POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Assistant or Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Location: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
University of Florida Gainesville, Florida
Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Review Date: Review of application
materials will begin on March 25, 2011. Position
will open until a viable applicant pool is determined.
Duties and Responsibilities
This is a 12-month, full-time, tenure-accruing
position that will be 70% research (Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station), 20% extension
(Florida Cooperative Extension Service) and 10%
administration in the Department of Wildlife
Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, at the University of
Florida. The successful candidate will develop
internationally recognized research and extension
programs addressing questions broadly consistent
with the goals of the National Ecological
Observatory Network (NEON;
<http://www.neoninc.org>http://www.neoninc.org)
program related to ecology of wildlife and their
habitats. The Ordway Swisher Biological Station
is a research, teaching, and extension facility
of the University of Florida
(<http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu>http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu).
Duties will include:
(1) Develop an internationally recognized
research program focusing on large-scale ecology
and conservation with an emphasis on animal
populations and their habitats, broadly related
to the primary hypotheses and drivers underlying
the NEON program. Linking aspects of this
research program to the Ordway-Swisher Biological
Station (OSBS), a research, teaching and
extension facility of the University of Florida
(<http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu>http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu),
is highly desirable.
(2) Develop an innovative extension program
harnessing the potential of the Ordway-Swisher as
a site for extension and outreach programming.
Linking a portion of this program directly to
NEON and its citizen science, youth education,
and public outreach programs is highly desirable.
(3) Serve as Associate Director for Research
and Education of the Ordway-Swisher Biological
Station. In this capacity, the incumbent will
work in partnership with the Station Director and
Associate Director for Conservation and
Management to oversee programs and the Stations
infrastructure development. Duties include
facilitating the Stations infrastructure
development through competitive extramural
funding and work with potential donors, and
participation in review of proposed research and
educational activities at the Station.
Tenure will accrue in the Department of Wildlife
Ecology and Conservation. The faculty member
will participate actively in graduate education
and research, and departmental governance.
Position assignment may change in accordance with
the needs of the department. All IFAS faculty are
expected to demonstrate commitment and
responsibility to the three functions, teaching,
research, and extension, of the Land Grant mission.
Qualifications
Candidates must possess an earned doctorate in
the ecological or biological sciences, natural
resources, or related discipline; evidence of
scholarship and depth of knowledge in the area of
expertise; potential to develop cutting-edge
research and outreach programs and to inspire
undergraduate and graduate students; and a
commitment to promoting a diverse educational and
professional institution. Postdoctoral experience
is desirable. Candidates should have demonstrated
skills in verbal and written communication,
interpersonal relationships, and procurement of
extramural funding. Candidates must also have a
commitment to IFAS core values of excellence,
diversity, global involvement, and accountability.
Ordway-Swisher Biological Station
The Ordway-Swisher Biological Station
(<http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu>http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu)
is a research and teaching facility managed by
the Department of Wildlife Conservation and
Ecology on behalf of the University of Florida.
The 3,701 hectare (9,146 ac) field station is
located 25 miles east of the UF Campus in
Melrose, Fl (Putnam Co.). OSBS is comprised of a
mosaic of wetland and upland habitats that
include sandhills, xeric hammock, upland mixed
forest, swamps, marshes, and clastic and sandhill
upland lakes. Over 50 permanent and ephemeral
lakes and ponds, a significant hardwood swamp and
three wet prairies occur on the Station. Current
buildings on the Station support a 30 person
classroom, staff offices, equipment storage and
maintenance, and a caretaker house. Construction
of additional buildings is expected over the next
few years to support expanding needs. The Station
has been selected as the NEON core wildland site
for Domain 3. The Station's research program
focuses on supporting research of faculty and
students at the University of Florida and other
organizations, agencies, and academic
institutions. Over the past 30 years 63 graduate
projects have been conducted at the Station and
over 200 research publications and reports have been generated.
Background Information
The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is
a Land-Grant and Sea-Grant institution,
encompassing virtually all academic and
professional disciplines, with an enrollment of
more than 48,000 students. UF is a member of The
Association of American Universities. The
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(IFAS; http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College
of Agricultural and Life Sciences
(http://cals.ufl.edu), the Florida Agricultural
Experiment Station
(http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service
(http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College of
Veterinary Medicine (http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu),
and encompasses 15 academic departments and the
School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 9
interdisciplinary centers, 13 research and
educational centers throughout the state, and
Cooperative Extension units in each of Florida's
67 counties and the Seminole Tribe.
IFAS employs over 3400 people, which includes
approximately 950 faculty and 2450 support
personnel located in Gainesville and throughout
the state. IFAS, one of the nations largest
agricultural and natural resources research and
education organizations, is administered by a
Senior Vice President and four deans: the Dean of
the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,
the Dean for Extension and Director of the
Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean
for Research and Director of the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for
the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also
engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
The programs of the Department of Wildlife
Ecology and Conservation
(<http://www.wec.ufl.edu/>http://www.wec.ufl.edu/)
emphasize biological and human dimensions of
wildlife ecology and conservation in local to
international arenas. Department faculty may be
affiliated with the Center for Latin American
Studies, Center for African Studies, School of
Natural Resources and the Environment, and other
programs across campus. Also housed within the
Department is the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
Several units on or nearby the University of
Florida campus complement the teaching and
research programs of the Department, including
new and developing interdisciplinary climate
change centers and programs at UF and in the
Southeast; Biotechnologies for Ecological,
Evolutionary, and Conservation Sciences; Center
for Latin American Studies; Center for Natural
Resources; Center for Wetlands; Center for
Biological Conservation; Florida Museum of
Natural History; Northeast Regional Data Center;
National Ecology Laboratory (Sirenia) of USGS;
Florida Field Station (Gainesville) of the
U.S.D.A. Wildlife Research Laboratory;
Southeastern Forest Experiment Station unit of
the U.S. Forest Service; The Nature Conservancy;
the Wildlife Conservation Society; the Wildlife
Research Laboratory of the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission; and others.
Florida boasts a diverse fauna and flora common
to both southern temperate and subtropical
climates and is replete with springs, rivers,
backwater streams, lakes, freshwater and
saltwater marshes, mangrove fringes, cypress
swamps, hardwood hammocks, sandhills, scrub, pine
flatwoods, and rangeland. Nestled between the
Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida
has more than 2,000 kilometers of coastal beaches
and estuaries. Special features include the
Florida Keys, which constitute an archipelago of
picturesque subtropical islands, and the unique
Everglades, or river of grass, which sprawls
across the vast southern peninsula. As a gateway
to the Caribbean and Latin America, Florida
provides convenient access to tropical
environments, and diverse expertise on campus.
Employment Conditions
This position is available as soon as a suitable
candidate is found; specific start date is
negotiable. Compensation is commensurate with the
education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.
Contact Information and Application and Nomination Submission Information
Both nominations and applications are welcome.
Nominations need to include the complete name and
address of the nominee. Individuals wishing to
apply should go online to
<https://jobs.ufl.edu>https://jobs.ufl.edu ,
search for requisition # 0807287 and submit a
Faculty Profile Short Application.
Also, the following application materials should
be submitted electronically by emailing a single
PDF file containing items #1-4 below, along with
three letters of recommendation to
<mailto:wecwildlifeconservationposit...@wec.ufl.edu>wecwildlifeconservationposit...@wec.ufl.edu.
Letters of recommendation may be sent
electronically to the same email address
(preferred), or by post to Dr. Oli at the address below.
1. Letter of application that states
applicants interest in the position and qualifications
relative to the credentials listed above;
2. Statements of research goals and extension interests;
3. Complete vita;
4. Unofficial transcripts of academic work;
5. Three letters of recommendation.
Review of application materials will begin on
March 25, 2011. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
Inquiries contact
Dr. Madan Oli
Chair, Search and Screen Committee
University of Florida
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
P.O. Box 110430
Gainesville, FL 32611-0430
Telephone: (352) 846-0561
Facsimile: (352) 392-6984
Electronic Mail: <mailto:o...@ufl.edu>o...@ufl.edu
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity
and equal access employer. The government in the
sunshine laws of Florida require that all
documents relating to the search process,
including letters of application, nomination, and
reference, except transcripts, be available for
public inspection. Persons with disabilities have
the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.
