POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT #0803591
Title: Assistant Professor of Landscape Biogeochemistry/ Multi-scale
Biogeochemical Modeling
Location: Soil and Water Science Department
University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
Gainesville, Florida
Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Review Date: To ensure full consideration please apply online and submit additional
materials by March 30, 2010. Position will open until a viable
applicant pool is determined.
Duties and Responsibilities
This is a 12-month tenure-accruing position that will be 30% teaching (College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences) and 70% research (Florida Agriculture Experiment Station) available in the Soil and Water
Science Department (SWSD), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), at the University of
Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Duties will include
research on multi-scale biogeochemical landscape modeling and teaching of assigned on-campus and
distance education courses. Tenure will accrue in the SWSD. The faculty member will participate actively
in undergraduate education and graduate education by chairing graduate committees, serving on graduate
committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, supervising undergraduate research, and
publishing the results with his/her graduate students. The faculty member will seek contract and grant
funding actively to support his/her program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in
his or her program area. All IFAS faculty are expected to demonstrate commitment and responsibility to
the three functions of the Land Grant mission. The faculty member is expected to work as a team member
of the SWSD and the UF-Water Institute and with faculty in various other disciplines (environmental
engineering science, geography, geology, landscape ecology, hydrology, and landscape analysis) and
centers, to provide a broader understanding of the biogeochemical cycles in the landscape.
Integrative modeling and synthesis across regional to global scales will be the broad research goal of the
incumbent, in order to better understand the consequences of changing land use and climate. The faculty
member in this position will develop a nationally recognized research program on biogeochemical cycles
coupled to hydrology and climate change across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems influenced by
anthropogenic and natural stressors. The program focus will be on intrinsic and extrinsic factors (soil,
climate, land cover, terrain, geology, hydrology, and human activities) controlling sources and sinks of
elements (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur or other), biophysical feedbacks (soil/vegetation-water-atmosphere
interactions) to climate dynamics, coupling of biogeochemical pathways, carbon
sequestration strategies, and past and future land use response to climate change. The incumbent will
develop models ranging from simple nutrient or carbon budgets, to geostatistical synthesis, to spatiotemporal
mechanistic simulations, integrating and interpolating fine-scale processes across broader spatial
and temporal scales. Special attention should be given to ecosystem disturbances on elemental cycles
along large-scale geographic gradients that threaten resilience and health of ecosystems, including
disturbances such as rising green house gas emissions, rapid land use change, or anthropogenically
induced pollution. Modeling emphasis should be placed on integrating field-scale biogeochemical
processes and stressors into larger scale landscape (and/or global) models to allow scenario assessment
across various ecosystem types including agricultural, forest, urban, and aquatic systems in subtropical
landscapes, such as Florida.
The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including teaching
undergraduate and/or graduate courses, advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students,
participating in curriculum revision and enhancement, seeking funding for the teaching program,
supervising undergraduate and graduate research and creative work, publishing teaching-related
scholarship, producing learning tools, and engaging in professional development activities related to
teaching and advising. Faculty are encouraged to support and participate in the CALS Honors Program,
distance education, and international education.
Qualifications
An earned doctorate in Soil and Water Science/Geosciences/Environmental Sciences or a closely related field
with emphasis in stochastic and/or mechanistic landscape modeling, and biogeochemistry. Training and
post-doctoral experience in biogeochemistry at a range of spatial and temporal scales, and modeling are
highly desirable. Candidates should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication,
interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding. Candidates must be supportive of the
mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to IFAS core values of
excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.
Background Information:
The SWSD has established itself as a leader in teaching, research, and extension/outreach programs in
management and restoration of these resources The interdisciplinary nature of SWSD programs provides
students and faculty an opportunity to conduct basic and applied research at multiple (molecular to
landscape) scales to solve environmental problems and protect and manage land and water resources.
Details about the SWSD can be found at: http://soils.ifas.ufl.edu.
The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant and Sea-Grant institution, encompassing
virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 48,000 students. UF
is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences (http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (http://cals.ufl.edu),
the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida Cooperative
Extension Service (http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College of Veterinary Medicine
(http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu), and encompasses 15 academic departments and the School of Forest
Resources and Conservation, 9 interdisciplinary centers, 13 research and educational centers throughout
the state, and Cooperative Extension units in each of Florida's 67 counties and the Seminole Tribe. The
School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed
by several colleges on campus. IFAS employs over 3400 people, which includes approximately 950
faculty and 2450 support personnel located in Gainesville Florida and throughout the state. IFAS, one of
the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is
administered by a Senior Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for
Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of
Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in
Tallahassee.
Employment Conditions
This position is available (March 30, 2010), and will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable
applicant is available. Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications
of the selected applicant.
Nominations
Nominations are welcome. Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee.
This information should be sent to:
Please refer to Requisition # 0803591
Dr. Sabine Grunwald
Chair, Search and Screen Committee
University of Florida
Soil and Water Science Department
2169 McCarty Hall, P. O. Box. 110290
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
Telephone: 352-392-1951, extension 204
Facsimile: 352-392-3902
Electronic Mail: [log in to unmask]
Application Information
Individuals wishing to apply should go online to https://jobs.ufl.edu and submit:
o General application
o Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the
credentials listed above
o Resume
Official transcripts showing receipt of the doctoral degree and four letters of recommendation
should be sent to:
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity and equal access employer. The “government in the sunshine”
laws of Florida require that all documents relating to the search process, including letters of application,
nomination, and reference, except transcripts, be available for public inspection. Persons with disabilities have the
right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.
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