Associate/Full Professor, Scientific Director, Proctor Maple Research Center
University of Vermont

Job Info

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Advertising Copy:

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Vermont (UVM) invites applications for the position of Scientific Director of the Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC) at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, starting August 2024. We seek an accomplished researcher with the creative vision to help guide the research direction of the PMRC, sustain and grow its use as a cutting-edge research facility for forest tree biology and maple syrup production, and enhance the capabilities of the Center by attracting research faculty, visiting scientists, and graduate students. This is a 9-month 1.0 FTE position, with the potential for one additional month of Director salary, and an underlying tenured faculty position in the Department of Plant Biology.The Proctor Maple Research Center is a field research station and functioning sugaring operation, located in Underhill, VT about 45 minutes from the UVM main campus in Burlington. As the world's premier research facility on the science of maple sugar production, the PMRC contributes through research, demonstration, and education to the practical and scholarly knowledge required for the success and sustainability of the maple industry. Basic research at PMRC has shed light on tree sap flow physiology, tree health under global change, and the chemistry of sap and syrup, while applied research has produced new techniques for sap collection and processing for improving syrup quality while investigating the sustainability of high yield practices on the long-term health of trees. The PMRC also serves as a field classroom for students and scientists across multiple disciplines, as well as a source of research-based best practices and outreach to the international community of maple syrup producers and stakeholders, offering technical scientific guidance, outreach presentations, and tours.For the Scientific Director, we seek an innovative and experienced researcher with a nationally or internationally recognized research program grounded in the basic science of tree biology, with clear potential for translational application to maple health, sap, and/or syrup production. Examples of potential research areas include, but are not limited to, tree physiology, forest ecology, tree responses to global change, systems biology, or other fundamental areas important to tree and forest ecosystem health. We are particularly interested in candidates who are highly collaborative and will foster an inclusive environment at the PMRC that engages with multiple researchers working across themes of forest tree biology and global change and will help grow the breadth of research hosted at the PMRC. The Scientific Director will oversee a program that includes both basic research on tree biology/ecology and applied research on maple sap and/or syrup production. The Scientific Director will also work closely with the Administrative and Outreach Director to coordinate activities at the PMRC as well as to engage with stakeholders. As part of their role guiding the scientific direction of the PMRC, we expect the Scientific Director will maintain an active lab group, including mentoring graduate and undergraduate student researchers. While the primary duty station will be at the PMRC, there is additional lab and office space available on the UVM main campus to support the candidate's lab group and encourage interactions and collaborations within the department and the broader UVM community. Teaching duties include 1 or 2 courses per year, including an introductory course in maple science and an upper-level undergraduate or graduate course in the applicant's area of expertise. Service will be split between outreach to the maple community and service to the College and University in support of its land-grant mission.Qualifications:Candidates must possess an earned doctorate in plant biology, biology, forestry, ecology, or a related discipline. The successful candidate will have scholarly accomplishments that demonstrate an active and nationally or internationally recognized research program with a sustained record of publications and extramural funding. The Scientific Director will be a committed teacher with the capacity to teach and mentor students at the graduate and undergraduate level. Candidates should have experience building and fostering the development of collaborative teams, with a demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusive practices. The successful candidate is expected to qualify for the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor at the University of Vermont.The University of Vermont is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and inclusive excellence of the academic community through their teaching, service, and research, scholarship, and/or creative arts. We are an educationally purposeful community seeking to prepare students to be accountable leaders in a diverse and changing world. Members of the University of Vermont community embrace and advance the values of Our Common Ground: Openness, Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Innovation, and Justice. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to the ideals of accessibility, inclusiveness, and academic excellence as reflected in the tenets of Our Common Ground.Required Materials:Applications must be submitted online at www.uvmjobs.com to Position number 00026926. Applicants must provide:1. A cover letter articulating the candidate's vision for guiding the scientific direction of the PMRC and how their background and accomplishments prepare them for this position.2. A current C.V. detailing publications, internal and external funding, teaching, and service activities.3. A maximum 3-page combined Research and Teaching Statement4. A maximum 1-page statement that discusses the candidate's skills, experiences, and commitment to inclusive excellence in their teaching and mentoring activities, and ways in which past or future activities could help foster diverse, inclusive, and collaborative teams that aspire to the tenets of Our Common Ground.5. Names and (e-mail) addresses of at least three references who may be contacted after the initial application review.The review of applications will begin March 26, 2024, with applications submitted after this date reviewed on a rolling basis until the posting is closed. Start date is flexible, with an anticipated start in August 2024. Salary will be made at a level appropriate to the successful applicant's qualifications and experience. For further information about this position, please contact: Dr. Stephen Keller, Search Committee Chair (Stephen.Keller@uvm.edu) or Sarah Goodrich, Plant Biology Department (Sarah.Goodrich@uvm.edu).The University of Vermont (UVM) is a land-grant university and the state's flagship institution for research, teaching, and extension, known for its commitment to research excellence in the environment, climate change, and planetary health. UVM's main campus is situated along the shores of Lake Champlain - part of the UNESCO-designated Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve. The city of Burlington is known for its high quality of life, excellent schools, thriving art and music scene, and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. The Proctor Maple Research Center is part of the Department of Plant Biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS), with a mission to deliver collaborative, transformative research, academics, and outreach that create critical thinkers and problem solvers to build resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and healthy communities and environments. CALS has approximately 120 faculty across academic units and Extension, serving approximately 1,400 undergraduate and 170 graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.), and is home to UVM Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station dedicated to providing scientific service in support of UVM's land-grant mission. In addition to PMRC, CALS is also home to the newly established USDA-ARS Food Systems Research Center, the UVM Greenhouses, the Pringle Herbarium, the Entomology Research Lab, the Paul Miller Research Complex, and the Horticulture Research and Education Center. UVM's facilities also encompass a network of Research Forests and Natural Areas for scientific research, teaching, and outreach activities. Abundant opportunities exist at UVM for collaboration in areas of forest tree research, including with faculty and students in UVM's Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources, the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, and the US Forest Service Northern Research Station.The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law. The University encourages applications from all individuals who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution.

Job Open Date:

01/26/2024

Posting Number:

F2953PO

Department:

Plant Biology/51030

Advertising/Posting Title:

Associate/Full Professor, Scientific Director, Proctor Maple Research Center

FLSA:

Exempt

Position Number:

00026926

Employee FTE:

1.0

Employee Term (months):

9

This job has expired.