About Us

The College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida (USF) invites applications from Hydrographers or Marine Geophysicists whose research compliments the strengths of the current faculty. We seek a hypothesis-driven, ocean-going, scientist who uses a process-based approach to understand problems central to mapping the seafloor and its connections within Earth’s systems, past, present, and future. The candidate will use innovative tools/techniques of multi-disciplinary science to investigate mapping the seafloor and sub-seafloor over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Successful candidates may take advantage of national and international initiatives in blue economy/green transition, scientific ocean drilling, subduction zone 4D, passive and active ocean acoustics, etc.

Candidates will be selected on the basis of their potential to conduct transformative research within their discipline, their productivity with respect to peer reviewed publications, acquisition of external research funding, potential for outstanding mentoring and teaching, and commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive working environment. The successful candidate is expected to teach courses in Hydrography, Marine Geophysics and other relevant specialty courses at the graduate level.

Minimum Requirements: Must have a Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline at the time of hire, with research experience in the field of Geological Oceanography, with emphasis in Hydrography or Marine Geophysics.

Preferred qualifications: We are seeking innovative and interdisciplinary scholars capable of interacting with colleagues across a range of related oceanography/marine science disciplines within the academy, industry, and government. 

For the Assistant Professor rank, candidates should have a record of scholarly products and demonstrate potential for an exemplary career of creative work and scholarly publication, demonstrate potential for acquisition of extramural research funding, exhibit a commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate a culture of high ethics and service to their professional community and the public.

For the Associate Professor/ Professor ranks, candidates should have an outstanding record of research, including a substantive publication and other scholarly product record, evidence of success in obtaining extramural research funding, a commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate a culture of high ethics and service to their professional community and the public.

Contact: For information regarding the available position, please contact Dr. David Naar (naar@usf.edu; 727-510-9806) or Tim Trowbridge (ttrowbridge@usf.edu; 727-553-3375).

Application procedures: Please submit requested documents through the USF Careers recruitment system here.

Please submit the following documents: 

1. Cover letter stating qualifications (one page maximum).
2. Research statement that describes the focus and impact of current and future research (three-page maximum).
3. Statement of teaching and student mentoring philosophy; include potential USF-CMS teaching contributions (two-page maximum).
4. Service and community engagement statement (two-page maximum).
5. Curriculum vitae.
6. Contact information for three referees.

This position will be open until filled; however, priority review of applications will begin by  January 26, 2026. Appointment is expected to commence in Fall 2026.

The University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science is a multidisciplinary college with 32 ranked core faculty covering biological, chemical, geological, physical oceanography, hydrography, and marine resource assessment, ~ 90 graduate students, $15 million in annual research expenditures, a total endowment of ~$31 million, and ~75 full-time support personnel. The CMS hosts a range of state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities and is strategically located on USF’s waterfront campus in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is home to many State and Federal research and operational agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Institute of Oceanography (which operates three research vessels and a 4 km depth rated ROV Taurus), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office, USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center, and the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation. Together, these comprise one of the largest marine-science research complexes in the US. The Maritime and Defense Technology Hub (“The Hub”) is part of the St. Pete Innovation District promoting interactions with private industry particularly in the marine technology domain. Additional information is available at http://www.usf.edu/marine-science and http://www.usf.edu. 

The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university located adjacent to beautiful Tampa Bay on Florida's spectacular west coast. It is one of the largest public universities in the nation and is ranked highly among the top public universities for total research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. In 2023, USF was invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious group of leading universities in the United States and Canada. The university is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity category, a distinction attained by only 4 percent of all universities. USF is the fastest-rising university in America, according to U.S. News and World Report’s (U.S. News) 2023 Best Colleges rankings. At the heart of USF is a vibrant, diverse, and engaged student body. More than 50,000 students are enrolled in the USF System, which includes three distinct campuses –USF St. Petersburg, USF Tampa, and USF Sarasota-Manatee – with an annual budget of $2.3 billion and an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. 

USF is an equal opportunity, equal access academic institution that embraces diversity in the workplace.  All job decisions at USF are made without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. According to Florida law, applications, and meetings regarding them, are open to the public.

The College of Marine Science (CMS) at the University of South Florida (USF) invites applications for nine-month tenure-track faculty in Aquatic Ecotoxicology. Appointment will be at the Assistant, Associate, or Professor level, with rank dependent on qualifications and experience.

We are searching for an Aquatic Ecotoxicologist who will contribute to better understanding of how contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and legacy pollutants affect marine and estuarine systems, and their component species. Investigators can work across all levels of biological organization with a cellular, organismal, population, community or ecosystems focus. We expect that qualified candidates will carry out hypothesis-based research employing modern tools including laboratory and/or field-based observation and chemical analyses. We especially seek high quality candidates who pursue toxicology studies in the marine environments that evaluate critical threshold levels relative to negative health outcomes (for marine animals and people), that focus on quantitative risk assessment or evaluate the whole-ecosystem implications of contaminant exposure using models and related mass balance contaminant budget studies.

The College of Marine Science hosts the Marine Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (MECLab) which includes various state-of-the-art equipment including stable-isotope and GC- and LC- (tandem-quadrupole) mass spectrometers. The MECLab supports the research enterprise of faculty and students across the USF-system, as well as local and state partners, and collaborators from around the world. https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/research/facilities-and-equipment/marine-environmental-chemistry-laboratory.aspx

Candidates will be selected based on their potential to conduct transformative research, productivity with respect to peer-reviewed publications, acquisition of external research funding, potential for outstanding mentoring and teaching, and a commitment to service and community engagement. Successful candidates are expected to teach specialty courses at the graduate level.

Minimum Requirements: Must have a PhD in a relevant scientific discipline at the time of hire and research experience in Aquatic Ecotoxicology.

Preferred qualifications: We are seeking innovative and interdisciplinary scholars with a demonstrated record of high-impact research, a history of, or desire for, interaction with colleagues across a broad suite of disciplines within the academy, professional community, civil society and government sectors, and a commitment to student success.

For the Assistant Professor rank, candidates should have a record of scholarly products and demonstrate potential for a career of creative work and scholarly publication, demonstrate potential for acquisition of extramural research funding, exhibit a commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate commitment to high ethics and service to the public and their professional community.

For the Associate Professor / Professor rank, candidates should have an outstanding record of research, including substantive publication and other record of scholarly achievement, evidence of success in obtaining extramural research funding, commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate a culture of high ethics and service to the public and their professional community.

Contact: For information regarding the available position, please contact Dr. Steve Murawski(Chair), smurawski@usf.edu, or Tim Trowbridge, ttrowbridge@usf.edu (727-553-3375).

Application procedures: To apply please submit your application, curriculum vitae, and requested documents through the USF Careers recruitment system here.
Please submit the following requested documents with your application:

1. A cover letter highlighting your motivation for applying to this position (one page maximum).
2. A research statement that describes the focus and impact of your current and planned future research (three page maximum).
3. A statement of your teaching and student mentoring philosophies as well as goals at USF CMS (two page maximum).
4. Service and Community Engagement Statement (two page maximum).
5. Curriculum vitae.
6. Contact information for three referees.

These positions will be open until filled; however, priority review of applications will begin by January 3rd, 2026.

The University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science is a multidisciplinary college with 32 ranked core faculty covering biological, chemical, geological, physical oceanography, hydrography, and marine resource assessment, ~ 100 graduate students, $15 million in annual research expenditures, a total endowment of ~$31 million, and ~75 full-time support personnel. The CMS hosts a range of state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities and is strategically located on USF’s waterfront campus in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is home to many State and Federal research and operational agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Institute of Oceanography, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office, USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center, and the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation. Together, these comprise one of the largest marine-science
research complexes in the US. The Maritime and Defense Technology Hub (“The Hub”) is part of the St. Pete Innovation District promoting interactions with private industry particularly in the marine technology domain. Additional information is available at http://www.usf.edu/marine-science and http://www.usf.edu.

The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university located adjacent to beautiful Tampa Bay on Florida's spectacular west coast. It is one of the largest public universities in the nation and is ranked highly among the top public universities for total research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. In 2023, USF was invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious group of leading universities in the United States and Canada. The university is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity category, a distinction attained by only 4 percent of all universities. At the heart of USF is a vibrant, diverse, and engaged student body. More than 50,000 students are enrolled in the USF System, which includes three distinct campuses –USF St. Petersburg, USF Tampa, and USF Sarasota Manatee – with an annual budget of $2.3 billion and an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion.