Assistant/Associate Professor of Integrated Forage Systems

Hiring Organization: The Ohio State University
Employment type: Full-Time
Job Location: Columbus or Wooster, Ohio
Application Due Date: March 15, 2024

Faculty Position Announcement

Assistant/Associate Professor of Integrated Forage Systems

Department of Horticulture and Crop Science

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

The Ohio State University

 
   

Position Overview

  • Distribution of Effort: 9-month, 40% Research / 0% Teaching / 60% Extension
  • Position Track: Tenure

 

Position Location

Columbus or Wooster, Ohio

 

Position Description

An integrated forage systems position is available in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University. The successful candidate is expected to establish a nationally recognized applied research and extension program in integrated forage systems. Research areas may include but are not limited to alfalfa management and development, hay production for all livestock classes, ensiled forages, soil health & forage relationships, annual forage crops within crop rotation systems, cover crops as feedstock and grazing, perennial forages & soil and water quality, or carbon sequestration within forage systems. The candidate is expected to provide statewide, regional, and national leadership that supports and strengthens the work of the Ohio State University Agronomic Crops Team (http://agcrops.osu.edu), livestock teams, and forage team in developing and disseminating current science-based information and technologies aimed at improving agronomic crop production systems; interact with producers, industry representatives, and producer organizations and with state and regional agencies as appropriate to facilitate technology transfer and adoption of recommended practices; mentor graduate students and acquire extramural funding to support research and extension programs. To that end, we encourage applications from scholars whose research, extension, and teaching directly supports the educational, research, and extension missions of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science (HCS) and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). We strongly encourage applications from individuals with diverse life experiences and whose scholarship demonstrates successful collaborative efforts and interactions with stakeholders, growers, and industry personnel.

 

The successful candidate will support OSU Extension in the area of production systems for forage crops. Anticipated extension contributions include active participation in the Agronomic Crops Team, Integrated Forage Management Team, Dairy Working Group, train-the-trainer in-service workshops, timely contributions to the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network (CORN) newsletter, development of FactSheets and Bulletins, educational videos, development of website presence, and organization and participation in extension events. Research and extension outputs should address and emphasize collaborating with and meeting stakeholder needs in the area of forage crop production management systems. The successful candidate will advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate student research projects. The candidate’s research and extension program will address the CFAES signature area of Food Security, Production and Human Health, Environmental Quality and Sustainability, and Advanced Bioenergy and Biobased Products.

 

 

Performance Objectives

 

  1. Develop and/or expand an independent research program in integrated forage systems, with specialties such as: pasture plant-plant interactions, plant responses to the environment, forage quality, soil health & forage relationships, annual and perennial forage crops, crop rotation systems, cover crops, grazing systems, air/soil/water quality, or carbon sequestration within forage systems, or related topics.
  2. Publication in peer-reviewed journals, presenting research results at national and international meetings, producing extension publications, and securing extramural funding.
  3. Develop an impactful extension program that addresses forage crops in a variety of production systems.
  4. Advise graduate students.
  5. Work collaboratively with faculty and staff in Horticulture and Crop Science, and other Departments and Schools at OSU, OSU extension, government agencies, non-government organizations, and/or community groups to advance the land grant mission of the college and university.
  6. Serve the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, university, and professional communities through committee work and other appropriate responsibilities and activities.

 

Education and Experience Requirements

Required:

  • Earned Ph.D. in crop science, agronomy or related disciplines in plant and soil science or plant ecology.
  • Demonstrated expertise conducting applied research on integrated forage systems.
  • Evidence of potential for excellence in research and extension, as in developing communities of practice.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a willingness and ability to work closely with diverse groups of academic (e.g., students, staff, faculty) and practitioner audiences.
  • Demonstrated interest in and/or experience with teaching, recruiting, mentoring, and advising diverse underserved students including women, students of color, first generation, and non-traditional students.

Desired:

  • Ample experience with a variety of forage crops and their cropping systems.
  • Implementation of modern techniques of research and data analysis.
  • Proven expertise integrating and leading interdisciplinary research and extension teams.

 

 

How to Apply

To be considered, please submit your application electronically via Workday

https://hr.osu.edu/careers/      position R93077

Internal (OSU) applicants can use:

https://www.myworkday.com/osu/d/inst/15$392530/9925$201816.htmld  

External applicants can use:

https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Assistant-Associate-Professor-Integrated-Forage-Systems_R93077-1      

 

Application materials must include:

 

Required:

  • Cover letter
    • Describe your qualifications, areas of expertise, career goals, and alignment with desired qualifications and preferred qualifications where applicable.
  • Curriculum Vita (CV)
  • Statement of Research that addresses directions and perspectives for the establishment of an applied research program on integrated forage systems (limited to two pages)
  • Statement of Extension/Outreach that addresses the development of effective extension delivery in the area of integrated forage systems (limited to two pages)
  • Names and contact information (email and phone number) of three references.

 

Initial consideration will be given to applications received by January 30, 2024. Review of applications will continue until the position has been filled. We welcome informal inquiries, which can be made by contacting Search Committee Chair Dr. David Barker at barker.169@osu.edu.

 

Department Information

The Department of Horticulture and Crop Science comprises 39 faculty and 63 staff on two campuses of Ohio State University (Columbus and Wooster). We encompass a spectrum of research within the plant sciences including molecular biology, genetics, plant physiology, plant metabolomics, plant production and ecology. We have state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that enable our faculty, staff and students to be successful in the land grant mission areas of research, teaching and extension. Our undergraduate program includes 143 students in three majors (Sustainable Plant Systems with specializations in Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Bioscience, Controlled Environment Agriculture, Turf Science, or Agroecology; Sustainable Agriculture; and Professional Golf Management). Our graduate program includes 50 students in MS and PhD programs. Information about the Department is available at: https://hcs.osu.edu/  

 

The College

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) anchors its mission in a simple, yet power phrase: We Sustain Life. Faculty, staff and students alike contribute to this mission in a variety of ways. Our Strategic Alignment outlines the colleges values: Land-Grant Scholarship; Lifespan Learning; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Integrity and Accountability; and Permeable Boarders. These values, which align with the university’s Shared Values, shape our goals of our Strategic Alignment. We are committed to scholarship across three mission areas (teaching, research, Extension) with a commitment to serving our state in addition to the country and world. As a land grant, we are part of a cooperative structure that includes key partners all dedicated to integrating research, education, and Extension to improve the food and agricultural sectors, the environment, and the quality of people’s lives. We educate not just undergraduate and graduate students but learners across the lifespan. We work to ensure groundbreaking scientific discoveries are brought out of the laboratory and into the hands of those who can put them to work.

 

CFAES houses 11 departments/schools with over 20 undergraduate majors and 9 graduate programs, including 3 interdisciplinary programs affiliated with multiple Ohio State colleges. We also administer OSU Extension, which provides robust and relevant programming to Ohioans and beyond in the areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Community Development. We are one college spanning three campuses: Columbus, CFAES Wooster, and Statewide. Our CFAES Wooster campus includes a large research station and Ohio State’s only two-year academic unit, Ohio State ATI. The Statewide campus includes 11 research stations and Extension offices in all of Ohio’s 88 counties. Our At a Glance provides additional information regarding our size, capacity, and impact as a college.

 

The University

Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers and recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ list of best U.S. employers for diversity. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

 

The Ohio State University’s Shared Values include Excellence and Impact, Diversity and Innovation, Inclusion and Equity, Care and Compassion, and Integrity and Respect. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression.

 

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

 

The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation (DCFR) to focus on supporting new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual careers partner consultations, identifying potential employers and/or employment opportunities, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are provided to support the partners of new and prospective faculty as they are considering or transitioning to The Ohio State University. 

 

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies.  Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).

 

Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and diverse metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. In addition to  its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to CFAES Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI. 

 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

 

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.