St Johns
Director of Laboratory Instruction
St. John's, established in 1870, has two New York City campuses; international locations in Rome, Italy; Limerick, Ireland; and Paris, France; and study abroad locations around the world. The Princeton Review and other top rankings consistently recognize the University's outstanding academics, diverse student body, dynamic internship, and volunteer opportunities, focus on student life, and diverse study abroad offerings. St. John's University offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in its six colleges and schools, with a growing number of programs offered online. The University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and 12 other major academic and professional associations. A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart of our mission. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John's is committed to institutionalizing practices of inclusive excellence to ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsic worth of all members of our community. We will become an even stronger university as we enhance equity at every level of our institution. Our graduates will excel in the competencies and values needed for leadership and service in a rapidly evolving world. Department: Biological Sciences Specific Job Title: Director of Laboratory Instruction Reports to: Dr. Yong Yu, Chairperson, Biological Sciences Campus: Queens Job Summary: The Director of Laboratory Instruction works closely with the departmental chairperson and faculty and is responsible for a number of tasks including, but not limited to: delivering laboratory curriculum to students, supervising departmental three technicians, assigning and supervising graduate students who are teaching laboratory sections, assigning adjunct professors for laboratory sections, and designing and implementing new laboratory exercises. Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Major responsibilities include: Supervising three departmental technicians. Supervising and training graduate assistants who teach laboratory classes. Assigning, supervising, and training adjunct professors who teach laboratory classes. Running demo labs every week for BIO 1001L, 2001L, and 3001L. Assisting undergraduate students with registration for laboratory classes. Delivering laboratory curriculum to students and working with the publisher to update and order all lab books for BIO 1001L, 2001L, and 3001L. Substituting for graduate students or adjuncts who are out and can't teach a lab. Designing, developing, and troubleshooting new laboratory exercises. Planning, organizing, and executing field trips for students in BIO 1001L. Maintaining a good working and safe environment in the teaching laboratories. Maintaining all laboratory teaching equipment and lab setup in good order. Overseeing and coordinating exams, assigning grades, importing attendance, and resolving student issues in teaching laboratories. Helping with technology issues that arise during a lab. Coordinating with students who need to make up a lab. Advising undergraduate biology and pre-health students. Helping to maintain living collections, such as the greenhouse and fish facilities. Working with the Graduate Director to staff labs with students on Doctoral Fellowships and TA-ships, including last-minute changes for enrolled graduate students. Organizing a proctoring schedule for graduate students to proctor biology lecture exams. Uploading all course outlines and materials to each Canvas course for the introductory labs. Up to six concurrent teaching labs are run throughout weekdays in the department. We run 20-30 introductory labs and 18-25 upper-level labs each semester. During F24-F25, 1268 students took BIO 1001L, 2001L, or 3001L labs. These labs serve students from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, College of Professional Studies, and School of Education. Students majoring in Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, and Nursing are required to take at least one of these courses. Competencies: Management skills required to oversee lab instructors and technicians. Organizational skills (maintain schedules and instructor training). Ability to plan and carry out tasks that span multiple weeks (work with instructors to plan labs, some of which require > 1-week advance preparation). Adaptability and troubleshooting ability (for instance, sometimes a multi-day lab prep goes wrong, instructors fall ill, or there are lab emergencies). Observant and attentive, address any issues that come up during labs. Good interpersonal skills, including working with book publishers to create lab workbooks each semester. Proficient in software such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Canvas. Specific technical skills: Basic biology lab skills. Broad knowledge of all areas of biological sciences, including biochemistry, molecular biology, ecology, anatomy, genetics, etc. Knowledge of the use of laboratory equipment, including autoclaves, thermocyclers, centrifuges, etc. Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience with Canvas. Supervisory Responsibility: The position officially supervises the departmental laboratory technicians listed below. The position regularly works with these three technicians to ensure that all undergraduate laboratories are set up, supplies are purchased, and that they run smoothly. Louis Bryan, Laboratory Technician Amila Radoncic, Laboratory Technician Natalia Poltoratskaya, Laboratory Technician The position also supervises graduate assistants (Doctoral and Master's level) and Adjunct professors in teaching labs. This position assists with hiring, assigning, supervising, and training these instructors to teach laboratory classes in the biology department. It focuses on the introductory labs, BIO 1001L, BIO 2001L, and BIO 3001L. The position also staffs and oversees all upper-level BIO labs. Work Environment: This position operates in a standard biology laboratory environment and is required to work with biohazardous chemicals and materials as well as standard laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, incubators, and heat baths. This position also operates in general lab spaces with communal equipment for teaching and research, utilizing and maintaining equipment such as autoclaves, ultracentrifuges, -80 freezers, etc. This position additionally operates in a professional office environment and is required to use standard office equipment such as personal computers, copiers, printers, etc. Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee must occasionally stand; move about; sit; to carry work and use controls; reach with hands and arms; wear personal protective equipment; climb stairs; communicate. The employee must occasionally lift or move more than 50 lbs. The employee will need to handle, package, sterilize, and dispose of containers for biological and biohazardous waste. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must work with standard laboratory chemicals and reagents. Specific vision abilities required by the employee include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus, etc. Environmental Conditions: The work environment will involve the use of laboratory chemicals, including acids, irritants, dyes and stains, biological materials, and odorous chemicals. The environment will include interacting with sharp containers and biohazardous waste containers. The laboratory coordinator will work with the Environmental Health and Safety office on campus to ensure a safe environment for themselves, instructors, and students. Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This position is full-time. It requires a flexible schedule to coordinate with and support the departmental lab courses. This will generally fall within the confines of Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, but may fluctuate depending on specific lab needs. Required Education and Experience: A PhD in Biology or a related field. Must have biology laboratory experience; previous teaching experience preferred. Good computer skills with proficiency in Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Canvas. Ability to interact professionally with diverse groups of students, instructors, and support staff. Ability to manage, supervise, and monitor instructors for undergraduate teaching labs. Preferred Education and Experience:
St. John's, established in 1870, has two New York City campuses; international locations in Rome, Italy; Limerick, Ireland; and Paris, France; and study abroad locations around the world. The Princeton Review and other top rankings consistently recognize the University's outstanding academics, diverse student body, dynamic internship, and volunteer opportunities, focus on student life, and diverse study abroad offerings. St. John's University offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in its six colleges and schools, with a growing number of programs offered online. The University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and 12 other major academic and professional associations. A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart of our mission. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John's is committed to institutionalizing practices of inclusive excellence to ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsic worth of all members of our community. We will become an even stronger university as we enhance equity at every level of our institution. Our graduates will excel in the competencies and values needed for leadership and service in a rapidly evolving world. Department: Biological Sciences Specific Job Title: Director of Laboratory Instruction Reports to: Dr. Yong Yu, Chairperson, Biological Sciences Campus: Queens Job Summary: The Director of Laboratory Instruction works closely with the departmental chairperson and faculty and is responsible for a number of tasks including, but not limited to: delivering laboratory curriculum to students, supervising departmental three technicians, assigning and supervising graduate students who are teaching laboratory sections, assigning adjunct professors for laboratory sections, and designing and implementing new laboratory exercises. Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Major responsibilities include: Supervising three departmental technicians. Supervising and training graduate assistants who teach laboratory classes. Assigning, supervising, and training adjunct professors who teach laboratory classes. Running demo labs every week for BIO 1001L, 2001L, and 3001L. Assisting undergraduate students with registration for laboratory classes. Delivering laboratory curriculum to students and working with the publisher to update and order all lab books for BIO 1001L, 2001L, and 3001L. Substituting for graduate students or adjuncts who are out and can't teach a lab. Designing, developing, and troubleshooting new laboratory exercises. Planning, organizing, and executing field trips for students in BIO 1001L. Maintaining a good working and safe environment in the teaching laboratories. Maintaining all laboratory teaching equipment and lab setup in good order. Overseeing and coordinating exams, assigning grades, importing attendance, and resolving student issues in teaching laboratories. Helping with technology issues that arise during a lab. Coordinating with students who need to make up a lab. Advising undergraduate biology and pre-health students. Helping to maintain living collections, such as the greenhouse and fish facilities. Working with the Graduate Director to staff labs with students on Doctoral Fellowships and TA-ships, including last-minute changes for enrolled graduate students. Organizing a proctoring schedule for graduate students to proctor biology lecture exams. Uploading all course outlines and materials to each Canvas course for the introductory labs. Up to six concurrent teaching labs are run throughout weekdays in the department. We run 20-30 introductory labs and 18-25 upper-level labs each semester. During F24-F25, 1268 students took BIO 1001L, 2001L, or 3001L labs. These labs serve students from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, College of Professional Studies, and School of Education. Students majoring in Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, and Nursing are required to take at least one of these courses. Competencies: Management skills required to oversee lab instructors and technicians. Organizational skills (maintain schedules and instructor training). Ability to plan and carry out tasks that span multiple weeks (work with instructors to plan labs, some of which require > 1-week advance preparation). Adaptability and troubleshooting ability (for instance, sometimes a multi-day lab prep goes wrong, instructors fall ill, or there are lab emergencies). Observant and attentive, address any issues that come up during labs. Good interpersonal skills, including working with book publishers to create lab workbooks each semester. Proficient in software such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Canvas. Specific technical skills: Basic biology lab skills. Broad knowledge of all areas of biological sciences, including biochemistry, molecular biology, ecology, anatomy, genetics, etc. Knowledge of the use of laboratory equipment, including autoclaves, thermocyclers, centrifuges, etc. Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience with Canvas. Supervisory Responsibility: The position officially supervises the departmental laboratory technicians listed below. The position regularly works with these three technicians to ensure that all undergraduate laboratories are set up, supplies are purchased, and that they run smoothly. Louis Bryan, Laboratory Technician Amila Radoncic, Laboratory Technician Natalia Poltoratskaya, Laboratory Technician The position also supervises graduate assistants (Doctoral and Master's level) and Adjunct professors in teaching labs. This position assists with hiring, assigning, supervising, and training these instructors to teach laboratory classes in the biology department. It focuses on the introductory labs, BIO 1001L, BIO 2001L, and BIO 3001L. The position also staffs and oversees all upper-level BIO labs. Work Environment: This position operates in a standard biology laboratory environment and is required to work with biohazardous chemicals and materials as well as standard laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, incubators, and heat baths. This position also operates in general lab spaces with communal equipment for teaching and research, utilizing and maintaining equipment such as autoclaves, ultracentrifuges, -80 freezers, etc. This position additionally operates in a professional office environment and is required to use standard office equipment such as personal computers, copiers, printers, etc. Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee must occasionally stand; move about; sit; to carry work and use controls; reach with hands and arms; wear personal protective equipment; climb stairs; communicate. The employee must occasionally lift or move more than 50 lbs. The employee will need to handle, package, sterilize, and dispose of containers for biological and biohazardous waste. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must work with standard laboratory chemicals and reagents. Specific vision abilities required by the employee include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus, etc. Environmental Conditions: The work environment will involve the use of laboratory chemicals, including acids, irritants, dyes and stains, biological materials, and odorous chemicals. The environment will include interacting with sharp containers and biohazardous waste containers. The laboratory coordinator will work with the Environmental Health and Safety office on campus to ensure a safe environment for themselves, instructors, and students. Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This position is full-time. It requires a flexible schedule to coordinate with and support the departmental lab courses. This will generally fall within the confines of Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, but may fluctuate depending on specific lab needs. Required Education and Experience: A PhD in Biology or a related field. Must have biology laboratory experience; previous teaching experience preferred. Good computer skills with proficiency in Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Canvas. Ability to interact professionally with diverse groups of students, instructors, and support staff. Ability to manage, supervise, and monitor instructors for undergraduate teaching labs. Preferred Education and Experience: