Lab Teaching Assistant, Biological Sciences

The Lab Teaching Staff is part of the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is responsible for assisting in the education of students in multiple major disciplines, primarily Pre-Health Professional. This position has staff persons to teach, develop coursework, and to implement the overall Academic Goals of the Department and University. Lab Teaching Staff allow the Course Coordinator to maintain a consistent level of education across all lab sections of each of the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses offered. Reporting directly to the Course Coordinator, the Lab Teaching Staff, interact directly with undergraduate students, graduate students, Introductory Biology Laboratory Faculty, Departmental Faculty, and may have interactions outside of the Department with other schools within Vanderbilt University, and abroad to other institutions on a daily basis.

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems. Award-winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

The Lab Teaching Staff will be responsible for implementing the directives of the Course Coordinator. The Lab Teaching Staff will both teach multiple sections within the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses, and prepare all of the chemical reagents and laboratory equipment needed for any given experiment. Additionally, the Lab Teaching Staff is responsible for responding to student and TA inquiries both inside and outside of the laboratory and offering guidance to graduate teaching assistants. Ultimately, the Lab Teaching Staff is responsible for the success of the following Introductory Laboratory Biology Courses: BSCI 1510L, 1511L, and 1512L.

The Lab Teaching Staff will work with other team members in a progressive, communal, and professional atmosphere that encourages innovation and progress while consistently maintaining a high standard to keep the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses operating at a high level of educational outreach for the development of undergraduates.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with the Course Coordinator to design and implement laboratory activities that will emphasize key learning objectives for the courses taught.
• Teach two or more sections of Introductory Biology Laboratory courses (BSCI 1510L, 1511L, 1512L) for majors each semester. This includes mentoring students conducting a laboratory research experiment in BSCI 1510L and designing/implementing an introductory level research project in BSCI 1512L.
• Work in a laboratory setting to make the necessary chemical and biological reagents for laboratory experiments using sterile and safe laboratory practices.
• Involved in information management (grades, creation, and maintenance of content, quizzes, and tests in Brightspace/TopHat course learning platforms). Work with Lab Course Coordinator to attend to all re-grade requests for student assignments.
• Keep a well-organized inventory of laboratory equipment and chemicals used in the Introductory Biology Laboratories.
• Serve as a Procurement Requester within Oracle and order supplies necessary using Aquiire for teaching laboratories. Keep a detailed record of purchases and Departmental monies spent on supplies for these teaching laboratories. Use iLab to order interdepartmental supplies.
• Administer online quizzes to students in all sections of Introductory Biology Laboratory courses offered using the online platform TopHat. Transfer student grades from the TopHat platform to Brightspace.
• Schedule and hold office hours during each semester. Respond to student inquiries and in a prompt and professional manner.
• Routinely clean and repair equipment within the laboratory to maintain optimal performance. Clean and sterilize laboratory equipment and hard surfaces on a regular basis.
• Work with personnel within the Department of Biological Sciences to coordinate shared laboratory space.
• Work with personnel within the Department of Biological Sciences office on a regular basis to coordinate laboratory purchases and other special requests.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree is necessary.
• A Master's degree is preferred.
• Lab experience and/or teaching experience is preferred.
• Able to manage time and plan what needs to be done.
• Able to accurately follow written or verbal instructions.
• Flexible and able to work cooperatively with others.
• Experience measuring with basic laboratory equipment.
• Able to perform calculations necessary for mixing solutions.
• Familiar with basic cell and molecular biology equipment and techniques.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office and web-based tools for collaboration and communication.
• Basic competence with statistics; experience with R preferred.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.