Assistant Professor in Sustainable Urban Water Management

Texas A&M University System • Dallas, TX

104d

About The Position

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service. This position is expected to integrate with and complement existing programs at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas, especially in turfgrass and urban landscape, ecological engineering, and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) programs. It is also expected that the successful applicant will complement water research programs at other research and extension centers and departments. Furthermore, this role at the Dallas Center has the potential to emerge as a central hub for tackling urban water challenges in five major Texas metropolitan areas – Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. Given that two-thirds of Texas' population resides in these areas, maintaining a robust research and extension program under effective leadership while stressing the importance of active stakeholder and community engagement will be crucial for long-term sustainable urban water management in the state of Texas.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in an area of Environmental Science, Engineering, Water Resource Management, Horticulture, or a closely related field.
• Experience conducting research on soil-plant-water interactions, urban water management, or related disciplines.
• Experience in technologies related to water quality and use efficiency.
• Strong quantitative skills, including expertise in water modeling, hydrological modeling, GIS, or related analytical techniques.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications or scholarly achievements demonstrating research proficiency.
• Experience or capacity to lead a research team to effectively pursue and secure funding support to accomplish research goals and objectives.
• Valid driver's license or the ability to obtain one by the hire date.

Nice To Haves

• Prior academic, post-doctoral, or professional experience in urban water management.
• Prior research experience on stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, sustainable landscaping and/or CEA practices.
• Experience working with municipal entities, water districts, or in multi-agency collaborative settings.
• Modest teaching experience that will enhance graduate student success.
• Modest outreach experience with stakeholder interaction and community engagement.
• Grant writing experience (or potential) and evidence of the ability to attract external funding.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and comprehend the complex interplay of soil-plant-water within urban environments.
• Develop and implement cutting-edge climate-informed irrigation technologies for sustainable urban water management and conservation.
• Develop strategies to maximize efficient water usage in urban environments.
• Investigate the effects of water quality in turfgrass and CEA crops.
• Investigate technologies that improve water quality and reduce contaminants.
• Optimize water management practices in CEA systems.
• Investigate alternative water sources for potential use in turfgrass and CEA production systems.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff at the Dallas Center and other AgriLife Centers to develop innovative and sustainable blue-green infrastructure solutions to enhance urban resilience, reduce flood risks, and improve environmental quality.
• Support extension and outreach programs to enhance urban water security and resilience, focusing on sustainable management practices and climate adaptation.
• Cultivate partnerships with stakeholders, including cities, municipal water districts, and water related groups to enhance collaborative efforts in urban water conservation.
• Educate urban residents on critical water conservation practices and enhance water quality through landscape management and urban water use best practices.
• Support County Extension Agents in training and evaluation of water programs.
• Establish and maintain an extramurally funded research and extension program to lead in sustainable urban water management.
• Mentor postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students.
• Oversee and guide a research and extension team in the urban water program.
• Provide leadership, management, and direction to the Dallas Water Team in research direction, grantsmanship and engagement activities.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums.
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays.
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree