Assistant or Associate Professor Wheat Breeding and Genetics

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, Oklahoma

The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in the Ferguson College of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University seeks a dynamic, forward-thinking plant breeder and geneticist for an 11-month, tenure-track faculty position. This position carries a 100% research assignment. Subject to academic rank, the successful candidate may be considered for the Wheat Genetics Chair in Agriculture carrying a stable multi-million-dollar endowment.

This position holds 100% Research responsibilities.

The successful candidate will lead the OSU wheat breeding program and play a central leadership role in the internationally recognized, multi-disciplinary OSU Wheat Improvement Team (WIT). The primary focus of this position is the development and release of high-yielding and end-use quality focused hard winter wheat and specialty wheat varieties tailored to Oklahoma and the Great Plains. The research program will integrate classical phenotypic breeding methodologies with modern technologies, including genomic selection, marker-assisted breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, crop modeling, and emerging gene-editing and AI-enabled digital breeding technologies to i.)

address agronomic priorities such as dual-purpose production systems, changing pest and disease pressures, drought, low soil pH, and late-planted scenarios, and ii.) to strengthen the overall marketing position for Great Plains wheat.

• Program Leadership: Serve as the lead investigator for the OSU wheat breeding program, managing germplasm development, field and quality testing, and variety releases.
• Interdisciplinary
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Lead and collaborate closely with the multi-disciplinary Wheat Improvement Team, including molecular geneticists, plant pathologists, entomologists, crop physiologists, systems modelers, and Extension specialists.
• Interinstitutional Collaboration
  :
  Develop and execute breeding strategies that capitalize on the complementary strengths of other wheat breeding programs in and outside the U.S. Great Plains.
• Extramural Funding: Secure external competitive funding from federal agencies (e.g., USDA-NIFA, NSF), state commodity groups (e.g., the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation), and industry partners to sustain a high-impact research program.
• Field Evaluation: Utilize the university’s network of statewide research stations and affiliated private operator research-grade sites to evaluate and select within breeding nurseries and to collect grain for end-use quality.
• Dissemination: Publish research findings in high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Public Relations: Serve as the lead voice for the OSU wheat improvement program through local, regional, and national media outlets.
• Mentorship: Recruit, advise, and mentor graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) and postdoctoral researchers.

• A Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Agronomy, Crop Science, or a closely related biological field.
• Documented expertise in field-based plant breeding and genetics.
• Demonstrated ability or strong potential to secure extramural funding and publish peer-reviewed research.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to lead collaborative, transdisciplinary research teams, and to represent the science and art of Oklahoma wheat improvement to the consumer public.

• Postdoctoral or industry experience in a major crop breeding program (experience with polyploid or small grain crops like winter wheat is highly advantageous).
• Practical experience integrating genomic…