Assistant Professor of Forage Crop Systems

Assistant Professor of Forage Crop Systems

The Department of Plant Science at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, is seeking candidates for a tenure-line, 9-month Assistant Professor with 50% extension, 35% research, and 15% teaching responsibilities. Forages support Pennsylvania and surrounding region's important agricultural sectors including dairy, beef, the horse industry, and added-value grazing/grass-fed, and organic livestock production systems. Harvested forage crops constitute the greatest crop acreage in Pennsylvania, rank first in crop total dollar value, and harvested and grazed forages accounted for over $1.8 billion US dollars value in 2020.

The successful candidate will provide leadership in Forage Crop Systems in the state-wide Field & Forage Crop Extension Team and conduct research for livestock, bioenergy, and other markets. Research and extension activities should support perennial, annual and double-crop forage systems that are well-suited to the region's climate and soils for forages, bioenergy, and other markets while providing ecosystem services such as water quality protection, climate resilience, soil health enhancement, and wildlife habitat.

The Department of Plant Science is housed within the College of Agricultural Science. The Department is home to close to 50 faculty members whose efforts are focused on advanced research, teaching and extension/outreach in plant science with a strong commitment to fostering diversity, equality and inclusive excellence in all activities. The department has considerable strength across the continuum of basic to applied research, including root and rhizosphere biology, plant response to stress and climate resilience, plant nutrition, soil fertility and nutrient management, sustainable crop production systems, agroecosystem modeling, and hosts several long-term cropping systems trials. Our activities span from basic to applied research, and the department enjoys strong collaborative connections with a variety of colleges (e.g. Eberly College of Science, College of Engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) and institutes (e.g., Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science (SAFES), the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment), and the USDA ARS (U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Long-Term Agricultural Research Network.

The College of Agricultural Sciences values and supports interdisciplinary research and extension activities, including seed grant funds for external grant proposal development. The forage crop systems candidate is encouraged to initiate research that employs emerging technologies such as precision and digital agriculture, and to collaborate with scientists with expertise in soil, plant, root/rhizosphere microbiome, pest, animal and ecological science, as well as agricultural engineers and economists at Penn State, the USDA ARS, and others around the country.

Extension responsibilities include interacting with county educators and stakeholder groups around the state, region and nation; and developing a comprehensive extension education program with a variety of outputs such as chapters in crop production guides, fact sheets, articles in Penn State's Field Crop News, digital products, webinars, and field demonstrations. The successful candidate is expected to attract external funds to support the research and extension program on forage crop systems for livestock, biofuels, and other emerging markets and provide oversight of the forage variety evaluation program at Penn State. Responsibilities will also include teaching one Forage Crops course for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students annually, and recruitment and advising of graduate students.

Candidates must have strong writing and oral communication skills to communicate forage system management and benefits to diverse stakeholders. The candidate should have a Ph.D. or equivalent by the date of appointment with disciplinary depth in agronomy or agroecology, and the ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary programs to enhance the sustainability of forage production. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with background and experiences. An attractive benefits package is available.

Application. Review of applications will begin on January 17, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates should provide a cover letter, curriculum vitae, the names and contact information for three references, three representative publications, a statement of research experiences/future interests, and a statement of teaching pedagogy/interests. Applicants should provide evidence, either woven through their application materials or as a separate diversity statement, of a commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusive excellence, and belonging and of engagement which creates an inclusive environment in their classroom, department, and the University. Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. For questions about this position, please contact Heather Karsten at hdk3@psu.edu.



Apply online at https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/University-Park-Campus/Assistant-Professor-of-Forage-Crop-Systems_REQ_0000022906-1

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Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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