KANSAS WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER DIRECTOR Fort Hays State University is continuing its search for a highly motivated, productive biologist (with a research focus on birds) to administer the new Kansas Wetlands Education Center.
KANSAS WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER: The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) is a new museum that currently is under construction. The grand opening is expected to be in spring of 2009. KWEC will be a branch museum of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and, therefore, a unit of Fort Hays State University. The building will be located about 70 miles southeast of Fort Hays State University near the city of Great Bend in central Kansas. It will overlook the largest wetland area in the interior of the United States. The wetland area consists of three units: 19,857 acres known as the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; 7,200 acres known as the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve and managed by The Nature Conservancy; and 21,820 acres nearby known as the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The KWEC will contain 11,246 square feet of floor space. That space will include an exhibit gallery, an auditorium, an education room, a museum store, office space for staff, volunteers, and graduate students, a mud room, rest rooms, storage space, and mechanical rooms. Viewing areas will overlook a marsh and nearby wooded area, the latter with a wildlife trail. The role of the KWEC will be to interpret wetlands and educate the public. RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR: The Director of the KWEC will report to the Director of Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History. The Director likewise will be accountable to the Vice President for Administration and Finance and the President at Fort Hays State University. As an administrator employed by the University, the Director will have the following responsibilities: • serve as the scientific authority for the KWEC; • administer the various budgets of KWEC, including State appropriations, grants and contracts, gift shop accounts, program receipts, and any others that may exist; • formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate the strategic and long- range plans of the KWEC; • propose or establish and implement operations policy for the KWEC; • recruit, supervise, and evaluate KWEC staff; • recruit, oversee, and evaluate Graduate Assistants who receive a stipend to work at the KWEC; • develop, implement, and administer a volunteer program for the KWEC; • oversee maintenance of KWEC exhibits and presentation of KWEC programs; • develop, implement, and administer plans to market the KWEC to the citizens of Kansas and the traveling public; • serve as spokesman for the KWEC to the public and the media; • conduct scholarly research related to wetlands; • participate in professional activities related to the KWEC, the Sternberg Museum, and Fort Hays State University; • provide information in response to inquiries from the public; • provide service to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, the community, the State, and the professional discipline; • strive to maintain a close working relationship with wetland landowners (including private landowners, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and with various organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited) that promote hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation in the area; • maintain a good working relationship with the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Great Bend, Kansas, and with other stakeholders in the region. QUALIFICATIONS: Minimal qualifications include an earned Ph.D. in a biological discipline that relates to wetlands, especially ornithology, ecology, conservation biology, or wildlife management. Regardless of discipline, applicants must have a research focus on birds. Applicants must provide evidence of scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications and the ability to acquire research funding. Other necessary qualifications include strong communication skills and the ability to interact with diverse constituents. Finally, applicants must be able to demonstrate experience in administration, academic teaching, and mentoring graduate students. Museum experience is a preferred qualification. SALARY: Commensurate with experience STARTING DATE: 1 July 2008 CONTACT: Dr. Jerry R. Choate, Director Sternberg Museum of Natural History Fort Hays State University 3000 Sternberg Drive Hays, KS 67601 Phone 785-628-5664 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fort Hays State University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, age, disability, Vietnam era veteran status, or special disabled veteran status in its programs and activities. The University employs only United States citizens and aliens who are lawfully authorized to work in the United States. The director of affirmative action, coordinator of Title IX, Section 504 and ADA regulations, may be contacted at 600 Park St., Hays, KS 67601, 785-628- 4033. FHSU is committed to the cultural enrichment of its student body and work force through Affirmative Action and Equal Education/Employment Opportunity. Members of historically underrepresented social groups in higher education, women, and persons with disability or veteran status are encouraged to apply. This position was announced previously and has been reopened. Applications will be evaluated as they arrive, so persons who are interested in the position should apply immediately. Electronic applications are encouraged. Applications must include at minimum: 1. Letter of Application 2. Curriculum vitae 3. Statement of professional interests and aspirations 4. Copies of representative scholarly work 5. Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers of four references Please do NOT request letters of recommendation, but be prepared to do so quickly. Fort Hays State University is a state-supported liberal and applied arts institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. It primarily serves the western one-half of Kansas. Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled in four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences) and a Graduate School, which have a combined total of 340 full-time faculty members. The campus is modern, spacious (4,160 acres), and attractive, and has outstanding museums, galleries, and cultural and recreational facilities. Hays, Kansas is a city of approximately 20,000 located roughly midway between Kansas City and Denver on I-70. It is a regional center serving the cultural, health, educational, business, service, and transportation needs of much of western Kansas. Medical and educational facilities are superior. Manufacturing, medical, education, retail, farming, ranching, and oil comprise a large part of the local economy. One public elementary school recently was rated among the top 25 in the country by a national publication. Paid for by Fort Hays State University
