Open Positions

Jobs in Botany and Plant Pathology

Staff, faculty, and student employment opportunities will be listed here.

For open postdoctoral positions, click here to visit the OSU Graduate School listing.

(Last modified 3/06/2024)

Student Employment

BPP Lab Assistant - Stamms/LeBoldus

This recruitment will be used to fill two Lab Assistant position for Botany and Plant Pathology (BPP) at Oregon State University (OSU).

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology LeBoldus laboratory is seeking dependable students to work as laboratory assistant.

Duties include dishwashing, preparing media for culturing, and general lab upkeep. The student will also maintain plants growing in growth chambers and greenhouses, and may assist lab personnel with research projects, depending on the students’ ability to meet/exceed the expectations of this position.

The successful applicants must be able to follow instructions, be comfortable with basic chemistry (calculating molarity, dilutions, and converting between units) and be willing to commit at least 10-15 hours (max. 24 hours) a week during the 9 month academic year and up to 40 hours a week during the summer. This position includes some weekend watering duties.

Responsibilities:

  • 80% Basic Laboratory Duties, including:

    • Dishwashing

    • Stocking/maintenance of laboratory supplies

    • Making solutions and media

    • General laboratory upkeep

  • 10% Maintenance of plants in growth chambers and greenhouses

  • 10% Molecular Biology – DNA extraction, PCR, cloning

Requirements:

  • Must be academically enrolled in a high school, community college, or university and pursuing a program or course of study
  • Must meet Academic Standing Requirements; students on academic suspension are not eligible for employment
  • Must meet the applicable minimal enrollment standard
    • High School student: Regularly enrolled in a high school or participating in a home-schooling program
    • Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate student: 6 credit hours per term
    • Undergraduate international student: 12 credit hours per term*
    • Graduate student officially admitted to Graduate School: 5 credit hours per term
    • Graduate international student officially admitted to Graduate School: 9 credit hours per term*

Additional Requirements:

  • Undergraduate student majoring in Botany, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology or closely related subject
  • Ability to follow written and/or verbal instructions
  • Familiarity with basic chemistry (molarity, dilutions, unit conversion, etc.)
  • Ability to work independently after receiving training

This position requires driving a University vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the University; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Motor Vehicle History Check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions (as per Voluntary and Compulsory Driver Standards OSU Standard 125-155-0200) as per OSU Standard 576-056-0000 et seq.

Preferred:

  • Well-organized and attentive to detail. Strong work ethic.
  • Demonstrated excellence in academic coursework.

Anticipated to begin on April 24th, 2024.

Closing on March 31th, 2024.

More Info

 


Faculty/Staff Employment

Advisor

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is seeking an Advisor. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position.

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology (BPP) mission is to advance society’s understanding of plants and plant-associated organisms through teaching, research, and extension. This person will advise students in our on-campus and Ecampus undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Botany; teach one course per year in the botany program; and provide departmental service consistent with the position.

Oregon State University is committed to maintaining and enhancing its collaborative and inclusive community that strives for equity and equal opportunity. All faculty members are responsible for helping to ensure that these goals are achieved. Positions with primary responsibility for extension and outreach are likewise committed to learner success through programming appropriate for diverse audience. Faculty members are expected to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Responsibilities:

  • 80% Advising:

    • Advise Botany on-campus and Ecampus students in person and through email, zoom and other appropriate remote technologies. Communicate frequently with students to ensure that they are aware of Botany and OSU degree requirements, and departmental and university resources. Assist students with scheduling of classes to promote progress towards degree. Certify degree completion of requirements for graduation.

  • 10% Teaching:

    • Develop and deliver undergraduate Botany courses as assigned by the Department Head, up to one for-credit course per year.

  • 10% Service:

    • University service includes serving on departmental, interdepartmental, program, college, and university committees. Professional service includes, but is not limited to, reviewing manuscripts for journals and other scientific publications and proposals for funding agencies, and involvement in professional organizations.

Requirements:

  • B.S. degree in Counseling, Education, Psychology, Botany, Plant Sciences, or related field of Life Sciences.

  • Demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

    This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

Preferred:

  • M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Counseling, Education, Psychology, Botany, Plant Sciences, or related field of Life Sciences.

Anticipated to begin on May 1st, 2024.

Closing on March 31th, 2024.

More Info

 


Temporary Biological Sciences Research Technician 1

This recruitment will be used to fill one full-time Temporary Biological Sciences Research Technician 1 position for the Department of Ag Botany & Plant Pathology at Oregon State University (OSU).

This position will be located in Brookings, Oregon.
The incumbent(s) will be a member of a crew collecting vertebrate and invertebrate data to evaluate the impact of the invasive forest pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, the cause of sudden oak death, on the mixed-conifer forest ecosystems of southwestern Oregon. Incumbent(s) will deploy autonomous recording units (ARUs), camera traps (baited and un-baited), and bee boxes to survey mammal, songbird, and pollinator communities at established long term monitoring plots. Incumbent(s) will also gain experience with carnivore scat collection, sample processing, data entry, data management, and data processing.

Incumbent(s) will be stationed in Brookings, Oregon and conduct field work and data collection in the surrounding area independently or in small teams (2-3 people) under the direction of a PhD student or postdoc. Shared housing is provided as a condition of employment (no dogs allowed).

Responsibilities:

  • 75% Deployment, maintenance, and retrieval of equipment in the permanent plot network and sample collection. Includes hiking off road and off trails in steep, rough, uneven, unstable terrain to plots and navigating using a GPS unit (or map and compass)

  • 10% Data management, data entry, and data quality assessment and quality control

  • 10% Data processing (noise analysis on acoustic recordings, data validation of AI identified species)

  • 5% Sample processing (lab work)

Requirements:

  • Two years of college-level courses in (specific field of biological science); OR an equivalent combination of training and experience.
  • Experience collecting field data at remote study sites

  • Experience navigating in forest ecosystems using a GPS and compass

  • Ability to hike > 5 miles per workday on steep terrain carrying a 50lb backpack

  • Ability to follow established protocols and make independent decisions regarding protocols and procedures in the field

  • Ability to learn and identify southwestern Oregon vertebrate species

  • Commitment to safety, quality of work, and professionalism

    This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030

Preferred:

  • 2 years of college coursework in wildlife biology, natural resources, or related field or equivalent combination of training and experience

  • Proficiency with identification of flora and fauna of the southwestern Oregon coast range

  • Proficiency working with computers and troubleshooting skills

  • Proficiency collecting field data using ArcGIS, Collector, Survey123, and/or FieldMaps

  • CPR/First Aid/Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder

  • Self-motivated and capable of working independently

  • A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity

Anticipated to begin on April 15th, 2024.

Closing on March 8th, 2024.

More Info

 


Instructor Pool - 2023/2024

The Department of Agriculture Botany & Plant Pathology invites applications for one or more fixed-term, non-tenure-track full/part-time Instructor positions to teach on a term-by-term basis for the 2023-2024 academic year. Some of these appointments may be reviewed for renewal or transition to an instructional position on an annual basis at the discretion of the Department Head.

The primary mission of the OSU Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is undergraduate and graduate education, research, and extension. The Department has 27 tenured and tenure-tracked faculty, 38 faculty research assistants/associates, 5 administrative staff members, 34 graduate students advised by BPP faculty, 93 undergraduate majors, 203 distance ed undergraduates and 27 courtesy/adjunct appointments. The Department offers a B.S. in Botany; M.S., and Ph.D. are in Botany & Plant Pathology and contributes in a major way to teaching and advising in the Biology Program. The Department participates in several interdisciplinary teaching and research programs, including the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, and the Center for Quantitative Life Sciences.

Responsibilities:

  • 100%: Instruction
    • Instructors may be needed to teach courses in undergraduate and graduate areas.
    • Some instructors may be required to travel using University vehicles for class field trips, or collecting samples for research plots.

Requirements:

  • Master’s degree in Botany and Plant Pathology, Biology, or related life science.
  • Teaching experience at the college or university level.
  • Evident commitment to cultural diversity and educational equity.
  • This position may require driving a University vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the University

Preferred:

  • Ph.D. in Botany, Biology, or related field of life sciences.
  • A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.

Anticipated to begin on September 16th, 2023.

Closing on June 15th, 2024.

More Info

 


 

Instructor Pool - 2023/2024: eCampus

The Department of Agriculture Botany & Plant Pathology invites applications for one or more fixed-term, non-tenure-track full/part-time Instructor positions to teach on a term-by-term basis for the 2023-2024 academic year. Some of these appointments may be reviewed for renewal or transition to an instructional position on an annual basis at the discretion of the Department Head.

The primary mission of the OSU Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is undergraduate and graduate education, research, and extension. The Department has 27 tenured and tenure-tracked faculty, 38 faculty research assistants/associates, 5 administrative staff members, 34 graduate students advised by BPP faculty, 93 undergraduate majors, 203 distance ed undergraduates and 27 courtesy/adjunct appointments. The Department offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Botany and Plant Pathology and contributes in a major way to teaching and advising in the Biology Program. The Department participates in several interdisciplinary teaching and research programs, including the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, and the Center for Quantitative Life Sciences.

Responsibilities:

  • 100%: Instruction
    • Instructors may be needed to teach courses in undergraduate and graduate areas.

Requirements:

  • Master’s degree in Botany and Plant Pathology, Biology, or related life science.
  • Teaching experience at the college or university level.
  • Evident commitment to cultural diversity and educational equity.

Preferred:

  • Ph.D. in Botany, Biology, or related field of life sciences.
  • A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.

Anticipated to begin on September 16th, 2023.

Closing on June 15th, 2024.

More Info

 


Temporary Employment

None at this time.