Position Summary

The selected candidate will play a key role in (a) conducting research related to turfgrass management, (b) teaching undergraduate turfgrass management courses, and (c) advising and recruiting students in the Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) Golf and Sports and Commercial Turf Management Certificate Programs. Experience and interest in sports turfgrass management research is required. There is funding for the successful candidate to conduct field studies providing data for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for the 2026 World Cup games. The successful candidate will have access to field, greenhouse, and laboratory facilities. MSU’s Hancock Turfgrass Research Center is a 56-acre field research facility adjacent to campus with state-of-the-art equipment and an attached laboratory.

Teaching Responsibilities: 

• CSS 232: Introduction to Turfgrass Management: Turfgrass utilization, identification, establishment, and management principles. Responses to various cultural practices. (4 credits; 2 credits starting Fall 2026).
• CSS 262: Turfgrass Management Seminar: Presentations by turf students and industry professionals. Topics include internship experiences, technical expertise, and keys to successful career pathways. (1 credit).
• CSS 267: Performance Turf Design and Instruction: Performance turfgrass design, construction, renovation and establishment principles. (2 credits).
• CSS 269: Turfgrass Strategies: Issues in turfgrass management including employee relations, cultural, and environmental problems. Offered the first ten weeks of spring semester. (2 credits).
• AT 293: Professional Internship in Ag Tech: (3 credits) summer semester.

Advising Responsibilities:

• Professional advising for ~40 IAT students annually, including admissions, orientation, and academic, career, and internship planning.
• Internship visits for the IAT students as well as coordinating visits for the students in the turfgrass concentration.
• Advisor of MSU Turfgrass Club, a registered student organization (RSO).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Crop science, turfgrass science and management, biology, or related field

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. in turfgrass or a related field by start date.
• Graduate or post-doctoral research experience in sports turf management.
• Publications in refereed journals and/or presentations at professional meetings.
• Experience in teaching and mentoring college students.
• Dedication to professional development.
• Commitment to fostering student success.
• History of collaboration in research and teaching.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in supervising or mentoring student internships experiences.
• Proficiency in student-centered, active, and inquiry-based learning methodologies.
• Demonstrate a willingness to integrate and collaborate with the existing research programs in the department.

Required Application Materials

Applicants are to submit the following documents as PDFs:

• Curriculum Vitae.
• Cover Letter (max. 1 page) detailing your interest and suitability for the position, and any other relevant information that is not included in the statements below.
• Research Statement (max. 2 pages) explaining your past research accomplishments and your research goals.
• Teaching Statement (max. 2 pages) including (1) how your previous experiences will inform your instruction in the assigned courses and (2) how you will utilize student-centered teaching methods as a course instructor and as a research mentor.
• A description of how you will contribute to CANR’s positive culture, fair access to resources, and creating a sense of belonging should be addressed throughout these documents.
• Contact information for three professional references (references will be contacted during the screening process).

Special Instructions

For inquiries regarding the position or any accommodation requests, please contact Thomas Nikolai (nikolait@msu.edu).

Review of Applications Begins on March 10, 2025.

Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications. MSU offers a generous benefits package (details at https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/index.html).

Review of Applications Begins On

03/10/2025

Website

https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/

Department Statement

The PSM department includes over 70 faculty members and strong graduate and undergraduate programs. The IAT includes over 25 appointed faculty and staff with substantial student enrollment. MSU, PSM, and IAT are committed to fostering accessibility and an inclusive community that enriches our learning environment and innovative research and seek colleagues driven by the same motivation.

Location: The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA. Michigan State University is one of the top research universities in the world and home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs. MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, and scientists that provide regional, national, and international leadership in basic and applied research and excellence in teaching. In addition, consistent with its Land Grant origins, the MSU community pursues international engagement and provides strong extension programs that partner with diverse stakeholders to provide much needed research in the areas of food, energy, water and the environment. MSU enjoys a park‐like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas. The campus is located in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of >500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA, and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities. Michigan State University is also proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms. Information about MSU’s dual career support and other types of support for balancing work and personal lives at MSU can be found at http://worklife.msu.edu/

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Commitment to Creating a Sense of Belonging:

Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi people. The University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.

Michigan State University is dedicated to achieving excellence by fostering an environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute and thrive. We are an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.  Candidates are invited to view PSM community norms. 

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.