Assistant Professor of Vegetable Crops

Position Title

Assistant Professor of Vegetable Crops

Faculty

The Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University seeks a Vegetable Crop Specialist with 40% Extension, 40% research, 15% teaching, and 5% service appointment. The successful candidate will lead an integrated research, extension, and teaching program focused on sustainable vegetable production systems pertinent to grower needs in Iowa and the Midwest.

The successful candidate is expected to develop a competitive, extramurally funded research program in improving sustainability, productivity, and profitability of vegetable production systems while minimizing environmental impacts. Research efforts are to be well integrated with extension programming and will include mentoring graduate students and generating peer reviewed publications. A strong emphasis on extramural funding and building collaborations with local growers, grower organizations, and other industry partners, and securing funding to support both the research and extension efforts are expected.

The successful candidate's specialty area may include high tunnel systems, integrated pest management, irrigation, soil and nutrient management, technologies that optimize crop yields and quality, and/or the development of sustainable crop production practices using precision agriculture technologies (e.g., use of sensors, artificial intelligence, variable rate application methods, etc.).

This position will include teaching two undergraduate courses in vegetable production (one every fall and the other every spring), and contribution to departmental/college/university and professional service.

• Ph.D. in Horticulture, Crop Science, Agronomy, Entomology, Plant Pathology, or a related field with an emphasis on vegetable crop production

• Demonstrated expertise in field and/or high tunnel vegetable production systems
• Experience developing and delivering extension programs to diverse audiences, including growers, industry partners, stakeholders, and extension field specialists
• Demonstrated evidence of scholarly productivity in applied research, such as peer reviewed publications and grant writing
• Teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level
• Expertise in the use of precision agriculture tools to improve vegetable production efficiency and sustainability and/or ability to use data-driven approaches and emerging technologies (sensors, artificial intelligence) to address production challenges

July 1, 2026

12 Month Work Period

Full time

• Comprehensive health and work‑life benefits, including medical and dental
• Retirement benefits, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long‑term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Well‑being program