NOTICE OF VACANCY
Director, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
Washington State University
Search # 5090
The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences
(CAHNRS), and WSU Extension at Washington State University (WSU) seek an
internationally recognized leader to serve as Director of its Center for
Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources with a faculty rank of
Associate Professor or Professor.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources (CSANR)
was established by the Washington Legislature in 1991 in response to
citizen concerns about the environmental impacts of farming and the loss
of farmers and farmland. CSANR was tasked with building partnerships
across diverse interest groups to develop and promote new approaches to
agriculture and natural resource stewardship that are economically
viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsive. CSANR engages
WSU faculty and collaborators in research and educational activities
that build sustainable agriculture knowledge and practices in areas such
as organic and biologically intensive farming, climate change and
energy, and healthy regional food systems.
Today CSANR is widely recognized as one of the leading “land grant
sustainable agriculture centers” in the US. It has garnered over $10
million in extramural funding from foundations, competitive grants, and
private donors and has leveraged additional state funding for
sustainable agriculture research and education at WSU and partner
organizations. Key collaborators include producers and producer
associations, community non-profits, government agencies, environmental
groups, and industry representatives. Key program areas include Climate
Friendly Farming, Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture
(BIOAg), Small Farms, and Value-Added Food Systems.
Program development at CSANR is guided by an interdisciplinary,
statewide leadership team. This team is comprised of research,
extension, and teaching faculty from across the College of Agriculture,
Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and WSU Extension. The Center
Director works actively to engage the leadership team, other faculty and
staff from throughout the university, and an advisory committee of
external stakeholders in furthering the Center’s mission.
Information about WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural
Resource Sciences can be found at http://cahnrs.wsu.edu. Information on
WSU Extension can be found at http://ext.wsu.edu, and information on the
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is at
http://csanr.wsu.edu.
LINE OF RESPONSIBILITY
The Director of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural
Resources reports directly to the Dean of the College of Agriculture,
Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) and to the Associate Vice
President and Dean of WSU Extension.
Location: The Director of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and
Natural Resources will be located at either the WSU Pullman campus (
http://www.wsu.edu), the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center (
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu), or the WSU Tree Fruit Research and
Extension Center in Wenatchee (http://www.tfrec.wsu.edu).
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Qualifications
• Earned Ph.D. in any discipline related to sustainable agriculture;
including agricultural, social, food, natural resource, or environmental
sciences.
• Qualified for appointment as an associate professor or professor
in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
Desired Qualifications
• Outstanding record of integrated research and educational
activities related to sustainable agriculture, food and natural resource
systems.
• Broad understanding of the practices, issues and opportunities
related to sustainable food and agricultural systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing and
implementing research programs related to sustainable agriculture and
food systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing and
implementing educational programs related to sustainable agriculture and
food systems for farmers, students, agricultural professionals, and the
general public.
• Demonstrated administrative experience and evidence of effective
leadership and communication skills with university administration,
faculty colleagues, academic professionals and support staff.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with external
constituencies, such as producer associations with missions that embrace
sustainable resource practices, state and/or federal legislators, and
other public organizations and agencies associated with agricultural and
natural resource use.
• Demonstrated evidence of garnering financial and in-kind resources
to support programs, build capacity, and establish new institutional
partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience working with culturally and economically
diverse farmers, farm workers and communities.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in managing group dynamics
of shared program leadership models.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Provide dynamic and visionary leadership to the Center for
Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources , including strategic
planning, prioritization, allocation of financial and human resources,
and long-range facility planning and development.
• Serve as a visible spokesperson for WSU sustainable agriculture,
food and natural resource programs and advance the visibility of the
Center and the institution regionally, nationally and globally.
• Play a central role in expanding the resource base for the Center
through gifts, grants, development and stewardship.
• Provide effective administration and management of personnel,
facilities and budgets that promotes efficiency, effectiveness and
accountability.
• Work cooperatively with other university administrators, including
the deans and associate deans of CAHNRS and WSU Extension, chairs of
academic departments, and research and extension center directors.
• Work cooperatively with other centers and programs devoted to
sustainable agriculture and natural resource issues.
• Help facilitate and coordinate the CSANR Leadership Team and the
CSANR Advisory Committee.
• Interface with faculty offering undergraduate and graduate
curricula related to agricultural and natural resource sustainability.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Screening of application materials will begin on October 3, 2008. Send
a detailed letter of application addressing the required and desired
qualifications, a statement of vision for the Center for Sustaining
Agriculture and Natural Resources, a resume/vita, and three letters of
reference that address how the applicant meets the required and desired
qualifications to:
Dr. Raymond A. Jussaume Jr.
Chair, CSANR Director Search Committee
Wilson-Short Hall, Room 17
PO Box 644006
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-4006
(509) 335-7626
Fax: (509) 335-2125
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
