Assistant Professor - Forensic Science CSI

Job Description:

Assistant Professor - Forensic Science CSI

Description

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of Forensic Science

School/Department Name: Department of Justice Studies
Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule . Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $86,000 - $90,000.Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 2026

Application Deadline: October 15, 2025 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Justice Studies at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an assistant professor of forensic science beginning in August 2026. This position will support the Crime Scene Investigation Concentration (FS-CSI), a rapidly-expanding area within the Forensic Science program. The teaching assignment would include laboratory courses, such as Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science Applications, and the likelihood of developing additional FS-CSI coursework within the faculty member’s area of interest/experience.

The Department of Justice Studies is a multidisciplinary department offering four undergraduate concentrations in Forensic Science, FS-Biology, FS-Chemistry, FS-Digital Evidence and FS-CSI, as well as undergraduate and graduate programs in Justice Studies, Criminology, Legal Studies and Human Rights. The Forensic Science curriculum includes courses that benefit from this interdisciplinary environment such as Expert Witness Testimony and Forensic Science in Human Rights Investigations. Although the Forensic Science program began in 2003, Forensic Science has been taught at the university since the 1930s as part of what began as the nation’s first Police School. Current areas of faculty expertise include digital forensics, forensic entomology, taphonomy, biological criminalistics and genotyping technologies. More information can be found at: https://www.sjsu.edu/justicestudies/

The Department of Justice Studies in the College of Social Sciences and San José State University value inclusive excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community-particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate in a forensic science field or allied discipline by the time of appointment;
• Demonstrate research and teaching experience commensurate with career experience;
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant operational/applied experience working in the field of forensic science, either in a forensic laboratory setting, or in the field;
• Evidence of scholarly activity directed towards publication and funded research;
• Research agenda that welcomes collaborations with faculty in Justice Studies;
• Experience supervising undergraduate students through research/internship opportunities in laboratory or field settings;
• Experience teaching analytical chemistry, instrumental chemistry or toxicology;
• Ability to teach Bayesian or inferential statistics at the graduate level.

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will teach Forensic Science courses to meet Department needs and area of expertise.
• Faculty support the Department’s mission to inspire active student learning by incorporating interdisciplinary and innovative approaches.
• Faculty contribute to curriculum development, program planning, and assessment within the Department.
• The candidate will contribute to teaching, research and service within the Department as well as the university and various communities.
• Faculty foster relationships with community partners such as law enforcement, non-profit and private organizations.
• Faculty provide career advising and mentoring to students.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity - in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation - through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.
  

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure
Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents [ departments may specify length of items below (e.g. 2 pages) ]:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• inclusive excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• names of three references with contact details (name, affiliation, email, phone)

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair: Paul Knepper, PhD, paul.knepper@sjsu.edu

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley - one of the most innovative regions in the world - San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf . The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf . The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

Advertised: Sep 03 2025 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: