The Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center (ESAREC) (https://www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/arec/eastern-shore.html), in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, seeks an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Applied Entomology. The incumbent will focus on crops significant to Virginia’s agricultural economy and important to the Eastern Shore and Coastal Plain regions of Virginia (potato, tomato, snap bean, broccoli, corn, soybean, wheat, and others). This is a 9-month tenure track faculty position (50% research and 50% Extension). The candidate's tenure home will be within the Department of Entomology (https://www.ento.vt.edu).
The successful candidate will:
- Develop an extramurally funded, nationally renowned applied research program focused on vegetable, grain, and oilseed entomology, with an emphasis on issues important to Eastern Shore growers and vegetable farmers across the Commonwealth.
- Conduct research and extension programs in integrated pest management for arthropod pests and how they respond adaptively to rapidly changing environments, pesticide chemistries, and crops.
- Mentor graduate students and teach within online courses when necessary.
- Integrate technology into both research and extension programming.
- Provide important contributions to extension programming by offering farmers, industry, Extension agents, and other stakeholders training as needed.
- Develop new and innovative programming with other entomology faculty at Virginia Tech and elsewhere.
- Adopt a multidisciplinary approach to research and problem-solving that will enhance teamwork and collaboration within the Department of Entomology, ESAREC, the university community, and the larger scientific field.
Located in Painter, Virginia on the environmentally sensitive and agronomically important Eastern Shore of Virginia, the ESAREC is committed to supporting commercial vegetable, grain, and oilseed cropping systems. Faculty, staff, and graduate students at the ESAREC grow more than twenty-five agricultural crops annually for research and extension studies. New, state-of-the-art applied research that is relevant to local farming operations is essential to ensure the Eastern Shore and Eastern Virginia remains a leader in commercial agricultural production.
Required Qualifications