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Candidates for the faculty rank of professor shall be qualified for the rank of associate professor and, in addition, be a recognized national or international authority or an outstanding teacher in their field or specialization. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the associate professor level.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. If 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.

This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 20% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), 80% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), available in the Horticultural Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. The programmatic emphasis for this position centers on the intersection of evolutionary plant genomics, and artificial intelligence to identify foundational gene networks underpinning maize domestication, anthropogenic improvement and adaptation to cultivated systems and environmental change. An expectation of this position is a leadership role in large-scale pangenomic initiatives to characterize the diversity of crops like maize and its wild relatives, providing critical crop agnostic resources for crop improvement and breeding.

Research areas of concentration include the following: Genetic architecture of adaptation: Investigating how maize adapts to diverse and changing environments, with a particular focus on adaptations to abiotic stresses from highlands across the Americas; Domestication and introgression: Analyzing the genomic signatures left by the domestication of teosinte and the subsequent gene flow between wild and domesticated varieties; Computational tool development: Creating and benchmarking artificial intelligence pipelines for de nova genome assembly, transposable element annotation, and genomic quality assessment. The expectation for this position includes successful acquisition of extramural funding from sources like NSF (PGRP, CNIC, etc.), FFAR, USDA-ARS, and/or industry partners sufficient to support the research program. Publications for this position are expected to appear in top 5% and Q1 journals as appropriate for the audience of the data including, Nature, Science, Nature Genetics, Genome Biology, Plant Cell and the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences.

The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses, advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, participating in curriculum revision and enhancement, seeking funding for the teaching program, supervising undergraduate and graduate research and creative work, publishing teaching-related scholarship, producing learning tools, and engaging in professional development activities related to teaching and advising.  Faculty are encouraged to support and participate in the CALS Honors Program, distance education, and international education. Teaching and co-teaching courses in the areas of Plant genetics and Genomics is expected via existing courses, such as Advanced Genetics (PCB 5065-4 Cr., Team Taught), Journal Colloquium in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (PCB 7922) -1 Cr.) and development of a graduate course in Evolutionary and Ecological Genomics and Crop diversity (2-3 credits), based on identified gaps in the current course offerings and skill set of the candidate.

Tenure will accrue in the Horticultural Sciences Department. Other than research and teaching duties described above, the faculty member will engage in Extension activities appropriately related to the program area. Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all 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 (IFAS) 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, six 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 and greater Gainesville community enjoy a variety of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.

Commensurate with Education and Experience

A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Genetics or a closely related discipline is required.  Candidates should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values. 

Postdoctoral research, experience in building successful scholarly collaborations, demonstrated success in grant funding in genomic research and skills in teaching in the emerging genomic sciences are preferred.  

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 # 541516

Dr. Bala Rathinasabapathi

Chair, Search and Screen Committee

University of Florida

Horticultural Sciences Department,

Gainesville, FL 32611

Telephone:                               352-273-4847

Facsimile:                                352-392-5653

Electronic Mail:                      brath@ufl.edu

Application Information

• Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF by 11:55 PM of the closing date 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
• Unofficial transcripts

The 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.