The College of Agricultural Sciences is hiring an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology (Integrated Forest Health). This is a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor with a 75% research and 25% teaching appointment. This is a 36 weeks of service position with a preferred start date of January 2024.
Responsibilities: The successful applicant is expected to develop an externally funded, high impact transdisciplinary research program on mitigation of forest plant diseases. We seek candidates who will use creative and collaborative approaches to elucidate host/microbial/environmental interactions at various geographic and trophic levels to understand their impacts on emergent forest ecosystem properties and help develop effective management strategies.
Researchers with a focus on forest health in a climate change context are of particular interest. We seek candidates who will capitalize on Penn State’s outstanding campus-wide resources in computational, environmental and/or social sciences in pursuit of research and teaching activities.Teaching responsibilities will include an undergraduate forest pathology course, and a general education course focused on agricultural adaptation to global change.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with Penn State’s Institute for Energy in the Environment (IEE) through the Climate Consortium and Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science (SAFES). Depending on the candidate’s expertise, they may participate in the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics (CIDD) or Penn State’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus. In addition, applied research and outreach opportunities exist, serving diverse stakeholders of managed forests, urban forested landscapes, and forest wilderness in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, Ecology, or a related field is required. Applicants should provide evidence of strong potential for conducting and publishing innovative research, competitive for external research funding, excellence in communication with clientele from diverse populations, and potential for success in mentoring and advising students.
Candidates must demonstrate interest in and ability to engage in collaborative scholarship, particularly of an interdisciplinary nature. Candidates will be evaluated on their potential for excellent teaching and publishing high impact work funded through extramural sources.
Candidates will be evaluated on their excellence in instruction, potential for high impact research output, obtaining extramural funding, commitment to principles of diversity and equity, and collaboration in research and instruction within and outside the Department.The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms.
We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.
Applicants should provide evidence, either woven through their application materials or as a separate diversity statement, of a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusivity and belonging in research, teaching and professional service activities. For more information about the position, please contact David Geiser, Chair of the Search Committee, or María del Mar Jiménez-Gasco, Interim Head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology.
To Apply:
Submit a cover letter, CV, Research Statement, Teaching Statement, and the names and contact information for three references to APPLY NOW