POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Assistant or Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Location: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
University of Florida Gainesville, Florida
Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Review Date: Review of application materials will begin on March 25,
2011. Position will open until a viable applicant pool is determined.
Duties and Responsibilities
This is a 12-month, full-time, tenure-accruing position that will be 70%
research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), 20% extension (Florida
Cooperative Extension Service) and 10% administration in the Department of
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences, at the University of Florida. The successful candidate will
develop internationally recognized research and extension programs
addressing questions broadly consistent with the goals of the National
Ecological Observatory Network (NEON; http://www.neoninc.org) program
related to ecology of wildlife and their habitats. The Ordway Swisher
Biological Station is a research, teaching, and extension facility of the
University of Florida (http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu).
Duties will include:
(1) Develop an internationally recognized research program focusing on
large-scale ecology and conservation with an emphasis on animal populations
and their habitats, broadly related to the primary hypotheses and drivers
underlying the NEON program. Linking aspects of this research program to the
Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS), a research, teaching and extension
facility of the University of Florida (http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu), is
highly desirable.
(2) Develop an innovative extension program harnessing the potential of
the Ordway-Swisher as a site for extension and outreach programming. Linking
a portion of this program directly to NEON and its citizen science, youth
education, and public outreach programs is highly desirable.
(3) Serve as Associate Director for Research and Education of the
Ordway-Swisher Biological Station. In this capacity, the incumbent will
work in partnership with the Station Director and Associate Director for
Conservation and Management to oversee programs and the Stations
infrastructure development. Duties include facilitating the Stations
infrastructure development through competitive extramural funding and work
with potential donors, and participation in review of proposed research and
educational activities at the Station.
Tenure will accrue in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
The faculty member will participate actively in graduate education and
research, and departmental governance. Position assignment may change in
accordance with the needs of the department. All IFAS faculty are expected
to demonstrate commitment and responsibility to the three functions,
teaching, research, and extension, of the Land Grant mission.
Qualifications
Candidates must possess an earned doctorate in the ecological or biological
sciences, natural resources, or related discipline; evidence of scholarship
and depth of knowledge in the area of expertise; potential to develop
cutting-edge research and outreach programs and to inspire undergraduate and
graduate students; and a commitment to promoting a diverse educational and
professional institution. Postdoctoral experience is desirable. Candidates
should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication,
interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding.
Candidates must also have a commitment to IFAS core values of excellence,
diversity, global involvement, and accountability.
Ordway-Swisher Biological Station
The Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu) is a
research and teaching facility managed by the Department of Wildlife
Conservation and Ecology on behalf of the University of Florida. The 3,701
hectare (9,146 ac) field station is located 25 miles east of the UF Campus
in Melrose, Fl (Putnam Co.). OSBS is comprised of a mosaic of wetland and
upland habitats that include sandhills, xeric hammock, upland mixed forest,
swamps, marshes, and clastic and sandhill upland lakes. Over 50 permanent
and ephemeral lakes and ponds, a significant hardwood swamp and three wet
prairies occur on the Station. Current buildings on the Station support a 30
person classroom, staff offices, equipment storage and maintenance, and a
caretaker house. Construction of additional buildings is expected over the
next few years to support expanding needs. The Station has been selected as
the NEON core wildland site for Domain 3. The Station's research program
focuses on supporting research of faculty and students at the University of
Florida and other organizations, agencies, and academic institutions. Over
the past 30 years 63 graduate projects have been conducted at the Station
and over 200 research publications and reports have been generated.
 
Background Information
The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant and Sea-Grant
institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional
disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 48,000 students. UF is a member
of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences (IFAS; http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences (http://cals.ufl.edu), the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station (http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service (http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College
of Veterinary Medicine (http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu), and encompasses 15
academic departments and the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 9
interdisciplinary centers, 13 research and educational centers throughout
the state, and Cooperative Extension units in each of Florida's 67 counties
and the Seminole Tribe.
IFAS employs over 3400 people, which includes approximately 950 faculty and
2450 support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state.
IFAS, one of the nations largest agricultural and natural resources
research and education organizations, is administered by a Senior Vice
President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative
Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary
Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M
University in Tallahassee.
The programs of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
(http://www.wec.ufl.edu/) emphasize biological and human dimensions of
wildlife ecology and conservation in local to international arenas.
Department faculty may be affiliated with the Center for Latin American
Studies, Center for African Studies, School of Natural Resources and the
Environment, and other programs across campus. Also housed within the
Department is the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
Several units on or nearby the University of Florida campus complement the
teaching and research programs of the Department, including new and
developing interdisciplinary climate change centers and programs at UF and
in the Southeast; Biotechnologies for Ecological, Evolutionary, and
Conservation Sciences; Center for Latin American Studies; Center for Natural
Resources; Center for Wetlands; Center for Biological Conservation; 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 Conservation Society; the Wildlife Research Laboratory of the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and others.
Florida boasts a diverse 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.
Nestled 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
environments, and diverse expertise on campus.
Employment Conditions
This position is available as soon as a suitable candidate is found;
specific start date is negotiable. Compensation is commensurate with the
education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.
Contact Information and Application and Nomination Submission Information
Both nominations and applications are welcome. Nominations need to include
the complete name and address of the nominee. Individuals wishing to apply
should go online to https://jobs.ufl.edu , search for requisition # 0807287
and submit a Faculty Profile Short Application.
Also, the following application materials should be submitted electronically
by emailing a single PDF file containing items #1-4 below, along with three
letters of recommendation to [email protected].
Letters of recommendation may be sent electronically to the same email
address (preferred), or by post to Dr. Oli at the address below.
1. Letter of application that states applicants interest in the
position and qualifications
relative to the credentials listed above;
2. Statements of research goals and extension interests;
3. Complete vita;
4. Unofficial transcripts of academic work;
5. Three letters of recommendation.
Review of application materials will begin on March 11, 2011. Women and
minorities are encouraged to apply.
Inquiries contact
Dr. Madan Oli
Chair, Search and Screen Committee
University of Florida
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
P.O. Box 110430
Gainesville, FL 32611-0430
Telephone: (352) 846-0561
Facsimile: (352) 392-6984
Electronic Mail: [email protected]
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity and equal access employer.
The government in the sunshine laws of Florida require that all documents
relating to the search process, including letters of application,
nomination, and reference, except transcripts, be available for public
inspection. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive
reasonable accommodation.
--
Susan E. Cameron Devitt, PhD | Dept. Wildlife Ecology and Conservation |
University of Florida | PO Box 110430 | Gainesville, FL 32611-0430 |
office: 316 Newins-Ziegler Hall | tel: +1 352 846 0570 | [email protected]
