Assistant/Associate Professor – Forage Breeding/Genetics

Jackson County Florida 4-H; Jackson (MS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. This is a 12-month, tenure-accruing position located at the North Florida Research and Education Center - Marianna, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.

70% research and 30% Extension. The successful candidate will develop a forage breeding program, collaborate with UF/IFAS colleagues and stakeholders, supervise

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Plant Breeding or closely related discipline with emphasis on field-based crop improvement.
• Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication.
• Experience in procuring extramural funding.
• Commitment to UF core values.

Responsibilities

• Participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertations, and publishing results with students.
• Develop a forage breeding program to create and release forage species and cultivars addressing stresses and productivity.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including UF/IFAS units and external partners, and participate in professional development related to teaching and advising.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Interpersonal relationships

Grant funding procurement

Education

Doctorate in Plant Breeding

Job description

Classification Minimum Requirements

Candidates for this rank shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field. A candidate shall be expected to demonstrate successful experience pertinent to the position they are being recommended and have demonstrated qualities relevant to the goals of the academic unit in which they will be employed.

Classification Title

Ast/Aso Prof

Classification Minimum Requirements

Candidates for this rank shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field. A candidate shall be expected to demonstrate successful experience pertinent to the position they are being recommended and have demonstrated qualities relevant to the goals of the academic unit in which they will be employed.

Job Description

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. 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) or visit Accessibility at UF.

This is a 12-month, tenure-accruing position that is 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% Extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available at the North Florida Research and Education Center - Marianna, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. North Florida Research & Education Center (NFREC) is one of the largest and the most varied units of UF/IFAS, consisting of research and education campuses in Quincy, Marianna, and Live Oak, Florida. NFREC has faculty members representing 7 academic departments and the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, 3 emeritus faculty members (still active in research at NFREC) and a dynamic population of post-doctoral associates, scientific/farm/administrative staff. This variety of faculty, staff and programs provides a unique setting for interdisciplinary work within the NFREC campuses, with colleagues on the main UF campus and with faculty at other Centers around the state. Tenure will accrue in the Agronomy Department. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. The UF IFAS Forage Team, considered one of the best nationwide, is an integrated research, teaching, and Extension group of Agronomy faculty with collaborative efforts extending across IFAS units.

Responsibilities in this position will include the development of a forage breeding program to develop and release forage species and cultivars that help address biotic and abiotic stresses, seasonal distribution of forage production, biological dinitrogen fixation, seed production, and overall fitness of forage germplasm for Florida and the Southeast U.S. production and livestock systems. The program should include laboratory and field activities using novel breeding technologies. The faculty member will actively seek external funding to support their program. The faculty member will develop an Extension program within their expertise, including efforts aimed at enhancing producer adoption of new and existing forage cultivars within the scope of best management practices that protect natural resources. The faculty member is expected to collaborate with stakeholders, especially those in the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, aligning the research and Extension programs with the priorities of the allied industry. This program should also collaborate with the cropping systems/agronomy/integrated crop-livestock systems program at UF.

The successful candidate will participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, dissertation and undergraduate research, and publishing research results with students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising, as well as may teach courses and seminars on a limited basis.

As a land-grant institution, all IFAS 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 University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (RECs) 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. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent 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 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.

Expected Salary

Commensurate with Experience and Education

Required Qualifications

A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Plant Breeding or a closely related discipline with emphasis on field-based crop improvement/plant breeding/cultivar development is required. 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 UF core values.

Preferred

Demonstrated