Assistant Professor - Animal Welfare - Dairy Cattle

Universities of Wisconsin • River Falls, WI

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About The Position

This is a nine-month, full-time academic, tenure-track faculty position (60% research and 40% teaching) at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Science. This position is part of the Dairy Innovation Hub, a state-wide initiative to advance dairy research, education, and outreach. The teaching load for this 40% teaching appointment is 4.67 contact hours per semester. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong interests and abilities to conduct research and teach courses in dairy and/or animal science with an emphasis on dairy welfare and management. Opportunities exist for optional summer employment through teaching, research grants, internship supervision, and other funding sources.

Requirements

• PhD in Dairy Science or Animal Science or Animal Welfare or closely related discipline. A DVM with a graduate degree would also be considered.
• Applicants who have finished course work and are still working on their dissertation may be considered for a conditional appointment and must complete their Ph.D. or graduate degree within one year after their date of appointment.
• Educational and professional expertise primarily in dairy cattle
• Professional priority for achieving excellence in dairy welfare and management research
• Strong interest in and desire to teach college-level courses
• Well-developed and effective oral and written communication skills
• Familiarity with North American animal agricultural practices

Nice To Haves

• Handling and evaluating herd data to assess and improve dairy cattle health and wellbeing
• Experience with dairy management software, such as Dairy Comp, PC Dart, etc.
• Experience with individual cow management systems, such as Cow Manager, etc.
• Experience in evaluating the individual cow’s environment as it relates to cow comfort
• Demonstrated research activity in publications in relevant areas
• Experience and ability to teach in the core disciplines of Dairy or Animal Science at the college level
• Experience, contacts, and involvement in the dairy industry
• Strong interest in and ability to provide undergraduate students: 1) leadership and mentoring in research; 2) academic advising; and 3) advising of co-curricular activities such as student organizations.

Responsibilities

• Research (60%) Conduct primary research on dairy cattle welfare and management.
• Utilize the UWRF Dairy Herd and/or collaborate with commercial dairy farms across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.
• Hande and evaluate herd data sets using dairy management software.
• Work with individual cow management systems.
• Engage in collaborative dairy research with UW-Madison, and UW-Platteville, as part of the Dairy Innovation Hub program.
• Establish and maintain affiliations with dairy farmers, dairy-affiliated groups, and dairy associations at the regional, state, and national levels.
• Teaching (40%) Teach undergraduate courses in dairy and/or animal science with emphasis on dairy welfare and/or management.
• Help in teaching core disciplines of Dairy or Animal Science based on departmental needs, individual interest, educational background, or skill level.
• Be an effective and engaged teacher.
• Maintain a strong interest and ability in providing undergraduate students with leadership, mentoring, and advising.
• Have well developed and effective oral and written communication skills.

Benefits

• Employees receive excellent benefits including exceptionally low-cost comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; employer match of Wisconsin Retirement System contributions of 6.95%; an attractive amount of paid leave per year in addition to paid sick leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees