CHAIR & PROF

Requisition Number: 0902437

Department: 60230000-AG-HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Description: The Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida invites nominations and applications for the position of Department Chair. Departmental Vision and Overview The mission of the Department of Horticultural Sciences is to conduct research, extension, and teaching to meet the needs and goals of a diverse statewide fruit and vegetable industry. These activities support the horticultural and natural resource industries by contributing to the breeding of high-value crops with improved yield and quality, and resistance to emerging pests and diseases; increasing crop diversity; and enhancing energy conservation, water and input use efficiency. Fundamental research and graduate training in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, metabolism, and physiology are integral parts of the Department's activities, and are key strengths. The last ranking by the Chronicle of Higher Education rated the department as the top horticulture department in the United States (http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity). The Horticultural Sciences Department (http://www.hos.ufl.edu) is a unit of IFAS and has 33 faculty members located on the main campus in Gainesville and 24 faculty located at Research and Education Centers (RECs) throughout the state. Much applied horticultural research and graduate training is accomplished at the various commodity-oriented RECs. The Department offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.). Interdisciplinary graduate training is offered through Horticultural Sciences, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Genetics & Genomics degree programs. Enrollment in our graduate and undergraduate programs has increased significantly in the past five years, with over 100 total enrolled students. The Horticultural Sciences Department, IFAS, and the University of Florida participate in shared governance that provides for faculty participation in effecting conceptual and structural changes in university governance. Duties and Responsibilities The chair of the department provides transparent leadership, effective communication, program evaluation, and support for the faculty and staff statewide to achieve the departmental vision in accordance with the Land Grant Mission. The chair actively fosters academic growth and professional development of the faculty, students, and staff to further enhance the programs of the department, including recruitment of faculty. The chair is responsible for actively promoting horticultural science programs at the various research and extension centers and fosters interdisciplinary research, extension and teaching university-wide. The chair is committed to the diversity and breadth of research, teaching, and extension/outreach activities in the department statewide, and must effectively represent all aspects of the department. The chair develops, oversees, and manages budgets and resources efficiently, and is instrumental in building and strengthening relationships within the university and with commodity groups, professional organizations, and related stakeholders. The chair reports to Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources (http://svp.ifas.ufl.edu/org_chart.pdf). State Horticultural Industries Agricultural and natural resource industries bring in over $103 billion dollars annually, and employ over 750,000 thousand people in Florida. Annual farm receipts for Florida fruit (non-citrus) and vegetable growers are more than $1.8 billion and those for citrus crops exceed $1 billion; there are multiplier effects on our state's economy when handlers, support industries (e.g., fertilizer, chemical and irrigation companies), supermarket chains and processors are included. Nationally, Florida is the number one producer of winter fruit and vegetables and leads the nation in production of citrus destined for juice production, fresh tomato, fresh grapefruit, sweet corn, snap bean and cucumber.

Minimum Requirements: An earned doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Horticulture, plant biology, or a related discipline; an overall record of scholarly and professional activities tenurable at full professor rank; a record of excellence in leadership in the tenets of the Land Grant Mission, including research and scholarship, outreach, extension or service, and teaching. Candidates must have proven skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding, including competitive funding from Federal agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) or the National Science Foundation (NSF). Candidates must be supportive of the three-fold mission of the Land-Grant system and have a commitment to IFAS core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.

Preferred Qualifications: Previous administrative experience is preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants: For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit additional materials by May 3, 2013. The position will open until a viable applicant pool is determined. Nominations And Applications Both nominations and applications are welcome. Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. Please submit all nomination requests by March 16, 2013 so as to provide sufficient time to solicit applications. Individuals wishing to apply should go online to https://jobs.ufl.edu (search for requisition #0902437). Please submit: - Application - Letter of application stating the applicant's interest in the position, qualifications relative to the responsibilities listed above, previous professional and administrative experience, and administrative and managerial philosophy - Statement of vision for the future of the department (as 'other' document) - Complete curriculum vitae (including statement of current position and responsibilities) - Names and addresses (including email) of five references Contact Information and Nomination Submission Information Please refer to Position # 0001-3388 and forward all nominations and inquiries to: Dr. Robert Ferl Chair, Search and Screen Committee Horticultural Sciences Department PO Box 110690 University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611-06900 Phone: 352-273-4766 Fax: 352-392-6479 E-mail: robferl@ufl.edu Final candidate will be required to provide 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), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ . The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The selection process will be conducted in accord with the provisions of Florida's 'Government in the Sunshine' and Public Records Laws. Search committee meetings and interviews will be open to the public, and applications, resumes, and many other documents related to the search will be available for public inspection. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.