General Summary of Position:
The Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences (BNS) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) invites applications for a collaborative and research-active Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program Director to direct their NAACLS-accredited MLS program. This is a nine-month full-time tenure track appointment at the Assistant/Associate/Full Professor level (rank commensurate with experience). We seek an innovative leader who will oversee program accreditation and academic excellence while advancing a rigorous research agenda aligned with departmental strengths in biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, and nutritional sciences. The successful candidate will mentor faculty and students, support workforce development initiatives, and foster partnerships across clinical laboratories, healthcare systems, and the biotechnology sector.
Responsibilities:
Research & Scholarship:
- Maintain an active, externally funded research program contributing to fields such as:
- clinical diagnostics and biomarker development
- infectious disease diagnostics
- hematologic and immunologic disorders
- molecular pathology
- clinical toxicology
- emerging diagnostic technologies
- Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national/international conferences.
- Advance collaborations with clinical partners, biotechnology industry, and interdisciplinary research groups within and beyond the university.
Program Leadership & Administration:
- Provide visionary leadership for the NAACLS-accredited MLS program, ensuring continuous accreditation and compliance with standards.
- Oversee curriculum development, assessment, and review to ensure alignment with current professional competencies and emerging technologies in laboratory diagnostics.
- Promote student recruitment, retention, and professional success, with a focus on building an inclusive learning environment.
Teaching & Student Mentoring:
- Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in the Applied Biomedical Sciences program, particularly in Medical Laboratory Science. The base teaching load for tenure track faculty is 2 courses per semester with the possibility of further decrease, and generous teaching load reductions for assistant professors.
- Advise MLS students and support certification exam readiness.
- Mentor undergraduate and graduate student research projects.
About the BNS Department:
The BNS department currently has 18 full-time faculty and 5 full-time staff members, in addition to postdoctoral fellows and research staff. This versatile team of educators, focused on research, teaching, and clinical proficiency, is actively engaged with students through innovative health sciences education. This includes experiential and interprofessional education, hands-on laboratory training, and research mentorship. Academic programs in the department include undergraduate and graduate programs in Applied Biomedical Sciences, including Medical Laboratory Science, Nutrition, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Faculty have the opportunity to mentor PhD students in Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as in the intercollegiate Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology and Applied Biology programs. Research in the department is multidisciplinary and includes cutting edge topics in biomedical sciences, nutritional biochemistry, and epidemiology. Opportunities abound for collaborative research across the college and university, with exercise science, public health, nursing, engineering, business, and the sciences.
About the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences:
The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences is a dynamic and growing college that prepares scientists and professionals in a wide range of health-focused disciplines. In addition to BNS, the College houses the Solomont School of Nursing, the Department of Public Health and the Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology. Faculty research within Zuckerberg College ranges from laboratory research to clinical interventions and community-based projects and research expenditures in the college have more than doubled in the last several years. The college boasts a strong and supportive community and culture that values interdisciplinary collaborations, research excellence, and student success.
About UMass Lowell:
The University of Massachusetts Lowell, located about 25 miles northwest of Boston in the high-tech corridor of Massachusetts, is a diverse Carnegie Research 1 university enrolling nearly 17,000 students and conducting more than $120 million in sponsored research annually. It is ranked as the #1 public university in Massachusetts and #1 for social mobility among all universities in Massachusetts by the Wall Street Journal, especially because of its exceptional student success outcomes. Its 17,000+ student body is highly diverse, with 43% first-generation college students and 48% of undergraduates identifying as being from diverse backgrounds. Lowell, in the heart of New England on the banks of the Merrimack River, is an exceptionally diverse community and a beautiful hub of invention and innovation that is the birthplace of America’s industrial revolution. Our proximity to Boston, UMass Chan Medical School, the Bedford VA and the Boston area’s biopharmaceutical industry provides exciting opportunities for academic, clinical, and industry partnerships and collaborations. UML has embarked on the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC) initiative, an exciting public-private partnership for a 1 million-square-foot development designed to meet the facilities, research and workforce needs of companies in multiple industries, with Draper Labs as anchor tenant. LINC will bring new housing, economic development, industry jobs and workforce development to downtown Lowell, and will provide exciting collaborative research opportunities for BNS in biomedical sciences, biotechnology, and human performance.
Minimum Qualifications (Required)
- Earned doctoral degree (PhD, ScD, or equivalent) in a biomedical science field relevant to Medical Laboratory Science
- Current MLS(ASCP)CM certification
- The ability to work collaboratively and contribute effectively as part of a team
- Demonstrated teaching excellence
- Record of research productivity with clear potential for or an established record of external funding
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong record of scholarly achievement and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Progressive leadership and teaching experience in an accredited MLS program
- Applied knowledge of evidence-based education methods, program administration, and the NAACLS accreditation process
- Experience mentoring students with varied academic and personal backgrounds
- Established clinical or industry partnerships supporting translational research or advanced diagnostics
- Experience with interprofessional education and cross-disciplinary collaborations
- Active engagement with national professional organizations (required for candidates seeking Associate Professor or Professor rank)
Additional Considerations:
Assistant Professor candidates must demonstrate an emerging program of research and a clearly defined research trajectory.
Associate Professor candidates must currently hold, or present credentials consistent with, tenured Associate Professor status and show a strong scholarly record with recent or current extramural research support.
Full Professor candidates must currently be a tenured Associate or Full Professor with a sustained record of high-quality scholarship and a consistent, ongoing history of extramural research funding.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
This is a full-time, benefited Massachusetts Society of Professors/MTA/NEA union position. Anticipated salary range depending on faculty rank and qualifications. See below:
- For Assistant Professor, salary minimum of $75,000 to anticipated maximum of $115,000
- For Associate Professor, salary minimum of $85,000 to anticipated maximum of $155,000
- For full Professor, salary minimum of $100,000 to anticipated maximum of $230,000
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications is received.
Please include the following required documents with your application:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover letter describing experience
- Teaching philosophy (include a description of previous teaching experience and teaching philosophy and style) and evidence of teaching (e.g. syllabi, course evaluations) (uploaded as a single file)
- Research Plan detailing current and proposed research, including funding status
- Three recent peer-reviewed publications (uploaded as a single file)
- Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process.