Deadline: Sat, 05/20/2023 - 12:00pm Employer: University of Florida Job Field: Forestry Policy/Administrative Job Type: Experienced Professional Location: Florida Location Detail: West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) University of Florida 5988 Hwy 90, Bldg. 4900 Milton, FL 32583 Job Description: The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is committed to creating an environment of inclusive excellence that affirms diversity across a variety of dimensions, including ability, class, ethnicity/race, gender identity and expression. Inclusive excellence is the active process of including and respecting everyone as we strive for excellence and equitable outcomes in all we do at the University of Florida. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. We strongly encourage historically underrepresented groups to apply. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF . This is a 9-month tenure accruing position that will be 60% Research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 40% Teaching (College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, CALS) , available in the West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), at the University of Florida, with tenure accruing in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS). This assignment may be changed in accordance with the needs of SFFGS and WFREC. This position will focus on diverse forestry and natural resource management issues. The individual is expected to assume teaching duties in a dynamic, on-going academic program in natural resource conservation. The successful candidate will teach an undergraduate course in Silviculture, and additional courses that could include Forest Mensuration, Foundations in Natural Resources and Conservation, Professional Development, Global Forests, or Society and Natural Resources, depending on candidate’s experience and interests. The faculty member will support both undergraduate and graduate education, including chairing graduate student committees, serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, and dissertation research, supervising undergraduate research, and publishing the results with their graduate students. The selected applicant is expected to develop a recognized, externally funded research program in natural resource-related issues that can serve the diverse stakeholders of Florida. West Florida Research and Education Center is a multidisciplinary center and leads research in North Florida ecosystems and the unique needs of stakeholders in the region. Candidates should have the ability and desire to participate in interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues. The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, participating in curriculum revision and enhancement, seeking funding for the teaching program, supervising undergraduate and graduate research and creative work, publishing teaching-related scholarship, producing learning tools, and engaging in professional development activities related to teaching and advising. Faculty are encouraged to support and participate in the CALS Honors Program, distance education, and international education. Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description. Qualifications: A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in forestry or a related natural resource discipline. Research interests related to applied questions in forest management. Postdoctoral experience is desirable. Candidates should have strong teaching and research background, constructive professional relationships, ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with scientific, producer, and student audiences, and ability to procure extramural funding. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to IFAS’s core values of excellence, diversity and equity, global involvement, and accountability. Miscellaneous: The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. This position is part of an off-campus teaching program, established at the WFREC and is a collaborative effort between the University of Florida, Pensacola State College (PSC), and the University of West Florida. This unique teaching program, located at the PSC Milton campus approximately 20 miles northeast of the coastal city of Pensacola, FL, and the Gulf of Mexico, allows students to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Natural Resource Conservation or Plant Science. In addition to excellent facilities at the Milton campus, a 640-acre research and demonstration farm is located about 12 miles north of Milton in Jay, FL. The program at PSC-Milton campus is one of a select few academic programs offered at locations outside Gainesville. Florida has 16 million acres of forestland (approximately half the state), comprising a diversity of ecosystems ranging from cypress swamps to mesic hardwoods, pine flatwoods and xeric sandhill oak/pine forests. Nearly half of the forestland of the state is owned by private, nonindustrial landowners; one third by forest industries, and the remainder by public agencies. Management of these forestlands poses challenges and opportunities due to their unique flora and fauna, rapid urbanization, access to international markets, a favorable environment for plant growth, and a strong demand for the economic, environmental, and social products of Florida's forests. Florida lumber, wood products, and paper industries employ over 40,000, many of whom work in northwest Florida. WFREC provides a diverse and inclusive setting for teaching, research, and mentoring graduate students and postdocs in a collaborative environment. Its nine faculty and staff are dedicated to interdisciplinary research, extension, and teaching programs that meet the needs of local clientele with statewide, nationwide as well as global impacts. The location of WFREC allows families to enjoy the advantages of rural living while being within minutes of Pensacola, one of Florida's major cities, Gulf of Mexico beaches, and extensive public forest lands. The area has a vibrant and diverse community. The beaches are known worldwide for their sugar-white sand and emerald green waters. How to Apply: Application Information: Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit: · Cover letter – providing a statement of applicant’s interest in the position and high-level description of how their qualifications and experience satisfy the needs and credentials listed above · Curriculum vitae · Teaching philosophy – a description of the applicant’s teaching philosophy, approaches, and experience · Research statement – a description of the applicant’s research program and future plans · Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement – A description of how the applicant’s research, teaching, mentoring, and service efforts will contribute to the IFAS’s core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may include a statement of values, examples of experience, and future plans. · A list of three references with contact information Selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.
