1 October 2015

Dear Colleague:

Northern Arizona University has a distinctive and exciting faculty hiring opportunity, and we seek your assistance in identifying strong potential candidates for this position.

NAU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is searching for a biochemist to join our faculty in a tenure-track position. The faculty member will have the opportunity to contribute both to an excellent undergraduate education for a growing and diverse student population, and to an increasing university research portfolio. We specifically seek a colleague to interact with the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention, a collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Cancer Center that supports research, training, and community outreach designed to address cancer health disparities of American Indian communities in the southwest.

Possible applications of biochemistry research interests to cancer-relevant research include such topics as mechanisms of carcinogenesis, drug discovery, proteomics, biomarkers and analytic chemistry, modeling and bioinformatics, and structural biology. The Partnership [http://nau.edu/NACP/ ] offers many resources to support the development of a cancer-related research program, such as potential membership in the University of Arizona Cancer Center, networking with a diverse set of community and tribal partners to develop community-based participatory research activities, funding to support research students, and potential funding for collaborative pilot projects. Our Partnership has been supported by the National Cancer Institute since 2002, and has developed effective pathways for recruiting and training Native American students in health-related fields while building cancer-related research capacity at NAU.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has recently moved into a beautiful new facility and the new hire will move into a large new laboratory. Finally, NAU offers the opportunity to work closely with and mentor a diverse and talented group of students; the Flagstaff campus student body is about 19 % Hispanic, 3 % Native American, and more than 40 % first-generation college students. NAU has long identified a strategic goal of serving Native American students and communities, and the Partnership is one important element of that commitment.

We are reaching out to you because you may well know of new Ph.D. recipients or early-career scientists, with background in biochemistry and in working with under-represented students (especially American Indian students), who would be excellent prospects for this position. If so, please direct them to the NAU website for information on the application process (see link below). We will try to reach you by telephone over the next week, to seek your suggestions of people we might be able to contact and to encourage to apply.

Thank you for your assistance in helping to match a talented scientist and educator with this exciting opportunity!

Best wishes,

Jani Ingram, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Laura Huenneke, Professor of Environmental Science

The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention

Northern Arizona University

Link for job posting:

http://nau.edu/Human-Resources/Careers/Faculty-and-Administrator-Openings/

It is posted as “Assistant Professor in Biochemistry” – job ID 602229.