Assistant or Associate Professor - Quantitative Ecologist – Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Ast/Aso Prof

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an 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 .

We are seeking a dynamic scholar, educator, and communicator for a 9-month tenure-accruing appointment available in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. Applications at the associate professor level will be considered. The appointment will be 40% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) and 60% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station). 

Our department recognizes the need for quantitative expertise in ecological and conservation research and decision making in natural resources at the state, regional, national, and international arenas. Importantly, such expertise will enhance our student learning in quantitative approaches to studying ecology and conservation. This hire is expected to further cement our department as a national leader in animal and plant sciences and contribute to UF’s reputation as an outstanding institution for natural resources research and education. We are an inclusive wildlife program that encompasses both basic and applied research involving a wide breadth of organisms.

Duties and Responsibilities

Assigned responsibilities will include: (1) Developing an internationally recognized research program that incorporates broadly defined quantitative approaches in the study of ecology and conservation; (2) teaching 2 courses annually in the general area of quantitative ecology, including WIS 4601 Quantitative Wildlife Ecology, a core course in our undergraduate curriculum. This course covers experimental design, data visualization, parametric statistics, and a variety of modeling approaches for abundance, survival, and occupancy estimation. The successful applicant will also develop a course in the area of their expertise.

We are seeking candidates who excel in applying and/or developing quantitative methods to advance the study of wildlife ecology and conservation. Examples of qualified candidates include: 1) those who apply and/or develop tools in artificial intelligence disciplines (deep learning, neural networks, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision) for studying ecological systems; 2) those who emphasize quantitative analysis for the study of wildlife populations and communities such as capture-mark-recapture frameworks, modeling of unmarked populations, or community/ecosystem level quantitative analyses; 3) Those who use and develop data integration methods and Bayesian modeling to assess and study population, community or landscape ecology.

The successful candidate will also engage in activities related to instruction, including teaching, mentoring, and supervising undergraduate and graduate students in research and creative work, curriculum revision and enhancement, and engaging in professional teaching development activities, for which there are many resources available to UF faculty.

Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.

Background Information :

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students.  UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.  The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences , the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station , the Florida Cooperative Extension Service , the College of Veterinary Medicine , the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus.  UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a 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 University of Florida launched a $1 billion initiative to establish itself as one of the country’s most preeminent institutions of higher education in artificial intelligence; including a $70 million artificial intelligence partnership with NVIDIA, a planned 19,000-square-foot AI hub at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, and hosts HiPerGator, the third most powerful computer among educational institutions in the world.

The programs of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation emphasize biological and human dimensions of wildlife ecology and conservation in local to international arenas. The Department’s existing strengths in spatial ecology, population modeling, wildlife disease ecology, conservation genetics, and environmental communication, among others, support strong collaborations. Department faculty may be affiliated with the Center for Latin American Studies, Center for African Studies, and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Also housed within the Department is the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, whose principal focus is on wetlands ecology, coastal ecology, decision science, and endangered and threatened species conservation and management. The nearby 3,600-hectare Ordway-Swisher Biological Station provides an outdoor laboratory for teaching and a site for long-term field research, and has been designated as a National Science Foundation NEON core site.

Several units on or nearby the University of Florida campus complement the teaching and research programs of the Department, including The Florida Climate Institute, an interdisciplinary center hosted at UF and comprising 12 Florida universities; the Tropical Conservation and Development Program in the Center for Latin American Studies; Center for Wetlands; UF Biodiversity Institute, Florida Museum of Natural History; the Florida Field Station (Gainesville) of the U.S.D.A. Wildlife Research Laboratory; the Wildlife Research Laboratory of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Wetlands Aquatic Research Center (WARC) of the US Geological Survey, and others.

Commensurate with Education and Experience

A doctorate (PhD or DPhil) (foreign equivalent acceptable) from a relevant field is required. We expect some formal training in ecology and/or conservation biology to be demonstrated. Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to teaching, mentoring, and promoting a varied educational and professional environment. They should show willingness to work with natural resource agencies, NGOs, and other interested parties. Candidates will demonstrate their skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships across cultures, and commitment to grantsmanship. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system.  Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values of excellence, discovery & innovation, inclusion, freedom & civility, community, and stewardship. 

Preferred qualifications/attributes: While meeting the required qualifications is the foundation for consideration, we are particularly interested in candidates who display excellence in one or more of the following:

Review of application materials will begin on April 8, 2024 and will continue until a viable applicant pool is established. Interviews are expected to begin in late May 2024.

Employment Conditions

The projected start date for this position is August 2024 or January 2025. Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant.

Nominations

Nominations are welcome.  Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. This information should be sent to:

Please refer to Requisition # 530411

Samantha Wisely

Chair, Search and Screen Committee

University of Florida

Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

PO Box 110430

Gainesville, FL 32605

Telephone:                                     352-846-0552

Facsimile:                                       352-392-6984

Electronic Mail:                           [email protected]

Application Information

• Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit:
• Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
• Curriculum vitae
• Contact information (including email addresses) for 3 individuals willing to write letters of recommendation

Selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible.  Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) .

Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws.

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a variety of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.