Assistant​/Associate Professor of Fruit Crops

Assistant/Associate Professor of Tropical Fruit Crops

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Work type: Tenure-Track Faculty
Location: Dade
Categories: Biology/Life Science, Agricultural Sciences
Department:  - AG-TREC-HOMESTEAD

Classification

Title:

Ast/Aso Prof

Candidates for this rank shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field. A candidate shall be expected to demonstrate successful experience pertinent to the position they are being recommended and have demonstrated qualities relevant to the goals of the academic unit in which they will be employed.

This is a 12-month tenure-accruing faculty position, 25% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 75% Extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida; located at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, FL. The incumbent will assume leadership of a state-wide extension program to increase the knowledge and skills of extension agents and industry representatives (e.g., producers, packinghouses, etc.)

in the area of tropical and subtropical fruit production. The primary responsibility will be developing an educational program in production of tropical fruit crops grown commercially in the state. The program of work shall include publications, multi-media news releases, workshops, field days, meetings, and other activities. In cooperation with county extension personnel, participate in consultations with established commercial growers and nurserymen in commercial tropical and subtropical fruit production.

The individual will be expected to collaborate with colleagues at the Center and beyond in an applied research program pertinent to the problems of the industry. This includes participating in the IR-4 Minor Use Pesticide Registration Program at the research center. The successful candidate will also advise the research center’s field manager on proper maintenance and care of the centers subtropical and tropical fruit orchards and germplasm collection.

Instructional opportunities include teaching a 1/2 term Summer-term course in tropical fruit production. This is a 5000-level course designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and qualified industry participants and is offered in alternate years.

The successful candidate will participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising theses, and dissertation, and publishing research results with students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising.

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.

The Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) of the University of Florida ’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is located in Homestead, Florida about 30 miles south of Miami. The Center was established in 1929 by an act of the state legislature in what is now Miami-Dade County. Research, teaching, and extension programs focus on tropical and subtropical fruit crops, tropical and temperate vegetable crops, ornamental crops, and natural resources of southern Florida.

The agricultural industry served by the center has an annual farm gate value of $1.13 billion. Multiplier effects make agriculture's impact on the local economy worth over $1.5 billion annually. TREC is the only state university research center in the continental United States focusing on a large number of tropical and subtropical crops. The area is characterized by a marine humid subtropical climate and unique oolitic limestone based soil.

In addition, the center addresses water, and environmental issues that impact crop production over a shallow aquifer and in proximity to Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Marine Park, Florida Bay and major well fields which provide drinking water to the several million people in neighboring urban areas. The…