Assistant/Associate Professor - Natural Resource Economics and Policy (82223)

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is committed to creating an environment that affirms diversity across a variety of dimensions, including ability, class, ethnicity/race, gender identity and expression. 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.

This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 40% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), 60% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) available in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. The successful candidate will build a collaborative research program and teach key courses in natural resource economics and policy. Teaching duties will include offering an undergraduate Natural Resources Policy and Economics (FNR4660) course; a graduate Policy and Economics of Natural Resources (FNR6669) course, which includes distance students from a diversity of majors; coordinating the online graduate graduate-level certificate and major in Natural Resources Policy and Administration; and coordinating the undergraduate certificate in Environmental Policy, Law, and Regulation. They will demonstrate the ability to establish a forest-focused, externally-funded, internationally recognized research program in natural resource policy and economics, with an emphasis on the economic, political, social, and ecological implications of natural resource policies, ecosystem service provision, and management decision-making. The faculty member will participate actively in undergraduate education and graduate education by chairing graduate committees, serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, supervising undergraduate research, and publishing the results with their graduate students. The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support their program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in their program area.

The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including teaching undergraduate and/or 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.

Background Information:

The School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) has teaching, research, and Extension education programs in three broad areas: Geomatics; Forest Resources and Conservation; and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The SFFGS has 60 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 School is committed to supporting work-life balance, and creating an environment that promotes and supports a more diverse and welcoming faculty, student body, and overall workforce within the School. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, cooperative extension/outreach, mentoring, and professional service.

Several units on or nearby the University of Florida campus complement the teaching and research programs of the School, including the Water Institute; The Florida Climate Institute, an interdisciplinary center hosted at UF and comprising 7 universities; the Tropical Conservation and Development Program in the Center for Latin American Studies; Center for Wetlands; Center for Biological Conservation; Florida Museum of Natural History;; National Ecology Laboratory (Sirenia) of USGS; Southeastern Forest Experiment Station unit of the U.S. Forest Service; The Nature Conservancy; the Wildlife Research Laboratory of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and others.

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. Special features include the Florida Keys, which constitute an archipelago of picturesque subtropical islands, and the unique Everglades, or “river of grass,” which sprawls across the southern peninsula. 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 cycling possibilities, expansive media, and many cultural and historical landmarks. Cost of living in Gainesville is slightly below the national average, helping to make it an attractive place to live.

Required:

• A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in policy, economics, natural resources, or a closely related discipline is required
• Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to teaching, mentoring students, and promoting a diverse educational and professional environment
• They must have clear evidence of scholarship through first-authored publications
• Candidates should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding
• Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system
• Candidates must also have a commitment to IFAS core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability
• Topical expertise in forest ecosystem services, policy, risk assessment and management is preferred, but candidates with demonstrated excellence in related topics and a willingness to apply this expertise to forest-related issues will be considered.

Preferred:

• Postdoctoral experience or experience as a primary investigator is desirable
• A well-developed teaching portfolio and/or demonstrated teaching experience
• Demonstrated commitment to developing a research program on topics that meets the needs of Florida residents with applicability to other regions or internationally
• Commitment to focus on critical natural resource issues through policy and economics research.
• Interest in working with state and federal natural resource agencies, NGOs, private landowners and stakeholders to solve economic and policy issues

For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit additional materials by November 1, 2021. The position will remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined.

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 # 82223

Jason Vogel

Chair, Search and Screen Committee

University of Florida

School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences

PO Box 110410

Gainesville, FL 32611-0410

Telephone: 352-846-0850

Electronic Mail: jvogel@ufl.edu

Application Information

• Individuals wishing to apply should go online to http://apply.interfolio.com/94634 and submit:
  • Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
  • Curriculum vitae
  • A statement of teaching and mentoring philosophies, commitment to diversity, and research goals (3-page, single-spaced limit)
  • Contact information (including email addresses) for 3 references, preferably who can speak to the applicant’s research, teaching, and mentoring experience and who are 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 University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. 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). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

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The University of Florida is committed to non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information and veteran status in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training.