Assistant Professor – Wildlife Management - UF

Assistant Professor – Wildlife Management

APPLY NOWJOB NO:508465
WORK TYPE:Faculty Full-Time
LOCATION:Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)
CATEGORIES:Agriculture/Life Science/Vet Medicine
DEPARTMENT:60470000 - AG-WILDLIFE ECOLOGY / CONSERV

CLASSIFICATION TITLE:

Ast Prof

JOB DESCRIPTION:

We are seeking a dynamic scholar, educator, and communicator for a 9-month tenure-accruing appointment available in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida.  The successful candidate will make a substantial contribution to undergraduate instruction in the department. They will instruct 3 courses per year, which may include undergraduate courses in Wildlife Ecology and Management, Wildlife Techniques, and Habitat Management, and/or a graduate course in the candidate’s area of expertise. They also will be expected to advise and grow UF’s Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society.  The successful candidate will develop regionally and internationally recognized wildlife research and extension programs. As a leader in the field, they will be expected to research our most pressing wildlife issues and provide outreach to the public in the area of applied wildlife management and conservation. Individuals with experience in applied research on game species, habitat management and wildlife management decision tools are especially encouraged to apply.  The successful candidate will develop strong collaborative relationships with state and federal wildlife management agencies, non-governmental organizations and private landowners. 

 

The successful candidate will mentor and supervise undergraduate and graduate students and engage in curriculum enhancement, professional teaching development activities, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. The successful candidate will find numerous opportunities at UF to facilitate their development as an educator. This appointment will be 60% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), 20% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), and 20% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service).  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 programs of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation emphasize biological and human dimensions of wildlife ecology and conservation in local to international arenas.  The Department’s existing strengths in spatial ecology, population modeling, wildlife disease ecology, conservation genetics, and environmental communication, among others, support strong collaborations.  Department faculty may be affiliated with Center for Latin American Studies, Center for African Studies, and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment.  Housed with the Department is the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, whose principal focus is on wetlands wildlife and ecosystem restoration and conservation. The nearby 3,600-hectare Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, managed by the Office of the IFAS Dean of Research, provides an outdoor laboratory for teaching and a site for long-term field research, and has been designated to serve as a National Science Foundation NEON core site.

 

Several units on or nearby the University of Florida campus complement the teaching and research programs of the Department, including 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; Wildlife Conservation Society; Center for Natural Resources; Center for Wetlands; Center for Biological Conservation; Pre-eminence initiatives in Bioinformatics and Biodiversity; Florida Museum of Natural History; Northeast Regional Data Center; National Ecology Laboratory (Sirenia) of USGS; Florida Field Station (Gainesville) of the U.S.D.A. Wildlife Research Laboratory; 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 vast 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, expansive media, and many cultural and historical landmarks. Cost of living in Gainesville is slightly below the national average, making it an attractive place to live.

 

 

ADVERTISED SALARY:

Commensurate with Education and Experience

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates must possess a doctorate (PhD or DPhil) (foreign equivalent acceptable) with an emphasis on wildlife ecology, management or conservation; ecology; or closely related natural resources discipline. Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to teaching, experience mentoring students, and promotion of a diverse educational and professional environment. They must have clear evidence of scholarship through first-authored publications and an in-depth of knowledge of how wildlife ecology, conservation and land management decisions are made and implemented. Candidates should have experience with and be willing to work with natural resource agencies, NGOs, private landowners and stakeholders. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate the potential to develop a dynamic, externally-funded lab of graduate students, undergraduates and postdocs. Candidates should be exceptional communicators (verbal and written) with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to diversity, global involvement, working across cultures, accountability and excellence. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. 

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Preferred qualifications/attributes: 1) Candidates with a well-developed teaching portfolio and/or postdoctoral teaching experience;. 2) Demonstrated commitment to developing a productive research program focusing on wildlife populations and the management of wildlife. Topical expertise can be demonstrated by activities such as publication in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrated graduate student mentoring experience and/or philosophy, development of management or recovery plans for species and habitats of conservation importance, and securing research funding.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS:

For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit additional materials by 1 October 2018.  Interviews are expected to begin in January 2019.

Employment Conditions

This position is available 16 August 2019, and will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable applicant is available; specific start date is negotiable; however, the expectation is that the candidate will begin by the start of Fall term 2019.  Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.

 

Application Information

  • Individuals wishing to apply should go online to http://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en-us/job/508465and submit:
    • Application materials described and required via the website
    • Cover letter that clearly states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the required and preferred qualifications listed above
    • Full curriculum vitae
    • A statement of teaching/mentoring philosophies and research goals (3-page single spaced limit)
    • Names and contact information for at least 3 references, preferably who can speak to the applicant’s teaching and mentoring experience
  • Nominations are also welcome.  Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. All information should be sent to:

 

Please refer to Requisition # 508465

Dr. Bob McCleery

Chair, Search and Screen Committee

University of Florida

Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

P.O. Box 110430

Gainesville, FL 32611-0430

 

Telephone:                               (352) 846-0566

Facsimile:                                (352) 392-6984

E-mail:                                     ramccleery@ufl.edu

 

The final candidate will be required to provide an 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 selection process will be conducted in accord with the provisions of Florida’s ‘Government in the Sunshine’ and Public Records Laws.  Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT REQUIRED:No

 

ADVERTISED:21 Aug 2018  Eastern Daylight Time
APPLICATIONS CLOSE:01 Oct 2018 Eastern Daylight Time