University of Maryland, College Park – College of Agriculture & Natural Resources – Assistant P

Position Title: Assistant Professor of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Department: Animal and Avian Sciences, Environmental Science and Technology, Veterinary Medicine, Nutrition and Food Science, or Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (depending on disciplinary expertise)

Appointment Type: 9‑month tenure‑track faculty

Salary Range: $95,000 – $110,000 + fringe benefits

Work Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

Anticipated

Start Date:

August 2026

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland seeks candidates with expertise in utilizing AI and machine learning to improve decision‑making in agriculture, agroecology, and/or natural resources. The position is a 60% research and 40% teaching appointment, negotiable at the time of appointment.

Successful applicants will join a collaborative, interdisciplinary research community at UMD, with opportunities to collaborate with the AI Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES), and regional stakeholders involved in agricultural and environmental management.

Applicants may also be considered for a joint appointment with AIM, and we seek individuals interested in applying AI to benefit Maryland residents and farmers in support of UMD’s Land Grant mission.

• Utilizing AI to accelerate the discovery of strategies leading to improved health outcomes of humans, plants, animals, and the environment.
• Application of AI‑enabled surveillance or remote sensing systems for monitoring and risk assessment in plant, animal, human, or natural ecosystems.
• Applying AI to promote human health by increasing the nutritional value of foods and/or increasing food safety.
• AI applications in precision agriculture to reduce production inputs.
• Utilizing AI to accelerate gene discovery, programmed gene expression, and de novo protein design to develop new strategies/plants/vaccines for enhanced resistance to abiotic stressors and pathogens.
• AI applications to support communication and policy analysis, sustainable design and green infrastructure planning, and ethics and governance across plant, animal, and/or environmental systems.

• Establish and maintain an externally funded research program in one or more research areas listed above.
• Develop and teach new courses in AI and data science applications in animal‑ and plant‑based agriculture, environmental science and technology, veterinary medicine, or nutrition and food science at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Disseminate research findings through peer‑reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences.
• Recruit and mentor graduate and undergraduate students.
• Provide academic advising for undergraduate majors and contribute to graduate education.
• Collaborate with faculty across departments, colleges, and external organizations to promote interdisciplinary research and outreach.
• Participate in departmental, college, and university service activities and governance.

• Ph.D. in Animal Science, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Nutrition and Food Science, Veterinary Science, Data Science, Computer Science, Plant Science or Biology, Genetics, Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience developing and applying AI, ML, or data analytics to the above‑mentioned research areas.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Evidence of scholarly publications in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Potential to develop and sustain a funded, high‑impact research program.
• Experience presenting research results at national or international meetings.

• Experience applying innovative, data‑driven approaches integrating AI, geospatial analysis, remote sensing, etc. in animal‑and/or plant‑based agriculture, environmental science and technology, veterinary medicine, plant science/biology, or nutrition and food science.
• Experience with programming languages (e.g., Python, R), AI/ML tools (e.g., Tensor Flow,…