Assistant or Associate Professor of Sustainable Weed Management

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Assistant or Associate Professor of Sustainable Weed Management
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Cornell University

Position: Assistant/Associate Professor (40% Extension / 60% Research); tenure track, academic year appointment (9-month)

Start Date: July 1, 2022, or as negotiated

Location: School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Description: The School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University invites applications for a tenure track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in Sustainable Weed Management in field crop systems. The incumbent will embrace innovative approaches to both applied research and extension to address emerging threats and strengthen agriculture in New York State. Using a systems approach that combines insights from field trials with landscape-scale observational studies, the incumbent will devise sustainable weed management strategies that enhance productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. Responsibilities include devising integrated weed management strategies, with a specific emphasis on managing herbicide resistance, overcoming tradeoffs with sustainable intensification technologies such as reduced tillage, and adapting to a changing climate. Research will incorporate novel cultural, biological, physical, and chemical control practices that draw on advances in engineering, big data, digital agriculture, and genomics. Examples include weeding robots, thermal and electric weed control, harnessing fungi and bacteria to manage weeds, identifying synergies between new and existing control tactics, using cover crops for multifunctional weed control, enhancing crop competitiveness against weeds, and developing transgenic approaches that enable crops to access nutrients that are unavailable to weeds. Research may also focus on the ecosystem services provided by weeds, including soil carbon sequestration, water quality protection, and conservation of pollinators and other desirable wildlife, as well as metrics for valuing these services.

Commensurate with a 40% extension effort, the applicant is expected to be knowledgeable in current herbicide strategies and resistance issues, and knowledgeable in organic weed management to serve a rapidly expanding organic field crop community in New York State. The successful applicant will demonstrate the capacity for developing an impactful extension program focused on integrated weed management practices for New York grain and forage crop farmers that includes engagement with Cornell Cooperative Extension and the private sector. The established extension program will provide innovative recommendations, educational materials, and training activities focused on integrated weed management in both conventional and organic cropping systems. The agricultural community in New York State includes a rich diversity of farmers and service providers and thus the successful applicant is expected to have demonstrated capacity to serve a diverse set of stakeholders. 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to thrive in the highly collaborative environment of Cornell University, which includes a diverse population of faculty and students in the School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who are affiliated with the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell Initiative for Digital Agriculture, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, and United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in Weed Science, Weed Ecology, Agronomy, or related discipline. The candidate must be able to thrive in a multidisciplinary and multicultural setting and participate in building and sustaining an inclusive environment for colleagues and stakeholders. Well-qualified applicants are expected to have a demonstrated record of innovative research, impactful publications, and ability to support their research program with external funding. Preferred qualifications include extension experience, inclusive leadership, ability to collaborate effectively, and ability to communicate effectively with students, colleagues, and external stakeholders.

Salary and Benefits: A highly competitive salary, generous benefits package, and support for start-up research costs are provided.

Background: The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and home to Cornell University’s second largest population of students, faculty, and staff. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy, and environmental resources; and social, physical, and economic well-being.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage and core values. In the School of Integrative Plant Science, we take pride in the ways in which our land grant mission calls us to address the needs of diverse stakeholders as well as our long tradition of international engagement. Within SIPS, we work to support underrepresented groups among faculty, staff, and students. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment where individuals can bring their diverse backgrounds and experiences to our collective task of finding science-based solutions to the world’s challenges. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and public engagement. We offer a rich array of services, programs, and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, and flexible work options.