POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT # 0001-4510 REQUISITION # 505658

Title:                           Assistant Professor of Tree Health Genetic Resources

Location:                    Department of Plant Pathology University of Florida

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Gainesville, Florida

Salary:                        Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience

Review Date:             For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit additional materials by February 1, 2018. The position will be open until a viable applicant pool is determined.

Duties and Responsibilities

This is a 12-month tenure-accruing position that will be 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available in the Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit.

The faculty member will develop an internationally recognized, externally funded research program using contemporary methods for improvement of resistance and tolerance of forest tree species to pathogens and preconditioning stresses. The overarching goal is the rapid development of improved stock for restoration plantings. The research is expected to be primarily fundamental in nature and geared toward understanding the naturally-occurring genetic mechanisms and/or the genetic architecture of resistance and tolerance to pathogens in forest trees of ecological and societal importance. Applied aspects of the research are expected to involve selection, breeding and deployment of potential restoration stock in forest species. The faculty member will be expected to collaborate with new faculty hires in the Healthy Forest Ecosystems Cluster (described below), as well as with a diverse set of existing experts in the Plant Pathology Department, the School of Forest and Resource Conservation (forest health, biology and management), IFAS Plant Breeders, the Florida Climate Institute, the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute, other units on campus, and government agencies.

Healthy Forest Ecosystems Cluster. Forest ecosystems face increasing and emerging threats, including non-native invaders, resurgence of native diseases and pests, climate and land use changes, and the synergistic effects of these challenges combined. This position is one of four in

a cohort (three faculty, one staff) with expertise in: 1) Resilience and Restoration Silviculture; 2) Remote Sensing for Forest Health Modeling; 3) Tree Health Genetic Resources (this position); and 4) Monitoring Coordinator, Global Threats to Forest Health (staff position). The hires associated with this cluster will fill critical gaps in expertise across the Southern US, and will enable anticipation and early detection of forest health threats, a precise understanding of their impacts on society, spatiotemporal monitoring to facilitate early intervention, adaptive silviculture and the capacity to rapidly deploy restoration populations that are genetically resistant (or tolerant) to invaders, drought, and other disturbance risks. The synergistic effects of combined forest health threats require interdisciplinary solutions – this cluster of faculty positions is designed to meet the multi-faceted forest health challenge by seamlessly combining new experts and approaches with existing expertise, in order to guide management decisions and policy recommendations toward increased forest resilience.

Tenure will accrue in the Department of Plant Pathology. The faculty member will participate actively in graduate education by serving on and chairing graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, supervising undergraduate research, and publishing the results with his/her graduate students and postdoctoral associates. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising and may teach courses and seminars. The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support his/her program. The faculty member will engage cooperatively with other faculty and staff in the Ecosystems Cluster in support of the Extension activities in the Cluster as appropriate to his or her program area. 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

Required:

A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Forest Pathology, Forest Genetics or a closely related discipline is required. Experience in forest ecophysiology, plant genomics, plant breeding, host/parasite interactions and/or other aspects of forest health and genetics are highly desirable, as are quantitative analytical and molecular skills. Research focus should be within the context of forest disease management and restoration. Candidates should have demonstrated skills in publication of peer-reviewed research, verbal communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding. The ability and desire to lead as well as work effectively within interdisciplinary teams is required. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to the IFAS core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.

Preferred:

Postdoctoral experience is desirable.

Background Information:

The Department of Plant Pathology (http://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu ) at the University of Florida is one of the largest in the US, with 35 faculty located in Gainesville or at eight Research and Education Centers around the state. Our graduate curriculum is extensive, and our more than 60

graduate students are active in professional development activities and STEM education, through the Graduate Student Organization.

The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 53,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (http://cals.ufl.edu), the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida Cooperative Extension Service (http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College of Veterinary Medicine (http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu), the Florida Sea Grant program (http://www.flseagrant.org/ ), 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. IFAS employs over 2500 people, which includes approximately 900 faculty and 1200 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 Senior 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.

Employment Conditions

This position is available May 1, 2018 and will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable applicant is available. Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant. Successful candidates must be committed to working with diverse student and community populations.

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 # 505658 Jeffrey Rollins

Chair, Search and Screen Committee University of Florida

Department of Plant Pathology 1453 Fifield Hall

Gainesville FL 32611-0680

Telephone:                               352.273.4620

Facsimile:                                352.392.6532

Electronic Mail:                      rollinsj@ufl.edu

Application Information

• Individuals wishing to apply should go online to http://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en- us/job/505658 and submit:
  • Application
  • Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Contact information (including email addresses) for three individuals willing to write letters of recommendation
  • Unofficial transcripts

Final candidate will be required to provide 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), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ .

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The selection process will be conducted in accord with the provisions of Florida’s ‘Government in the Sunshine’ and Public Records Laws. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.