Assistant or Associate Professor of Urban Landscape Entomology - Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA) Endowed

University of Florida

22h•Onsite

About The Position

This is a 12-month, tenure-accruing position that is 60% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 40% Extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service) located at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida based in Apopka. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Entomology and Nematology Department. The incumbent is expected to have access to funds from the Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA) Professorship endowment to support their Extension and research programs. The UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC) in Apopka, Florida serves as a hub for research, teaching, and Extension programs supporting Florida’s ornamental, landscape, urban and controlled environment agriculture industries. This variety of faculty, staff and programs provides a unique setting for interdisciplinary work within the MREC campus, with colleagues on the main UF campus and with faculty at other Centers around the state. The UF/IFAS Turfgrass program, considered one of the best nationwide, is an integrated research, teaching, and Extension group of faculty in three departments and four locations (main campus and three Research and Education Centers). These faculty serve a large and dynamic turfgrass industry composed of lawn care professionals, sod producers, sports field managers, and golf course superintendents.

Requirements

A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Entomology, Biology, or a closely related discipline is required.
Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication.
Demonstrated skills in developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
Demonstrated skills in publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Demonstrated skills in 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

Postdoctoral Experience is desirable.
A strong record of publishing in refereed journals is desirable.
Demonstrated expertise in insect ecology and pest management is desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop a nationally and internationally recognized, and extramurally funded, research and Extension program in urban landscape entomology, with emphasis on turfgrass and ornamental landscapes.
Address insect pest biology, ecology, and integrated management strategies tailored to Florida systems across urban and suburban landscapes, including residential and commercial landscapes, athletic fields, sod production, and golf courses.
Collaborate with colleagues across Florida, the southern region, and nationally and internationally.
Emphasize sustainable pest management approaches that reduce reliance on pesticide inputs, improve plant health, and enhance environmental quality in urban landscapes.
Address pest dynamics associated with urbanization and changing environmental conditions.
Develop a comprehensive Extension program that provides statewide leadership in urban landscape entomology through UF/IFAS Extension.
Develop and deliver educational programs, workshops, and decision-support tools for sod producers, pest management professionals, landscape managers, arborists, golf course superintendents, county faculty, and the general public.
Contribute to relevant UF/IFAS Initiative Teams focused on agriculture, horticulture, and sustainable urban systems.
Publish research and Extension results in national and international refereed and non-refereed journals.
Present results at professional meetings.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary faculty and industry partners to address emerging pest management challenges.
Participate actively in graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, and publishing research results with students.
Engage in professional service, consistent with the IFAS land-grant mission.
Actively seek contract and grant funding to support his/her program.
Involvement in national and international professional societies is expected.
Be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.