Assistant Professor - Forest Pathologist - University of Florida

Ast Prof

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. 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 position is tenure-accruing, 9-month (funded commensurate with a 12-month appointment), 60% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 40% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) available in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. The percentage may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.

The State of Florida features unique natural resources, robust forestry, and vibrant research, but also a rapidly expanding population, biological invasions, and the pressures of global change. The integrated program of this faculty member should create, synthesize, teach, and communicate biological, cultural, and environmental information needed to minimize adverse effects of tree diseases and other emerging threats on the health of forests.

Duties of this faculty member will include:

Develop a strong, internationally recognized, externally funded research program in areas of forest pathology addressing local, regional, and global forest health priorities or emerging issues. The faculty member will develop and lead at least two courses; one graduate course focused on tree pathology, and one undergraduate course on the broader context of forest health, forest management, biological invasions, global change, and related areas. Course assignments may change according to the School needs. Collaborating with other faculty members in course development is encouraged. The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, publishing with students, 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. Therefore, the faculty member will actively contribute to the extension mission of the University by collaborating with other faculty members, extension county faculty, state and federal agencies, private stakeholders and professional associations in forest health education programs and tree disease diagnostics.

Active participation in professional and/or scientific societies and SFFGS committees, ProForest, and IFAS is expected, as well as multidisciplinary collaborations across the UF.

Background Information:

The School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) has teaching, research, and Extension education programs in three broad areas: Forest Resources and Conservation, Geomatics, and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The SFFGS has 70 faculty members, 60 administrative and programmatic staff, 250 graduate students, and 350 undergraduate students. The School offers bachelor’s degrees in Geomatics, Forest Resources and Conservation, Natural Resource Conservation, and Marine Sciences; thesis and non-thesis master’s degrees in all focal areas, including a number of innovative distance education master’s programs; and Ph.D. degrees in all focal areas.

The renowned richness of SFFGS’s academic, research, and Extension programs flourishes through genuine dialogue among faculty and students with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and identities. The School considers shared, inclusive, actively participatory governance as one of its core values. The School is committed to supporting work-life balance, and creating an environment that promotes and supports a varied faculty, student body, and overall workforce within the School.

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.

Florida boasts a diversity of fauna and flora common to both southern temperate and subtropical climates and is replete with springs, rivers, backwater streams, lakes, freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangrove fringes, cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks, sandhills, scrub, pine flatwoods, and rangeland.  Nested between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida has more than 2,000 kilometers of coastal beaches and estuaries. As a gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, Florida provides convenient access to tropical and temperate environments in the southern hemisphere, and diverse expertise on campus. Gainesville is a small city with culture and character directly linked to the university. Attributes of Gainesville include proximity to many natural areas, year-round outdoor and cycling possibilities, local media, and many cultural and historical landmarks. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities. Cost of living in Gainesville is slightly below the national average, making it an attractive place to live.

Nationally competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience

A doctorate in forest/plant pathology, forest health sciences or a closely related field and demonstrated expertise in tree health is required. Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values of excellence, discovery and innovation, inclusion, freedom and civility, community, and stewardship. The successful candidate is expected to show evidence of scholarly expertise related to forest pathology, with a record of research publications in scholarly journals.

Postdoctoral experience is desirable. The candidate's research approaches may involve molecular mycology or microbiology, genetics or genomics, diagnostics, silvicultural management, forest entomology, symbiology, fire ecology, and/or environmental influences. Strong candidates will be able to demonstrate skills in verbal and written science communication and procurement of extramural funding.

Experience should be demonstrated in teaching forest health-related and natural resource-related courses in undergraduate and graduate curricula, and the use of teaching approaches to ensure student learning.

The ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams with faculty from departments and colleges outside the home academic unit (e.g., Plant Pathology Department, Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Climate Institute, the Florida Forest Service) is essential. Candidates should have demonstrated skills in promoting a welcoming environment to a variety of students and stakeholders.

Candidates should apply and submit materials by October 31, 2024. The position will remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined.

Employment Conditions

This position is available on January 1^st, 2025 and will be filled as soon thereafter as the successful applicant is available.

Compensation is on par with, or exceeding, contemporary national academic standards, and will be commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.

Nominations

Nominations are welcome.  Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. This information should be sent to:

Please refer to Requisition # 529597

Jiri Hulcr

Search and Screen Committee chair

E-mail (preferred communication):    hulcr@ufl.edu

Telephone:                                    517-256-1894

How to apply

Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit:

• Cover letter (one page) that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
• Curriculum vitae
• Summary of research accomplishments and plans, and approach to teaching (maximum three pages)
• Contact information (including phone and email addresses) for four recent supervisors who can speak to the applicant’s research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach experience, from whom letters of recommendation may be requested.
• Unofficial transcripts

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. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.