UC Cooperative Extension; UCCE) Specialist

The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Cruz, invites applications for a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Specialist at the Assistant rank. Food safety is a major priority for California agriculture, especially in the fresh produce industry. This position will address evolving food safety challenges in specialty crop production by bringing needed scientific and technical expertise to the field, with a focus on the intersection of food safety and organic/regenerative farming practices.

The specialist will examine how agricultural technologies can help California growers ensure harvest safety while using organic and regenerative practices. Relevant technologies include sensors and biosensors, spectral and hyperspectral imaging, aerial and ground drones, agricultural robotics and physical Artificial Intelligence, edge and embedded computing, wireless sensor networks, and machine learning for field-scale data. UC ANR seeks a candidate who can bridge electrical and computer engineering with agricultural technology and translate new engineering capabilities into practical food safety tools for growers.

UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Specialists develop and conduct research and educational programs aimed at appropriate clientele groups in communities outside of UC campuses. UCCE Specialists have programs primarily focused on mission-oriented research or creative work that support the university's efforts to extend knowledge, including outreach and community engagement. Mission-oriented research encompasses the entire research continuum, from basic research to the application of research results.

This research is generally applied in nature and aims to solve a problem facing society related to the mission of the U