The Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on the main College Station campus of Texas A&M University invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor with research (60%), teaching (30%), and service (10%) responsibilities. The expected start date is August 15, 2027. Applicants will be considered for the faculty title of Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology (https://plantpathology.tamu.edu/). The successful candidate will be offered a competitive salary, startup package, and laboratory space in the Plant Pathology and Microbiology building. These facilities include state-of-the-art growth chambers and greenhouses, together with core facilities for Microscopy and Imaging, Genomics and Sequencing, High-Performance Research Computing, the Center for Structural Biology, the Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, and the Protein Chemistry Laboratory. Texas A&M University has historically had a strength in fungal biology. This position is aimed at continuing this excellence.

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate is expected to develop and lead an independent, high-impact, extramurally funded, and internationally recognized research program in fungal biology of plant and plant-associated systems. Candidates studying fungi as pathogens, mutualists, endophytes, saprotrophs, or members of the broader plant and soil mycobiome are encouraged to apply, provided the work connects to plant health or plant processes. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, fungal pathogenesis and the molecular basis of fungal-plant interactions; plant immune and physiological responses to fungi and the mechanisms governing disease, resistance, or symbiosis; the structure, function, and assembly of plant, rhizosphere, and soil mycobiomes; population, evolutionary, and comparative genomics of fungi and their hosts; fundamental fungal biology, including genetics, development, physiology, cell biology, and metabolism; fungal biotechnology within the scope of fungal–plant interactions, including natural products, enzymes, synthetic biology, and biological control or biostimulant applications; and detection, diagnostics, and surveillance of fungi relevant to plant and agricultural systems. Research on soil-associated fungi is encouraged where it intersects with plant health or plant processes, such as the rhizosphere, nutrient acquisition, plant–microbe feedbacks, or microbiome-mediated plant performance.

Responsibilities will also include teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in the candidate’s area of expertise which may include mycology, fungal biology, plant pathology, plant-microbe interactions, or microbiology, chairing and serving on graduate committees. Candidates are also expected to provide service to the department, university, and scientific community. Opportunities to collaborate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension are available and encouraged. The Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology hosts an undergraduate program in Bioenvironmental Sciences and graduate programs in Plant Pathology.

RESOURCES:

Texas A&M University is a public, land-grant institution with many high-quality academic units conducting research across agriculture and the life sciences, and it promotes multiscale, interdisciplinary research spanning foundational knowledge and application. In addition to departments, the university hosts interdisciplinary graduate programs including Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Genetics and Genomics, and Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences. The campus offers excellent core facilities (https://vpr.tamu.edu/research-support/core-facilities/) supporting protein and nucleic-acid technologies, high- and super-resolution fluorescence imaging, high-performance computing, and plant growth and transformation, among others. Relevant centers and cores include the AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, the High-throughput Automated Plant Genotyping Greenhouses, the Experimental Genomics Core Facility, the High-Performance Research Computing facility, the Microscopy and Imaging Center, and the Integrated Metabolomics Analysis Core.

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY:

The University is in College Station, which together with the twin city of Bryan forms a metropolitan community of approximately 275,000 people with high-quality amenities and a low cost of living. In addition to excellent health, education, and recreational services, the community offers a rich variety of cultural activities typical of a major university environment, including sports, museums, music, art, and theater. The College Station–Bryan area is also centrally located among Texas’ major metropolitan areas, including Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.

A Ph.D. or equivalent degree in plant pathology, mycology, microbiology, or a related area including but not limited to molecular biology, genetics, genomics, cell biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, or computational biology is required by the time of appointment. Candidates with postdoctoral research experience are preferred. Evidence of the potential to develop an outstanding, extramurally funded research program and indications of strong mentorship and teaching skills are required. Prior experience with grantsmanship, teaching, and mentorship is desirable. 

Applicants must submit application through Interfolio, which will serve as the employment application. In addition, (1) a cover letter with a statement of the applicant’s interest and suitability for the position; (2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae; (3) a three-page personal statement that includes philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service, and (4) contact information for three individuals who can provide a critical evaluation of the applicant’s qualifications.

Applications will be accepted at apply.interfolio.com/190376. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Questions may be addressed to the search committee chair Dr. Sanjay Antony-Babu, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (sanjay@tamu.edu).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement