Open Rank, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty Position in Environmental Fate and Effects of Microplastics

Posting Details

Position Details

Title

Open Rank, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty Position in Environmental
Fate and Effects of Microplastics

Appointment Status

Tenure Track

Department

IU Bloomington Vice Provost For Faculty Affairs

Location

Bloomington

Position Summary

The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana
University Bloomington ( IUB ) invites applications for a
tenured/tenure-track faculty position in environmental science
focused on the biological, physiological, and ecological
processes governing the fate, transformation, transport, and
effects of microplastics in the environment .

As a part of the Faculty 100
strategic hiring initiative , IUB seeks a scholar whose
research connects processes across earth systems and biological
scales—from microbial communities and organisms to terrestrial and
aquatic food webs and ecosystems. Research areas may include
microbial colonization, biotransformation, and biodegradation of
microplastics; biologically mediated transport and accumulation in
organisms and food webs; microplastic-facilitated transport of
pathogens or other biological agents; food-web transfer; and
organismal, community, food web, or ecosystem-level
consequences . We particularly welcome research that uses
microplastics to address broader fundamental questions in
environmental microbiology, ecology, biogeochemistry, contaminant
fate, or environmental health. The candidate will complement
O’Neill’s strengths in environmental chemistry, toxicology, risk
assessment, ecology, and sustainability science while creating new
opportunities for collaboration across Indiana University.

Qualifications: Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in
environmental science, environmental engineering, biology, or a
related discipline by the time of appointment. Candidates should
demonstrate a record of publications and professional achievements
commensurate with appointment at the assistant professor rank;
postdoctoral experience is preferred.

We anticipate hiring at the assistant professor rank but will also
consider exceptional candidates at senior ranks. The successful
applicant should conduct lab and/or field research that integrates
across scales to understand how biological interactions and
processes influence microplastic persistence, movement, and
ecological consequences for organism well-being.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will establish
and maintain a rigorous, externally funded research program with
national and international recognition; teach undergraduate and
graduate courses; mentor students; contribute service to the
O’Neill School and Indiana University. Institutional support will
provide adequate startup funding and space to establish a
successful research program.

We strongly encourage applicants whose work demonstrates interest
in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration. All O’Neill
faculty members are expected to engage with our diverse community
of students and colleagues. We are especially interested in
candidates with a record of effective teaching and mentoring of
students from varied backgrounds.

Application procedure : To ensure full consideration,
application materials must be received by December 14, 2026.
However, the search will continue until the position is filled.
Please submit the following materials via the online system:

• cover letter
• curriculum vitae
• statement on research and teaching
• copies of up to three publications
• names of three references who could provide letters of

recommendation upon request.

Applications should be submitted via:

https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/34712

For more information, please contact the search committee chair
Marta Venier ( mvenier@iu.edu ) or F100 search
coordinator, Cindy Broderick ( faculty1@iu.edu ).

Preferred start date is August 1, 2027 or January 1, 2028.

Before a conditional offer of employment with tenure is finalized,
candidates will be asked to disclose any pending investigations or
previous findings of sexual or professional misconduct. Candidates
will also be required to authorize Indiana University Bloomington
to inquire with current and former employers regarding such
matters. The relevance of information disclosed or obtained during
this process to a candidate’s eligibility for hire will be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Indiana University Bloomington
takes matters of sexual and professional misconduct very
seriously.

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and
provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in
hiring.
See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here
which includes contact information.

About Indiana University Bloomington and the O’Neill School
:

Founded in 1820, Indiana
University-Bloomington ( IUB ) is the flagship campus of
Indiana University. Located in Bloomington, IN., IUB constantly
strives to embody its mission to create, disseminate, preserve, and
apply knowledge. It does so through its commitments to cutting-edge
research, scholarship, arts, and creative activity; inspired and
challenging undergraduate, graduate, professional, and lifelong
educational programs; meaningful experiences outside the classroom;
expansive global educational opportunities; first-rate library and
museum collections; and far-reaching economic development and
impact in the state and region.

IUB is a member of the prestigious Association of American
Universities ( AAU ) since 1909, is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central
Association. With over 47,000 undergraduate and graduate students,
the campus has 16 degree-granting colleges and schools offering
300+ undergraduate majors, 300+ Master’s degrees, and 150+ doctoral
and professional degree opportunities. Known for its Indiana
limestone facades and green spaces throughout, IUB is widely
considered one of the country’s most beautiful college
campuses.

The O’Neill School of
Public and Environmental Affairs offers abundant
opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration within the
school and across campus, including with the Departments of
Chemistry ,
Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences , Biology , and Geography ; the
School of
Public Health ; and the Luddy School of
Informatics, Computing, and Engineering . Faculty also have
exceptional access to world-class supercomputing resources ,
state-of-the-art analytical facilities—including the Center for Genomics and
Bioinformatics , Flow Cytometry Core
Facility , and Light
Microscopy Imaging Center —and distinctive field
opportunities through the Indiana
University Research and Teaching Preserve .

The O’Neill School is among the largest schools of public affairs
and environmental science in the United States, with more than
34,000 alumni worldwide. Indiana University Bloomington is a major
research university founded in 1820 and enrolls more than 38,000
undergraduate and 10,000 graduate and professional students.
Bloomington is a diverse community in the wooded hills of southern
Indiana, approximately one hour from Indianapolis and four hours
from Chicago, offering cultural and recreational opportunities,
comparatively affordable housing, and excellent schools.

Basic Qualifications

Qualifications: Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in
environmental science, environmental engineering, biology, or a
related discipline by the time of appointment. Candidates should
demonstrate a record of publications and professional achievements
commensurate with appointment at the assistant professor rank;
postdoctoral experience is preferred.

We anticipate hiring at the assistant professor rank but will also
consider exceptional candidates at senior ranks. The successful
applicant should conduct lab and/or field research that integrates
across scales to understand how biological interactions and
processes influence microplastic persistence, movement, and
ecological consequences for organism well-being.

Department Contact for Questions

For more information, please contact the search committee chair
Marta Venier ( mvenier@iu.edu ) or F100 search
coordinator, Cindy Broderick ( faculty1@iu.edu ).

Additional Qualifications

Salary and Rank

Commensurate with experience

Special Instructions

For Best Consideration Date

12/14/2026

Expected Start Date

08/01/2027

Posting Number

IU-101773-2026