The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. 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 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 60% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), and 40% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), available in the Agronomy Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. The position will be located at the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP) in Gainesville, FL with access to extensive laboratory, greenhouse, mesocosm, and field facilities. Tenure will accrue in the Agronomy Department. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit.

The research component of this position (60%) will focus on relevant independent research on invasive plants and/or algae in aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. Research can be directed as either an applied or basic program as long as it adds support and breadth to existing CAIP programs or addresses concerns from resource managers in Florida or across the nation. For example, applied research may be focused on advancing the science of plant/algae management through IPM approaches, remote sensing, UAVs, or other geospatial technologies. Basic research may include study of the biology, physiology, or ecology of invasive plants and algae in relation to climate change, herbicide resistance, and other issues of global importance. The incumbent is expected to obtain extramural funding, direct graduate student research, and publish research findings in the scientific literature.

The teaching component of this position (40%) will include undergraduate and graduate sections of Aquatic Plant Management and additional courses to be developed by the instructor. These courses will be delivered in the classroom and/or through distance teaching methodology. In addition to these courses, the incumbent will be tasked to coordinate and refine an online certificate program in weed science. The primary audience for this certificate program will be county extension faculty, state and federal agency personnel, commercial herbicide applicators, and individuals in the private sector who have an interest in the control of aquatic and invasive plants. The incumbent must liaise with federal, state, county and municipal land management programs such as the Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida’s five Water Management Districts, and Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAS) as to address their educational needs. The incumbent will have the opportunity to collaborate with the CAIP Information Office for educational program development and with established programs in other departments. This position requires close coordination of research and extension programs with faculty in several other disciplines including Fisheries, Forestry, Entomology and Horticulture as well as with research/extension staff at Research and Education Centers throughout the state.

The faculty member will actively participate 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 his/her graduate students. The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support their program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities as it relates to their program area.

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.