Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

Texas A&M Agri Life Research is seeking applications for an Assistant Professor position with a strong focus on water and plant stress physiology, with an emphasis on salinity management and utilization of alternative water resources. The successful candidate will lead a research program that addresses critical regional and global challenges related to crop productivity under water-limited and saline conditions.

This is a 12-month, non-tenure track, 75% research and 25% extension appointment partially supported by the Texas Water Resources Institute and administratively located at the Texas A&M Agri Life Research and Extension Center in Lubbock, Texas, with an academic affiliation in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station.

Responsibilities:

• Lead research on crop responses to abiotic stress, with an emphasis on water quality and salinity, including soil-water-plant interactions under saline irrigation.
• Develop and optimize cropping systems that utilize brackish, produced, and other non-conventional water sources, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions.
• Advance the understanding of salinity tolerance mechanisms and stress physiology in key regional crops.
• Design and conduct field and laboratory experiments on alternative water use, salinity mitigation techniques, and adaptive crop management strategies.
• Collaborate with scientists located at the Lubbock center and assist in establishing interdisciplinary teams across Agri Life Research centers, other Texas A&M University System campuses, Texas Tech University and with federal agencies such as USDA-ARS to address shared research goals.
• Seek and secure competitive research funding from federal, state, commodity, and industry sources in areas related to saline water use and abiotic stresses.
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, Extension articles, and stakeholder engagement. Exhibit excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Support and communicate with county Extension programs in the area of saline water use for irrigation.
• Engage and communicate with agricultural producers, water managers, and commodity groups to translate research into practical solutions
• Participate in professional organizations and serve on departmental, agency, and university committees.

Extension (25%)

• Support the Extension Network by cooperating with and complementing programs that involve District-based County Extension Agents, Regional Program Leaders, and other Specialists.
• Develop research driven Extension programming targeting clientele in the Texas Panhandle.
• Provide training and technical assistance to County Extension Agents along with subject matter expertise.
• Support to the County Extension network and contribute to the region's scientific community through service on standing and ad hoc committees and working groups and commodity association technical support.
• Through active collaboration with allied Extension specialists, support the development and delivery of Extension programs and outreach activities that promote the adoption of innovative alternative water resources management practices in the High Plains and other water-limited regions.
• Work with agricultural producers, industry stakeholders, and extension personnel to translate research into practical applications.

Administrative Relationships:

The position is supervised by the Director of the Texas A&M Agri Life Research and Extension Center grammatic reporting and alignment with water-focused initiatives will be coordinated by the Director of the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). The Extension portion of this position will be supervised by the Associate Director for Extension in coordination with TWRI.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Crop Science, Soil Science, Agronomy, Environmental Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in field-based research related to water quality, salinity, or water-use efficiency.
• Proven ability to publish in high-quality journals and secure competitive research funding.
• Commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder-driven research.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for effective interaction with academic, industry, and agency partners.

Preferred job qualifications:

• Prior academic, post-doctoral, or professional experience.
• Prior research experience in Crop Science, Soil Science, Agronomy, Environmental Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience working with federal agencies or in other multi-agency collaborative settings.
• Modest outreach experience with stakeholder interaction.
• Grant writing experience and evidence of the ability to attract external funding.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Teamwork-Oriented:
  The ideal candidate will be collaborative, able to work effectively within multi-disciplinary teams, and engage actively with a broad range of stakeholders, including farmers, industry, and government agencies.
• Excellent oral and writing communication…