a PANalytical X-ray Diffractometer, a nuclear chemistry lab and a laser lab. The Department owns instrumentation suitable for production, purification, and characterization of biological macromolecules. Visit our website for a complete listing of the department's major instrument holdings.

     James Madison University is a primarily undergraduate institution. The Chemistry Department at James Madison University currently serves over 200 undergraduate majors. Faculty and staff include 20 full-time faculty, several part-time instructors, 3 instrument scientists, and 4 staff members. It offers a wide variety of courses for chemistry majors, science majors, general education and pre-health professional majors. The department offers an ACS certified degree with tracks in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical education and materials chemistry and a BS in biophysical chemistry. A general BS degree and a chemistry / business degree are also offered. The research activities of the tenure-track faculty members in the department span all traditional disciplines. There is a strong interest in strengthening existing connections with programs in biology, materials science and environmental science. Faculty and students are engaged in a variety of externally funded research programs, with about 60 undergraduate student researchers mentored during the academic year and summer.

     James Madison University is a comprehensive co-educational institution of higher learning in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with approximately 20,000 students on a campus of 712 acres. The University offers 69 undergraduate degree programs, 31 Masters, 2 Educational Specialist and 7 Doctoral programs. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry awards degrees at the bachelors level only.

     JMU is located in the city of Harrisonburg in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It is a 1-hour drive from Charlottesville and a 2-hour drive from Richmond and Washington, DC. The area affords many opportunities for outdoor recreation, with the George Washington National Forest and the Shenandoah National Park located nearby in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains.

     JMU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action/equal access employer and especially encourages applications from minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.