Assistant Professor of Specialty Crop and Ornamental Plant Breeding

University of Florida•Orange, FL

16d

About The Position

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences welcomes applicants who can contribute to our environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF . This is a 12-month tenure-accruing position that will be 80% Research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 20% Extension (UF/IFAS), at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Department of Horticultural Sciences. The successful candidate will develop an extramurally funded, nationally-recognized research and extension program emphasizing breeding of specialty and ornamental crops. The program will use both traditional and advanced methods for improving quality traits, abiotic and biotic stress (disease/insect) resistance and improving aesthetic quality of crops through consumer-friendly precision breeding and/or other similar genetic techniques. The program will focus on developing specialty crops that can be grown in greenhouse or other types of protected culture. As appropriate, the incumbent may also work on fruit crops as well. This faculty member will integrate into the existing genetic program emphasizing precision breeding and environmental crop tissue and cell culture programs and be expected to work in partnership with other inter- and intradepartmental faculty members as well as lead industry groups to develop a competitive research program. The incumbent is expected to collaborate with horticulturists, entomologists, plant pathologists, geneticists and plant breeders, to develop horticulturally desirable end-products for consumers. The incumbent will also be expected to obtain extramurally funding to support the breeding program and graduate students. This faculty member will participate in UF/IFAS Extension programming through the development and teaching of extension materials for outreach to Florida stakeholders. The faculty member is expected to publish research and extension results in national and international refereed and non-refereed journals. Tenure will accrue in the Department of Horticultural Sciences. The successful candidate will participate actively in graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, and publishing research results with students. The faculty member will actively seek contract and grant funding to support his/her program. Involvement in national and international professional societies is expected. 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

Ph.D. (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Genetics, Plant Breeding, Plant Biology, Horticultural Science or a closely related field.
Knowledgeable of molecular and traditional plant breeding techniques and new cultivar development.
Strong record of publishing in refereed journals.
Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding.
Supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system.
Commitment to UF core values

Nice To Haves

Postdoctoral experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop an extramurally funded, nationally-recognized research and extension program emphasizing breeding of specialty and ornamental crops.
Use both traditional and advanced methods for improving quality traits, abiotic and biotic stress (disease/insect) resistance and improving aesthetic quality of crops through consumer-friendly precision breeding and/or other similar genetic techniques.
Focus on developing specialty crops that can be grown in greenhouse or other types of protected culture.
Work on fruit crops as appropriate.
Integrate into the existing genetic program emphasizing precision breeding and environmental crop tissue and cell culture programs.
Work in partnership with other inter- and intradepartmental faculty members as well as lead industry groups to develop a competitive research program.
Collaborate with horticulturists, entomologists, plant pathologists, geneticists and plant breeders, to develop horticulturally desirable end-products for consumers.
Obtain extramurally funding to support the breeding program and graduate students.
Participate in UF/IFAS Extension programming through the development and teaching of extension materials for outreach to Florida stakeholders.
Publish research and extension results in national and international refereed and non-refereed journals.
Participate actively in graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis and dissertation research, and publishing research results with students.
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