Assistant Professor-Tenure System

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Job no: 991735
Work type: Faculty/Academic Staff
Major Administrative Unit / College: College Of Agriculture And Nat Resources
Department: Plant Soil And Microbial Sciences 40000781
Sub Area: FAS- Fac./Acad Staff
Salary: Salary Commensurate with Experience
Location: East Lansing
Categories: Agriculture, Education/Training, Research/Scientific, Tenure System Faculty, Full Time (90-100%), Non-Union

Position Summary

The Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University (MSU) invite applications for a full-time, 12-month tenure-system Assistant Professor with 60% research and 40% extension assignment. The position start date is anticipated to be April 1, 2025.

This position will be appointed in either the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Science or the Department of Horticulture

This position is part of the new Agricultural Climate Resiliency Program, a partnership among MSU, the Plant Coalition, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development aimed at developing solutions to long-term climate- and water-related problems. As part of this program, MSU has launched an extensive cluster hire process to attract expertise in critical areas of research and outreach necessary to address such grand challenges. This position is part of a well-established plant and soil science research and extension team, as well as a network of extension educators across the state.

Geospatial climate modeling of agricultural systems. The successful candidate will conduct research and extension to develop and implement geospatial models, across multiple scales, that integrate the analysis of remote sensing data, vegetation data, climate data, soil-sensor data, and other relevant spatial datasets to conduct innovative hypothesis-driven research, including assessing the effectiveness of climate smart management practices in agricultural and/or landscape settings. The position will develop a forward-thinking extension program and lead the development of educational materials, and presentations to inform and advise farmers, extension educators, industry advisors, governmental and elected officials. Relevant research could include, but is not limited to, construction and analysis of detailed spatial maps depicting land cover, soil health, vegetation health, terrestrial water cycles, carbon sequestration, greenhouse-effect gas emissions, soil nutrient dynamics, and other relevant variables to monitor the progress and outcomes of new management technologies. The results will inform financial incentive systems and provide toolboxes through the candidate's extension program to educate stakeholders and policy makers about outcomes and return on investment that will favorably influence change across the agricultural industry. Applicants that leverage machine learning, neural networks and/or artificial intelligence approaches are encouraged to apply.

Location: The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA.

Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications. MSU offers a generous benefits package (details at https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/index.html).

For consideration, submit your application & required application materials online at http://careers.msu.edu; Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Agronomy, biosystems engineering, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, environmental engineering, geography, geology, horticulture, soil science or related fields

Minimum Requirements

An earned Ph.D. in agronomy, biosystems engineering, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, environmental engineering, geography, geology, horticulture, soil science or related fields. Demonstrated capacity to conduct and publish independent, original, innovative research. Excellent oral and written communication skills appropriate for both scientific peers and agricultural stakeholder constituencies.

Desired Qualifications

Postdoctoral research experience. Experience in competitive grant proposal writing and administration. Experience in extension programming. Ability to work collaboratively, both as a team member and as a leader.

Required Application Materials

1. Cover letter
2. Current curriculum vitae
3. A description of how you will contribute to our diversity, equity and inclusion goals (2-page maximum)
4. A statement of research (2-page maximum)
5. A statement of extension/outreach philosophy (2-page maximum)
6. Names & contact information for three (3) professional references.

Special Instructions

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on November 30, 2024, and continue until a suitable candidate is selected

To be considered for this position and any associated position(s) in the Agricultural Climate Resiliency Program, interested applicants must apply on http://careers.msu.edu/

Questions regarding this position can be addressed to the Search Committee Chair: Patrick Edger, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA, {[email protected]}

Review of Applications Begins On

11/30/2024

Website

https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/

Department Statement

The Department of Horticulture and the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences: HRT and PSM are multi-disciplinary departments with faculty appointed in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR; http://www.canr.msu.edu/). In addition, opportunities exist to interact with members of Kellogg Biological Station, Great Lakes Bioenergy Center, Plant Resilience Institute, and other interdepartmental programs including Center for PFAS Research, Environmental Science and Policy Program (ESPP), Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology (PBGB), Genetics and Genome Sciences (GGS), and Molecular Plant Sciences (MPS). Appointed faculty will also be affiliated with MSU AgBioResearch (http://agbioresearch.msu.edu/).

Commitment to Creating a Sense of Belonging: Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg - Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi people. The University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University is committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. The CANR is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion. Candidates are invited to view Department of Horticulture norms at https://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/about-us/diversity-equity-inclusion/index and Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences norms at https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/about_psm/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion/index.

Advertised: Sep 30, 2024 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Sep 30, 2026 Eastern Daylight Time