Assistant Professor of Teaching in Neuroscience in the UCLA Department of Psychology and Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program

The UCLA Department of Psychology and the UCLA Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program invite applications for a full-time Assistant Professor of Teaching who will develop and teach courses in Behavioral, Cellular, and Molecular Neuroscience. The faculty member hired from this search will have a 50% appointment in the Department of Psychology and a 50% appointment with the Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, with the Department of Psychology serving as the primary department. We seek applicants with experience employing innovative methods in the classroom and in teaching laboratory and upper-division lecture courses. In addition, the successful candidate is expected to engage in scholarly activities (e.g., contribute to research on pedagogy or contribute to research in another area with the support of undergraduate students; develop, evaluate, and disseminate innovative teaching approaches).

The Assistant Professor of Teaching position is a full-time faculty position with potential security of employment akin to tenure. Those in the Professor of Teaching series are Academic Senate faculty members whose expertise and responsibilities center on undergraduate education and scholarly analysis/improvement of teaching methods. Faculty in the Professor of Teaching series are evaluated on their (1) teaching excellence, (2) professional and/or scholarly achievement and activity, and (3) university and public service. Potential applicants who have questions about the position can contact Profs. Barbara Knowlton or Stephanie White, search committee co-chairs, at SearchCommittee@psych.ucla.edu.

The UCLA Department of Psychology and the UCLA Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program are located within the Division of Life Sciences, which is part of the College of Letters and Science. The search is geared toward candidates who share our belief that, as professors at a leading public university, we strive for inclusive excellence in teaching, service, research, and engagement with our academic community. We are eager to welcome an outstanding scholar and mentor who will create opportunities that will deepen and enrich understanding of psychological principles and perspectives for our students, while also contributing to the collaborative and supportive environment that characterizes our department and program. We are also interested in applicants who will advance UCLA's mission.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, or a related field. The degree must be finalized by January 1, 2027. This is an Assistant Professor of Teaching position; please do not apply if you are an Associate Professor or higher (or if you are undergoing review for tenure at your university, or anticipate a tenure review during our application process) as your application will not be considered. Applicants should demonstrate a record of teaching excellence in courses relevant to Behavioral, Cellular, and Molecular Neuroscience and the potential to contribute to the mentoring and service missions of the department, program, and university, particularly in regard to improving the quality of instruction. Applicants with experience mentoring and teaching students from groups affected by disparities in educational access are strongly encouraged to apply.

We seek applications from individuals with a demonstrated commitment to ensuring equal access to the benefits of their teaching and supporting the full participation of all students through consideration and appreciation of differences. The successful candidate will help foster authentic engagement and belonging within our diverse community. UCLA has scaled multiple initiatives such as Rising to the Challenge, Hispanic-Serving Institution initiative, and Native American/Pacific Islander Bruins Rising to promote inclusive excellence. UCLA is home to a diverse student body of approximately 47,000 undergraduate and graduate students and is ranked among the top national universities for social mobility. UCLA has programs to assist in partner employment, child care, schooling, and other family concerns. For additional information, visit the UCLA Academic Affairs and Personnel Office website or the UC Office of the President's website.

To ensure full consideration, the online application must be completed and submitted by November 9, 2026. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, contact information for three recommenders, a statement focused on UCLA's mission of no more than three pages, a statement of teaching philosophy of no more than three pages, a statement on the applicant's vision for scholarly activities of no more than three pages, and a teaching portfolio that includes syllabi, evaluations, and instructional materials used in courses previously taught. Letters of recommendation will be requested at a later date from applicants who progress to a later stage of review. To learn about the required UCLA mission statement, please see the job posting.

The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See Table 1. The salary range for this position is $84,100-$108,900. "Off-scale salaries", i.e. a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Apply at the following website: UCLA Recruit

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, bullying and other demeaning behavior, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment as well as a commitment to addressing all forms of academic misconduct, UCLA conducts targeted employment reference checks for finalists to whom departments or other hiring units would like to extend formal offers of appointment into Academic Senate faculty positions. The targeted employment reference checks involve contacting the finalists' current and prior places of employment to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University's Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UCLA requires all applicants for Academic Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled "Authorization to Release Information" into RECRUIT as part of their application. If the applicant does not include the signed authorization to release information with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete. As with any incomplete application, the application will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists (i.e., those to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer) considered for Academic Senate faculty positions will be subject to targeted employment reference checks.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, or a related field. The degree must be finalized by January 1, 2027.

• 3 required (contact information only)

Include contact information for three recommenders. Letters of recommendation will be requested at a later date from applicants who progress to a later stage of review.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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  UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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  UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment