Careers in Quality

We are inviting applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure track promotable faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor appointed in the Medical Laboratory Sciences program. We seek a faculty member with American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certification and expertise in Chemistry or Immunology who can teach within the accredited NAACLS programs. 

 We seek faculty who embrace NIU’s mission of providing opportunity to a diverse student body by providing them with access to high quality education and hands-on involvement in research and community engagement as well as supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion across collaborations and interactions with faculty, staff, and others throughout the university and external community. 

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Higher Research Activity with about 17,000 students located in DeKalb, IL. The main campus is in DeKalb, which is a diverse and growing community, 65 miles west of Chicago’s “Loop” and 40 miles southeast of Rockford with education centers in Rockford and Naperville. DeKalb/Sycamore, with a population of about 60,000, is a modern paradox, a rural/urban community.?It is simultaneously recognized for its manufacturing and rich farmlands. The site of the first manufacturing of barbed wire and the development of hybrid seed corn are evidence of its diversified history. Located in a peri-urban region adjacent to the Chicago metropolitan area, NIU faculty and students live in communities throughout Northern Illinois, in the western Chicago suburbs, city of Rockford, and other small towns within driving distance from the university. The recently revitalized downtown city of DeKalb offers shops, restaurants, and other amenities. Business investment is evident in DeKalb’s Chicago West Business Park, whose residents include companies such as Facebook/Meta, Ferrara Candy, and Kraft/Heinz.  

The College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) is home to five academic schools. The Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Program is housed in the School of Health Studies, and it is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). For more information about the program, visit http://www.chhs.niu.edu/mls/. The BS in MLS program is a limited admission program in the college to assure practicum placement in an affiliated hospital. Degree completion from Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) to MLS is available for students meeting the MLS program admission requirements. Workforce development certificate options are available for working practitioners. A college-wide interdisciplinary and interprofessional PhD in Health Sciences engages faculty from across the college. The university’s Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships https://research.niu.edu/divresearch/ supports a growing external funding portfolio, approaching $60 million in 2023, and research infrastructure across campus, including the Office of Research Development which supports new and junior faculty to build their research programs, the Molecular Analysis Core facility which is a state-of-the-art chemical analysis laboratory focused on mass spectrometry, and the Center for Research Computing and Data that recently added a $1.2 million high performance computing facility. 

 Position Summary: 

The Assistant Professor of Medical Laboratory Sciences is responsible for all aspects of classroom instruction to graduate and undergraduate students, engaging in research and scholarly endeavors, and serving on committees within the university and professional organizations. The faculty member will positively contribute to committee service within the program, university, community, and profession, provide student advisement to graduate students and undergraduate students, as appropriate, and develop a robust program of research and scholarship.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Teach academic coursework and make connections to evidence based practice; 
• Establish an active and innovative research/scholarly agenda that directly engages local, national, and international nutrition, dietetics, and health sciences research communities through research publications, presentations, and grants; 
• Positively contribute to service within the university (program, school, college, university levels) and profession; 
• Provide student advisement and support student research; 
• Contribute to curriculum development and program advancement; 
• Collaborate within the campus and community to promote the advancement of the program and the mission, vision, values, and goals of the University. 

Minimum Required Qualifications: 

• Earned PhD and current ASCP certification in Chemistry SC(ASCP) or C(ASCP), Immunology DMLI(ASCP), Medical Laboratory Science, or a specialty category; 
• A minimum of 3 years of experience and practice in medical laboratory sciences; 
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusive work and learning environments that foster diversity, creativity, and innovation.