Position Title: Assistant Professor of Horticulture

Employee Classification: LC Faculty TT/TN 9m

College/Division: Agricultural,Consumer & Env Sci Col

Department: 301400-PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate:  Commensurate with experince

Appointment Full-time Equivalency:  1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt:  Exempt

Summary:  Seeking a faculty member to teach undergraduate and graduate courses required for horticulture, agronomy, and other majors, including greenhouse management, plant propagation, and plant nutrition.

Classification Summary:
The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) at New Mexico State University (NMSU) is searching for a new faculty member in horticulture. The 9-month tenure-track position is 50% research and 50% teaching. We specifically seek candidates interested in building upon our long-term commitment to controlled environment horticulture (CEH). New Mexico provides unique and diverse opportunities for CEH research. It is one of the sunniest locations in North America and a leader in solar energy applications that are poised to power sustainable greenhouse and indoor farming into the future. Its significant brackish groundwater reserves support the alluring proposition of using salt to increase phytonutrient quality of fruits and vegetables and simultaneously reduce the dependence on its fresh water supplies that are at-risk of depletion. A convergence of sociodemographic factors gives CEH high potential to be particularly impactful in the many underserved populations of New Mexico, creating fertile ground for leading edge research on the social impacts of CEH.

New Mexico State University is the state's land-grant institution, with more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students on the main campus in Las Cruces and four satellite campuses. The Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) Department is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, which is home to seven other academic departments, five extension departments, and approximately 150 faculty members and 1,800 students. PES consists of approximately 46 faculty and research scientists, and 160 undergraduate and 40 graduate students (MS and PhD). Teaching and research concentrations in PES include horticulture, agronomy, plant breeding and genetic improvement, molecular biology, plant physiology, ecology, and environmental, water, and soil sciences. An active mentoring program is in place for new faculty to onboard with senior faculty and successfully progress through the faculty ranks.

Classification Standard Duties:
The faculty member will teach undergraduate and graduate courses required for horticulture, agronomy, and other majors, including greenhouse management, plant propagation, and plant nutrition.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Ph.D. (awarded by hire date) in horticulture, plant science, or related discipline.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The successful candidate will show a commitment to excellence and specific evidence of: (1) research and teaching experience in plant cultivation in controlled and/or field environments; (2) demonstrated ability to communicate with diverse audiences including students, academic, industry, and policy stakeholders; (3) demonstrated ability to publish research in leading research and academic outlets with success (or potential for success) in competing for external research funding; and (4) an ability to contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and mentor diverse undergraduate and graduate students. The department's student population is diverse and multicultural, and the ability to enjoy and thrive in this collaborative environment will be necessary.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
Development of new courses in the candidate's area of expertise, and in indoor farming in repurposed buildings, grow rooms, container farms, and homes, is encouraged. The incumbent will mentor undergraduate and graduate students, provide leadership in PES horticulture research and teaching programs, assist students in job placements, coordinate internships, and advise the NMSU Horticulture Forum student organization. Service to the profession and to university, college, and departmental committees is also expected. The faculty member will have opportunities to work across departments and colleges with specialists in crop breeding, plant genetics, plant physiology, molecular biology, human nutrition, economics, renewable energy, and social sciences. There is also potential to work together with other universities in indoor agriculture research, such as with the OptimlA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) consortium of land-grant institutions.
Foster collaborations and participate in activities and on research teams that support the work of the Center for Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems (CESFAS.)

Research opportunities exist across NMSU's network of 12 Agricultural Science Centers located around the state, including several facilities near the NMSU main campus. A new container farm laboratory is housed on the NMSU­ Grants campus and serves as a prototype for economic growth and a means to combat climate change, food insecurity, and inequities in STEM education. Core facilities for microscopy, tissue culture, advanced chemical and omics analysis, and molecular biology are available to complement laboratory, greenhouse, and field experimental facilities. Opportunities exist to participate in undergraduate and graduate training programs sponsored by USDA, NIH, NSF, and HSI/MSI programs. Additionally, NMSU actively participates with numerous state, tribal and federal agencies. For more information on PES, see https://pes.nmsu.edu.

Preferred Qualifications

Background in experimental design and analysis; plant salinity. and drought stress; indoor farming with LED sole source lighting; postdoctoral work with attraction of extramural support; demonstrated evidence of engaging students, community members, and affiliated scientists on issues relating to horticulture; and ability to develop a nationally recognized program in CEH.

Special Requirements of the Position
*The following documents are required. Please include on the application:
-Your resume/cv
-Cover letter
-Transcript
-A statement of your contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion addressing the candidate's understanding in the context of groups traditionally under-represented in STEM, and the candidate's past contributions and future vision for enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in this position. For more information about this requirement see: https://eid.nmsu.edu/eid-statements/index.html
-Statement of research interests (2 page maximum), and a statement of teaching philosophy and experience (2 page maximum).

Department Contact:  Ryan Goss, 575-646-3297, ryangoss@nmsu.edu

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: 

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.