Assistant Professor

Position Function:

The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University (MSU), invites applications for a full-time, 9-month tenure-track faculty position with 65% teaching and 35% research responsibilities. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Salary Grade: UC

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

The Southeastern U.S. hosts some of the greatest biodiversity in North America including numerous endangered and threatened species. Mississippi is characterized by diverse terrains including broadleaf forests, oak savannas, prairie grasslands, temperate pine forests and delta wetlands, along with abundant waterways and coastal ecosystems. These rich landscapes provide habitat for hundreds of species of fishes, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Mississippi is home to 11 national wildlife refuges, 6 national forests, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Natchez Scenic Trail, multiple national monuments, military parks, battlefields, several US Army Corps of Engineer reservoirs, 25 state parks, the Mississippi River, and 53 Wildlife Management areas.

Mississippi State University is ranked as one of the top research institutions in the United States. The Carnegie Institute has designated MSU as an "R1 - very high research activity" doctoral granting institution. The National Science Foundation has MSU as ranked No. 12 nationally in Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation research expenditures with more than $109 million spent annually. The 45-member faculty within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture leads one of the most productive research programs in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University.

We are home to the Mississippi USGS Coop Unit of scientists, the Center for Human-Wildlife Conflict, the USDA Wildlife Services National Training Academy and four endowed faculty chairs. The department has a highly collegial and interdisciplinary group of faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and Research and Extension Associates that help make the department one of the premier institutions for applied wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture science in the nation.

Annually, the department faculty bring in $15-20 million in extramural funding. As one of the fastest growing undergraduate programs in the region, our 320+ undergraduate students concentrate in wildlife agriculture science, human-wildlife interactions, conservation biology, wildlife veterinary medicine, conservation law enforcement, and wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture science. The department also mentors over 100 graduate students across a variety of programs, with high job placement following receipt of a graduate degree.

Area of Specialization:

Human Dimensions

Anticipated Appointment Date:

January 1, 2026.

Tenure Track Status:

Yes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Teaching responsibilities are three face-to-face courses per year and include two semesters of fish and wildlife policy, one semester of human dimensions of wildlife and fisheries management, and an on-line graduate-level course on human dimensions that is part of our MS program in Conservation Education and is taught every other year. Additional expectations include advising undergraduate students, directing graduate committees, and mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Research responsibilities include developing a robust, externally funded, interdisciplinary program that produces scholarly products including peer-reviewed publications, books and geospatial products that inform policy and management decisions. We recognize and value diverse forms of scholarly impact, including traditional academic publications, policy influence, stakeholder engagement, and public scholarship. Applied research should address real-world challenges faced by resource managers, landowners, policymakers, and the public, including issues at the interface of private and public lands, working landscapes, hunting and fishing heritage, and shifting recreational uses of natural resources.

Collaboration is expected with other Mississippi State scientists, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other partners who rely on MSU science to inform conservation outcomes.

The successful candidate is expected to contribute to service at the department, college, university, and professional society levels, consistent with MSU's land-grant mission.

Minimum Qualifications:

* Ph.D. in a related field demonstrating expertise in human dimensions, social sciences or policy sciences related fields including but not limited to wildlife, fisheries, and natural resource management, conservation, coupled natural-human systems, and human-wildlife…