POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT # 00033911
REQUISITION # 39169
Title: Assistant Professor – Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation
Location: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611
Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Review Date: For full consideration, candidates should apply and
submit additional materials by 1 December 2018. The position will
remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined. Interviews are
expected to begin in January-February 2019.
Duties and Responsibilities
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 (WEC), Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. The successful
candidate will make a substantial contribution to increasing
instructional capacity in a key focus area of the WEC major, namely an
understanding of human dimensions of wildlife ecology and conservation
and improved communication competency. They will instruct an
undergraduate course in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource
Conservation, and undergraduate/graduate courses in their area of
expertise. The successful candidate also will develop an
internationally recognized research program in the area of human
dimensions of wildlife conservation. Individuals with experience in
urban wildlife management, wildlife trade, conservation education,
citizen science, human-wildlife conflict, or wildlife communication are
especially encouraged to apply. The incumbent also will be expected to
coordinate the department Honors Program.
The successful candidate will mentor and supervise undergraduate and
graduate students and engage in curriculum enhancement, and the
scholarship of teaching and learning. Numerous opportunities are
available at UF to facilitate professional development as an educator.
This appointment will be 60% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences) and 40% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station).
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.
Qualifications
Required
Candidates must possess a doctorate (PhD or DPhil) (foreign equivalent
acceptable) with an emphasis on human dimensions as applied to wildlife
ecology, management or conservation; ecology; or closely related natural
resources or social sciences discipline. Candidates must have a
demonstrated commitment to teaching, experience mentoring students, and
promotion of a diverse educational environment. They must have clear
evidence of scholarship through first-authored publications. Candidates
should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication,
interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding.
Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system.
Candidates must also have a commitment to IFAS core values of
excellence, diversity, global involvement, working across cultures, and
accountability.
Preferred:
Preferred qualifications/attributes: 1) Candidates with a well-developed
teaching portfolio and/or postdoctoral teaching experience; and 2)
Demonstrated commitment to developing a productive research program
focusing on human dimensions of wildlife conservation. Candidates should
have experience with and be willing to work with state and federal
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. Topical expertise can be demonstrated by activities such as
publication in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrated graduate student
mentoring experience and/or philosophy, and securing research funding.
Background Information
The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant, Sea-
Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic
and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 53,000
students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (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), the Florida Sea Grant program
(http://www.flseagrant.org/ ), and encompasses 16 on-campus academic
departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC)
located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units
administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative
Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and
maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an
interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on
campus. IFAS employs over 2500 people, which includes approximately 900
faculty and 1200 support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout
the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s 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
(WEC) emphasize biological and human dimensions of wildlife ecology and
conservation in local to international arenas. The international
reputation of WEC’s academic programs is sustained through genuine
dialogue among faculty and students with diverse perspectives,
backgrounds and identities.
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.
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://apply.interfolio.com/56079 and submit:
o Cover letter that clearly states applicant’s interest in the
position and qualifications relative to the required and preferred
qualifications listed above
o Full curriculum vitae
o A statement of teaching/mentoring philosophies, research goals,
and diversity activities, such as mentoring students from
underrepresented groups (3-page limit, single-spaced)
o 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 # 39169
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
E-mail: [email protected]
Selected 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).
If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this
position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-
955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US.
Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated
to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff.
