Assistant or Associate Professor

Position Function:

Full-time nine-month, tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor position in the Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University.

Salary Grade : UC

For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

The Department of Forestry is one of three departments in the College of Forest Resources and Forest and Wildlife Research Center and has excellent facilities in Thompson Hall, including the Measurements and Spatial Technologies Laboratory that houses a dual server for large data storage and PC workstations with GIS, image analysis, and statistical software packages. The Department has two SAF-accredited, undergraduate degree programs (Forestry and Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation). The John W. Starr Memorial Forest and Bulldog Forest properties are near the University and used for teaching, research and demonstration activities.
Mississippi State University is a Carnegie Very High Research Activity (R1) institution, a National Center for Excellence for the Federal Aviation Administration, and a land grant university that includes the Mississippi State University Extension Service and various facilities and research centers, such as the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Geosystems Research Institute, High Performance Computing Collaboratory, and Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. The University is located in beautiful Starkville, Mississippi.

Area of Specialization:

Forest Genetics and Tree Improvement

Anticipated Appointment Date:

August 16, 2022

Tenure Track Status:

Tenure Track Position

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate courses in Forestry and/or Natural Resource and Environmental Conservation. The candidate will be expected to develop graduate-level campus and distance-learning forestry courses in their area of expertise. Additional responsibilities will include participation in the Department’s teaching program, research efforts, graduate student mentoring, undergraduate student advising, and various service activities. The successful candidate will be expected to develop an extramurally funded research program in their area of expertise with a focus on genetics and applied tree improvement.
Appropriate areas of research expertise could include, but are not limited to:
-Hardwood tree improvement for bioenergy, timber production, or carbon sequestration
-Tree breeding for pest and disease resistance
-Tree improvement to increased yield in softwood timber species
-Christmas tree or ornamental breeding
-Genetic resources to improve forest resilience to climate change
-Tree improvement for phytoremediation
-Forest conservation genetics.

Opportunities exist for research collaboration with the USDA Forest Service’s Center for Bottomland Hardwood Research located at Stoneville, MS, the USDA Southern Institute of Forest Genetics at Saucier, MS, the Mississippi State University Institute for Genomics Biocomputing and Biotechnology, as well as other federal agencies, state agencies, forest industry, resource managers, and private landowners. The level of appointment and/or rank and salary will be commensurate with the individual's qualifications, background and experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. degree in Forestry or a closely related field, with demonstrated expertise in forest genetics and tree improvement. All but dissertation (ABD) applicants will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

Record of scholarly publications; greenhouse experience; a history of or potential for securing extramural funding; teaching experience at a university level in on-campus and distance-learning formats; and demonstrated history of collaborating across disciplines, with state and federal agencies, or forest industry on applied tree improvement research projects. Exceptional candidates will have command of advanced generation plant breeding strategies including mating and experimental design, reasonable facility with methods of quantitative analysis for estimating genetic parameters, familiarity with population genetics, and working knowledge of molecular genetics and genomics.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply: http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

Screening of applicants will begin January 18, 2022 and will continue until a suitable applicant is found. Applications must be made through the Mississippi State University Employment opportunities website via the link https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/listing/ (PARF Number 503393). Applicants should also send (in a single pdf) a letter of application; curriculum vita; copies of transcripts (for all degrees); statements of 1) research, 2) teaching and mentoring, and 3) diversity; equity and inclusion (1 page each); and complete contact information for three professional references to:
Dr. Austin Himes (austin.himes@msstate.edu)
Chair, Forest Genetics and Tree Improvement Search Committee
Department of Forestry
Mississippi State University
353 Thompson Hall
775 Stone Blvd.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Applicant should redact their social security number if it appears on their academic transcript prior to submitting it online.

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, gender identity, status as a U.S. veteran, and/or any other status protected by applicable law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu .

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu . Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.