Assistant or Associate Professor in Remote Sensing

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

22h•Onsite

About The Position

This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 30% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), and 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. The faculty member in this position will develop active, successful, nationally recognized research and teaching programs in remote sensing technologies and techniques to detect, describe, predict threats impacting our agricultural and natural systems and evaluate mitigation strategies. The successful candidate will develop theoretical/foundational algorithms in remote sensing and/or sensor development (hardware) utilizing a variety of sensors such as fluorescence, hyperspectral and multispectral optical sensing, LiDAR, and/or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The applications may include but not limited to satellite-based spatio-temporal remote sensing in soil and plant nutrients/organic matter, ecosystem health (such as agriculture, rangelands, and forests), natural hazards, land use/cover changes (e.g. soil degradation); and/or water quality for health and societal well-being. The successful candidate will complement but not duplicate existing remote sensing expertise in Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) and precision agriculture. For the teaching program, the candidate will develop an undergraduate course in remote sensing techniques or sensor development for wider, non-engineering students, and another graduate-level course derived from the candidate’s research expertise. A successful candidate is expected to embrace all three missions of research, extension, and teaching of the land-grant university system. The research and teaching assignments may vary in response to the needs of the department. In addition to a strong disciplinary training, we seek candidates with interest in integrating knowledge from multiple academic domains, such as environmental science and engineering, hydrology, crop/rangeland systems, forest systems, artificial intelligence, computer science, and/or electrical engineering. Candidates should possess the interest, skills, and temperament to interact effectively with other researchers across disciplines. The successful candidate will be closely affiliated with the Center for Remote Sensing established by an Endowment from the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Chinese Taipei Committee, Taiwan R.O.C. Currently, the Center has over 80 Affiliate Faculty from various departments across UF. The candidate is required to establish the basis for a strong, externally funded research program, and develop active collaborations with other faculty and research partners, creating synergy both inside and outside of the University of Florida. Moreover, we expect the candidate to promote their research activity and leadership in professional societies, supported by sustained publication activity in top scientific journals. The goals of the position are also in line with strategic research areas of the UF College of Engineering of which ABE is also an active member through ABET accreditation. The candidate will be expected to participate in all activities of departmental academic life (research groups, mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students, and academic service activities) and work closely with other faculty in IFAS, the College of Engineering, the Emerging Pathogens Institute, the UF Water Institute, Florida Climate Institute, Astraeus Space Institute, and/or the Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute. Tenure will accrue in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. The faculty member will seek contracts and grant funding actively to support their program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in their program area. 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. Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.

Requirements

A Ph.D. (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field is required.
Interdisciplinary engineer or scientist with the ability to integrate the use of remote sensing technologies for management of agricultural or natural systems.
Strong background in remote sensing analysis and modeling of complex environmental systems.
Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding.
Must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system.
Must have a commitment to UF core values.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in remote sensing sensors, applications and/or theory leveraging multiple sensor platforms.
Experience developing or using Artificial Intelligence and other analysis methods.
Postdoctoral experience.
A clearly established publication record in areas related to this position.

Responsibilities

Develop active, successful, nationally recognized research and teaching programs in remote sensing technologies and techniques to detect, describe, predict threats impacting our agricultural and natural systems and evaluate mitigation strategies.
Develop theoretical/foundational algorithms in remote sensing and/or sensor development (hardware) utilizing a variety of sensors such as fluorescence, hyperspectral and multispectral optical sensing, LiDAR, and/or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
Applications may include but not limited to satellite-based spatio-temporal remote sensing in soil and plant nutrients/organic matter, ecosystem health (such as agriculture, rangelands, and forests), natural hazards, land use/cover changes (e.g. soil degradation); and/or water quality for health and societal well-being.
Complement but not duplicate existing remote sensing expertise in Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) and precision agriculture.
Develop an undergraduate course in remote sensing techniques or sensor development for wider, non-engineering students, and another graduate-level course derived from the candidate’s research expertise.
Embrace all three missions of research, extension, and teaching of the land-grant university system.
Integrate knowledge from multiple academic domains, such as environmental science and engineering, hydrology, crop/rangeland systems, forest systems, artificial intelligence, computer science, and/or electrical engineering.
Interact effectively with other researchers across disciplines.
Establish the basis for a strong, externally funded research program.
Develop active collaborations with other faculty and research partners, creating synergy both inside and outside of the University of Florida.
Promote research activity and leadership in professional societies, supported by sustained publication activity in top scientific journals.
Participate in all activities of departmental academic life (research groups, mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students, and academic service activities).
Work closely with other faculty in IFAS, the College of Engineering, the Emerging Pathogens Institute, the UF Water Institute, Florida Climate Institute, Astraeus Space Institute, and/or the Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute.
Seek contracts and grant funding actively to support their program.
Engage in Extension activities in their program area.
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.
Support and participate in the CALS Honors Program, distance education, and international education.