College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Title Chairperson and Professor of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Location Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039

Date Available August 16, 2015 or as negotiated

Responsibilities The Chairperson's major responsibility is to maintain and enhance a creative and productive environment for the faculty, support staff, and students. The Chairperson leads in developing and implementing departmental strategy and serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the department.

Specific administrative responsibilities include:

1. Leading program development and funding for teaching, research, extension and international programs;

2. Interacting with campus units, off-campus professional groups, stakeholders, and government leaders;

3. Recruiting, mentoring, and managing faculty and academic staff;

4. Developing and managing departmental funds, facilities and personnel.

5. Reporting to the Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources and working with the directors of MSU AgBioResearch, MSU Extension, and the Associate Dean and Director for Academic and Student Affairs to accomplish departmental goals and objectives.

Qualifications Ph.D.in agricultural, food, or resource economics, or a closely related discipline; evidence of excellence as a scholar in research, teaching, and/or extension; and evidence of excellence in administration, communication, and leadership. The successful candidate will possess a vision for the future of the MSU Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics; the capacity to guide a unit that delivers nationally and internationally recognized programs; and the demonstrated commitment and aptitude for administration of an academic unit.

Department The Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University currently has approximately: 36 tenure system faculty, 55 fixed term faculty, 6 professional staff (academic specialists), 15 support staff, and 90 graduate students. AFRE’s 852 undergraduate majors include 193 in Agribusiness Management, 619 in Food Industry Management, and 40 in Environmental Economics and Policy, in addition to 137 students completing specializations (minors) in these fields. Major areas of professional activity in the department include international economic development, environmental and resource economics, food and agricultural business management and market analysis, agricultural and food policy, and regional economic development. AFRE is ranked among the top five university departments globally for research in agricultural economics by RePEc (Research Papers in Economics; https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.agr.html). The Department supports a large international program, including overseas faculty assignments at field offices in Mali, Mozambique, and Zambia. AFRE has strong linkages with other MSU programs in the social and natural sciences, including shared faculty with the departments of Economics, Community Sustainability, Fisheries and Wildlife, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Management, and Philosophy. The total financial resources of the department amount to approximately $65 million, over two thirds from extramural funding. For information on the department, see: www.afre.msu.edu.

Salary Salary is negotiable and commensurate with past experience.

Deadline Review of applications will begin March 1, 2015, continuing until the position is filled.

Applications To apply please refer to Posting #0655 and complete an electronic submission at the Michigan State University Employment Opportunities website https://jobs.msu.edu. Applicants should electronically submit the following materials: (1) a current curriculum vitae; (2) a statement of interest and (3) contact information for four references. If you have any questions prior to submitting an electronic application, please contact Professor Scott Swinton, Chair of the Search Committee at swintons@msu.edu or (517) 353-7218.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. MSU is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. The University actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.