Professor and Chair - Department of Economics

Position Title:

Professor and Chair - Department of Economics Appointment Type:

Faculty

Job Description:

Summary of

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Department of Economics at Iowa State University seeks nominations and applications for the position of Professor and Chair. The department is jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), offering a distinctive environment that integrates agricultural economics and general economics within a single academic unit. The department is recognized for excellence in teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service, and supports undergraduate programs in Agricultural Business, Economics, and Business Economics, as well as graduate programs in Economics and Agricultural Economics.

The Chair serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the department and provides strategic leadership to advance the department's missions of teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service. The Chair is responsible for promoting excellence across all mission areas; facilitating strategic hiring; supporting the success and development of faculty, staff, and students; stewarding financial and human resources; and enhancing the department's visibility and impact locally, nationally, and internationally.

As leader of a jointly administered department, the Chair reports to the Dean of CALS and the Dean of LAS and serves as a collaborative member of both college leadership teams. The Chair works closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, industry partners, community stakeholders, and university administrators to advance the department's strategic priorities and contribute to the missions of Iowa State University and both colleges.

The initial Chair appointment is for five years and is subject to review in accordance with university policy. The Chair serves in an at-will administrative appointment and reports jointly to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The appointment is expected to be a 9-month faculty appointment with summer salary provided while serving as Chair.

The anticipated workload distribution is approximately 80-85% administration and leadership and 15-20% scholarly, teaching, research, extension, outreach, and/or service activities. Responsibilities may be adjusted based on departmental and institutional needs.

Responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership Provide collaborative, strategic, and innovative leadership with a demonstrated commitment that advances the department's mission and strategic priorities.

Lead departmental planning and continuous improvement efforts that position the department for long-term success.

Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, accountability, and collegiality across all mission areas.

Serve as an active and collaborative member of both CALS and LAS leadership teams.

Faculty and Staff Development Recruit, retain, mentor, develop, and evaluate an outstanding faculty and staff.

Support faculty success in teaching, research, extension, outreach, and service.

Provide leadership for promotion and tenure, post-tenure review, faculty advancement, annual evaluations, and professional development initiatives.

Foster an environment in which faculty and staff are supported, engaged, and accountable for achieving departmental goals.

Research, Extension, and Outreach Leadership Advance the department's research enterprise and scholarly reputation.

Support faculty and graduate students in securing extramural funding and developing impactful research programs.

Ensure appropriate stewardship of Agriculture Experiment Station activities and compliance with associated reporting requirements.

Promote excellence in extension and outreach programming and strengthen engagement with stakeholders throughout Iowa and beyond.

Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration within the department, across colleges, and with external partners.

Academic Programs and Student Success Promote excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate education.

Support the development and continuous improvement of relevant, rigorous, and responsive academic programs.

Champion student recruitment, retention, mentoring, and success.

Foster a culture that values effective teaching, student learning, and graduate education.

Fiscal and Operational Management Ensure effective stewardship of departmental financial, personnel, and physical…