KANSAS WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER MANAGER 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 will open to the public in April 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 is located about 70 miles southeast of Fort Hays State University near the city of Great Bend in central Kansas. It overlooks 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 contains 11,246 square feet of floor space. That space includes 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 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 MANAGER: The Manager of the KWEC will report to the Director of Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History. The Manager 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 Manager will have the following responsibilities: • insofar as possible, serve as the scientific authority for the KWEC; • administer the various budgets of the 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; • oversee operations of the KWEC; • supervise and evaluate the KWEC staff; • oversee and evaluate Graduate Assistants who receive a stipend to work at the KWEC; • administer a volunteer program for the KWEC; • oversee maintenance of KWEC exhibits and presentation of KWEC programs; • market the KWEC to the citizens of Kansas and the traveling public; • serve as spokesman for the KWEC to the public and the media; • promote and conduct scholarly research related to wetlands or wetlands education; • 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; • 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 non-governmental organizations (Ducks Unlimited, Kansas Ornithological Society, etc.) that promote hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation in the area; • cooperate with the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Great Bend, Kansas, and with other stakeholders in the region. QUALIFICATIONS: This is a junior-level position for a biologist who wants to develop a career as an administrator associated with a nature center. Minimal qualifications include an M.S. degree 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 and must demonstrate aptitude for administration. Other necessary qualifications include strong communication skills and the ability to interact with diverse constituents. Experience working in a museum is a preferred qualification. SALARY: $55,600 plus benefits STARTING DATE: 1 July 2009 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 an Interim Director was hired. Applications now are being accepted for a permanent position. Electronic applications are encouraged. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled and must include at minimum: 1. Letter of application 2. Curriculum vitae 3. Statement of professional interests and aspirations 4. Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers of four references Please do NOT request letters of recommendation. 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
