Search : 498484
Work type: Full-time
Location: Storrs Campus
Categories: Faculty Non Tenure Track
INTRODUCTION The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, a part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, at the University of Connecticut is pleased to invite applications for a full-time, 11-month, non-tenure, Assistant or Associate Extension Professor. This position will oversee operations in the existing UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. The anticipated division of duties for this role will be 70% Extension, 10% Administrative, 10% Teaching, and 10% Research. This position is anticipated to start December 1, 2024, with preference to applicants who apply by 8/31/2024. This position will be based in the Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, located on the UConn Storrs Depot Campus in Storrs, CT.
We are seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with technical knowledge in soil science, who possesses the ability to facilitate the successful operation of the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, a service center that processes more than 14,000 soil samples per year. Upon its completion, the incumbent will then serve as the Director of the UConn Plant and Soil Health Center, which will encompass the current existing centers/laboratories: the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, the Home and Garden Education Center, the UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Turfgrass Diagnostic Laboratory. Expected completion of the UConn Plant and Soil Health Center (PSHC) is currently spring of 2025 and will be a one-stop comprehensive service center for plant health and soil testing, outreach, and education opportunities to Connecticut stakeholders. Additionally, the PSHC will also house flexible-use research laboratories to support research or grant-funded research associated with the broader CAHNR mission.
The successful candidate will be able to establish positive and productive working relationships with plant professionals, producers and growers, home gardeners, and soil professionals throughout the state and region; interact with UConn faculty, state, and federal agency personnel; sustain existing Extension programming and develop novel, accessible programming for Connecticut stakeholders. Additionally, the successful candidate will be someone who has a strong commitment to teaching excellence and is capable of teaching community participants of Extension programming, as well as one to two introductory undergraduate courses that contribute to the core curriculum per academic year (see below).
DEPARTMENT AND UNIT BACKGROUND The UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory (SNAL; ) has been serving Connecticut farmers, greenhouse growers, plant and landscape professionals, and residents for over 80 years. The UConn SNAL provides an affordable means for agricultural producers and home gardeners to test their soil fertility and receive environmentally sound limestone and fertilizer recommendations. Through the lab's analyses and outreach efforts, stakeholders are informed about wise soil management and fertility practices. The UConn SNAL also analyses research samples for university faculty and graduate students and serves as a teaching laboratory for several Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture classes. The UConn SNAL processes about 14,000 soil samples annually. Samples are routinely tested for a variety of major and minor plant nutrients, lead, and pH. Limestone and fertilizer recommendations are based on university research and field studies. In addition to routine soil fertility testing, the SNAL also offers commercial agronomic and vegetable growers the Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT), End-of-Season Cornstalk Nitrate Test after harvest, and Saturated Media Extract (SME) to growers using soil-less potting media.
The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture is one of nine academic units within the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Our department is comprised of 21 faculty members (15 tenure-track faculty and 6 non-tenure track faculty) and includes 12 staff professionals, who are devoted to excellence in research, teaching, and extension. The PSLA program proudly serves the needs of Connecticut through graduate and undergraduate education, outstanding public outreach programs associated with formal extension and engaged scholarship, and nationally competitive research programs. PSLA is typically the top academic department in CAHNR in external grant funding per faculty line. Over the last five years, grant expenditures have been about $2 million per year. The plant science program is nationally known for a longstanding breeding program on ornamental plants with dozens of patents adopted by the industry, impactful outreach on integrated pest management in the green industry, progressive teaching, and research on hemp in controlled environment agriculture, applied research to solve problems in the green industry, and fundamental research in plant biology. The landscape architecture program is recognized for its public engagement with local communities to advance sustainable development and smart growth of towns and cities working on more than 50 projects in 30 cities over eight years, and training some of the best landscape architects in the region.
We offer programs leading to a B.S. in Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems, a Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited B.S. in Landscape Architecture, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Science. Graduate students may specialize in horticulture, agronomy, soil science, and landscape architecture. The Plant Science program at Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree with a concentration in ornamental horticulture, turfgrass management, or sustainable crop production.
The research and teaching infrastructure of the department includes wet laboratories, greenhouses, plant growth chambers and tissue culture facilities, design studios, 153-acre research and teaching farm, and the Waxman Conifer Collection. The department is home to the Home and Garden Education Center, the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, the Turfgrass Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, and the Plant Transformation Facility - each of which facilitates and supports extension and outreach to educators, homeowners, and commercial agriculture. PSLA is located on UConn's Main Storrs Campus, which is well-placed between New York, Boston, Providence, and Hartford. For further information, please visit our website ( ).
As the oldest and one of the most academically diverse of UConn's colleges, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is recognized for its strong research, teaching, and extension outreach programs, which engage communities and enhance the public good in Connecticut residents. The College's diverse range of disciplines fosters innovative collaborations that ensure a vibrant agricultural industry and sustainable food supply; enhance health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally; facilitate the design of sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces; and advance resilience and adaptation in a changing climate.
The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture is directly involved with the implementation of CAHNR's Strategic Vision to guide the development and focus of our teaching, research, and Extension programs in the years . The faculty person hired for this position will be expected to make significant contributions in their area of expertise, contributing to the advancement of one or more of the CAHNR's five strategic priorities.
- Ensuring a vibrant agricultural industry and sustainable food supply;
- Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally and globally;
- Fostering sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces;
- Advancing resilience and adaptation in a changing climate; and
- Dismantling structural racism and fostering environments that advance racial equity, inclusion, and belonging by advocating for anti-racist policies, practices, and norms.
The CAHNR Strategic Vision ( ) provides additional information on the strategic initiatives and their related areas of emphasis. It is important to note that an essential component of the Strategic Vision is a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, research, and extension and addressing structural racism by broadening participation and integrating culturally sustaining approaches in all College activities.
Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state's flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation.
Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural . click apply for full job details