Department Head, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

Overview

Department Head, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

The College of Agricultural Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking a dynamic individual to lead the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management (ESM). Penn State is a public university with a broad statewide presence and a strong land‑grant mission. The College leads the university's teaching, research, and extension activities with more than 1,200 full‑time employees, including 300 faculty, and serves over 3,500 graduate and undergraduate students.

The College emphasizes inclusivity and a supportive learning and working environment.

The Department’s land‑grant mission is to ensure a vibrant future for humanity by preserving ecosystems, promoting inclusivity, fostering scientific breakthroughs, educating students for impactful careers, inspiring future leaders, and collaborating on innovative solutions to major environmental challenges. ESM focuses on forest health, restoring ecosystem function and service, scaling up ecosystem management, and watershed resilience with applications across forestry, wildlife, fisheries, water, soils, and agriculture.

ESM offers three graduate programs, two undergraduate majors, and three minors, participates in four inter‑college graduate degree programs and four inter‑college dual‑title degree programs, and comprises a collaborative team of 34 interdisciplinary faculty and 30 staff. The Head is the Department’s academic leader and administrative officer, providing intellectual and organizational leadership for ESM, based at the main campus (University Park) and reporting to the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

• Create and maintain an environment that facilitates
  1) a strong sense of community;
  2) an effective shared vision;
  3) a highly productive, innovative, and entrepreneurial faculty and staff;
  4) collaborative opportunities, and
  5) a mutually supportive, encouraging, diverse, and intellectually stimulating environment for students, staff, and faculty.
• Lead faculty and staff in implementing and enhancing the Department’s undergraduate and graduate education programs, Cooperative Extension, and outreach initiatives to ensure programs are responsive to the evolving interests and needs of students and society.
• Guide and enhance the Department’s research environment to assure that programs meet the needs of stakeholders and sponsors.
• Proactively engage Extension, and enhance the Department’s state, national, and international reputation.
• Administer and manage the Department’s academic affairs, personnel, finances, and physical facilities.
• Represent, promote, and advocate for the Department within the College and University, and with interdisciplinary groups, alumni, and other private and public stakeholders within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond.
• Support development programs to attract external support for educational programs, research initiatives, centers and institutes, and Extension engagement strategies.

• Earned doctorate and a record of scholarly activity with a proven record of peer‑reviewed publications, extramural funding, and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, and that would qualify for the rank of professor with tenure.
• Demonstrated effective management and administrative leadership of a multi‑disciplinary, multi‑function department.
• Significant understanding and appreciation of the evolving mission of the land‑grant university system, and of expectations, opportunities, and constraints facing faculty and departments in public research and education institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budget priorities and balance a diverse array of needs within the Department.
• Demonstrated ability in and commitment to effective leadership that stresses participatory decision‑making.
• Strong personnel management experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Proven ability and commitment to mentoring faculty, staff, and departmental personnel at all career stages and providing support for professional development.

• A letter of application that states an applicant's specific interest in…