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College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences: Assistant Professor - Department of...

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Assistant Professor of Digital Agriculture

Department of Crop Sciences

University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign

The Department of Crop Sciences seeks an outstanding scientist for an Assistant Professor of Digital Agriculture position with a scholarly emphasis on data-driven agriculture. The successful candidate will be able to develop novel data-driven approaches to crop production, improvement and/or protection that significantly enhance resilient and productive food systems across multiple scales. The candidate will also be able to apply their skills in mitigating risks in agriculture stemming from increased volatility in the production environment, markets and pest complexes.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

The successful candidate will aggregate, synthesize, analyze and create new value from the rich data streams generated by all phases of agricultural production and utilization. Specifically, this scientist will deliver innovative research and educational programs at the interface of agriculture, computer science, and technology synthesis. The primary affiliation will be the Department of Crop Sciences, however close interaction with faculty from across the university through the Center for Digital Agriculture is expected. Digital Agriculture is a campus-wide initiative focused on a joint College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and College of Engineering effort with a Crop Sciences + Computer Science degree program. The University of Illinois is ideally situated for scientists to leverage the diverse expertise of interdisciplinary faculty on campus to lead the development of resilient and highly productive agricultural systems. The University combines deep faculty community with diverse expertise, world-class centers, and is surrounded by some of the most productive commercial agricultural producers in the country eager to collaborate.

This position is part of an initiative in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences to contribute to the improvement of global human and environmental health via the food system. We intend to dramatically strengthen and expand our capacity in this arena through a 7-position cluster hire focused on Food and Agricultural Systems for Global Health. Elevating this theme among departments with college support and coordination will synergistically leverage and enrich existing strengths across our disciplines while creating a platform to stand as a global leader in food systems and health. Faculty hired into these positions will lead College-wide efforts in food security and global health and participate in related campus priorities, including the Nutrition and Food Security theme of the campus strategic plan (https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7831/601847), the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, among others.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Interface and collaborate with the faculty across campus engaged in this emerging field of research
  • Develop an extramurally-funded advanced research and outreach program in digital agriculture and sustainable cropping systems
  • Establish private/public partnerships with the leaders of industry
  • Contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching programs through teaching and student advising in the Department of Crop Sciences
  • Collaborate with colleagues to address scientific problems that require complex, multidisciplinary approaches in food and agricultural systems

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
All candidates must hold a Ph.D. and have demonstrated experience in a scholarly field that supports the aggregation, synthesis and analysis of rich data sets in agriculture. Such fields may include, but are not limited to: data science, statistics, computer science, engineering, plant or crop sciences, quantitative ecology, epidemiology, agronomy, or soil science. Experience demonstrating leadership of independent and team-based research is required. The candidate should have the ability to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses using innovative teaching methods. The candidate must demonstrate excellent communication skills and an ability to engage professionally with a diverse population from academia, industry, farmers, faculty, staff, and students.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE, AND DEPARTMENT

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a student enrollment of more than 40,000, and nearly 2,000 faculty. The community has a successful startup culture that works with faculty to pursue entrepreneurial paths for their research programs. It is located approximately 120 miles south of Chicago in a vibrant and diverse community of 130,000, and is easy driving distance from St. Louis and Indianapolis. Our community offers the residential advantages of a medium-sized university city, excellent cultural opportunities, and high quality of life.

The College of ACES is recognized worldwide for its commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate programs, teaching, research, outreach, and international programs. We offer tremendous opportunities for students to achieve their goals and prepare for high-impact careers. Our hands-on academic programs prepare our graduates for local, national, and global careers. The research programs at ACES are making a difference in peoples’ lives. Our research and education centers, located throughout the state, provide vital testing grounds where research can generate practical applications that benefit consumers, farmers, commodity groups, agricultural organizations, environmentalists, conservationists, government agencies, industry, and business. University of Illinois Extension connects the University to people, businesses, and communities statewide to help solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. The faculty and staff at ACES are leaders in international engagement, addressing global challenges and impacting lives around the world.

The University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences (http://cropsciences.illinois.edu) is a recognized global scientific leader in plant genetic improvement, crop production, plant protection, biometry, and environmental quality. Our research and teaching facilities include state-of-the-art laboratory space for plant and soil research, newly renovated classrooms with advanced learning technologies, and over 1,500 acres of research plots on our three research and education centers.

This is a 9-month, 100% time academic, tenure-track position with opportunity for summer appointment.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package. The position is available August 16, 2020.

To apply, please create a candidate profile at http://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of research, teaching, and outreach goals, and contact information for three professional references. Letters of recommendation and transcripts may be requested at a later date. The closing date for receiving applications is September 5, 2019. All applications received by the closing date will receive full consideration. For further information regarding the application procedures, you may contact Linda Kemplin, kemplin@illinois.edu. For additional information about the position, you may also contact: Dr. Alexander E. Lipka, Search Committee Chair, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave,. Urbana, Illinois, 61801, 217-300-0726, alipka@illinois.edu.


All requested information must be submitted for your application to be considered. Individuals with diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

College Name or Administrative Unit:ACES Category:1-Faculty Title:College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences: Assistant Professor - Department of Crop Sciences (118244) Open Date:07/18/2019 Close Date:09/05/2019 Organization Name:Crop Sciences

Organization

Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement.

Faculty

A talented and highly respected faculty is the University's most significant resource. Many are recognized for exceptional scholarship with memberships in such organizations as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering. 

Our faculty have been awarded Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, and the Fields Medal in Mathematics.The success of our faculty is matched by that of our alumni: 11 are Nobel laureates and another 18 have won Pulitzer Prizes.

Academic Resources

Academic resources on campus are among the finest in the world. The University Library is one of the largest public university collections in the world with 11 million volumes in its 37 unit libraries. Annually, 53,000,000 people visit its online catalog. Students have access to thousands of computer terminals in classrooms, residence halls, and campus libraries for use in classroom instruction, study, and research.

Research

Students and scholars find the University an ideal place to conduct research. The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology is a model for interdisciplinary research, where eighteen research groups from sixteen University departments work within and across three broadly defined themes: biological intelligence, human-computer intelligent interaction, and molecular and electronic nanostructures. The University is also home to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

Undergraduate Education

The University has a fundamental commitment to undergraduate education. Nearly 28,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in nine undergraduate divisions, which together offer some 4,000 courses in more than 150 fields of study.

Undergraduate admission is highly selective. In the 2001 freshman class, students in the middle 50% had ACT scores between 25 and 30 and ranked between the 83rd and 96th percentiles of their high school graduating classes.

The University enrolls over 9,000 graduate and professional students in more than 100 disciplines. It is among the top five universities in number of earned doctorates awarded annually in the United States.

Also integral to the University's mission is a commitment to public engagement. Each year about 65,000 Illinois residents participate in scores of conferences, institutes, courses, and workshops presented statewide. Research and class projects take students and professors off campus to share expertise and technical support with Illinois farmers, manufacturing firms, and businesses. In a typical year, student volunteers log more than 60,000 volunteer hours.

The Arts

A major center for the arts, the campus attracts dozens of nationally and internationally renowned artists each year to its widely acclaimed Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The University also supports two major museums: the Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion; and the Spurlock Museum, a museum of world history and culture. 

Other major facilities include the multipurpose Assembly Hall (16,500 seats); Memorial Stadium (70,000 seats), site of Big Ten Conference football games; and the Intramural-Physical Education Building, one of the largest recreational facilities of its kind on a university campus.

Inclusive Illinois, one campus, many voices

Inclusive Illinois is the University’s commitment to cultivating a community at Illinois where everyone is welcomed, celebrated, and respected. Illinois is about how we value difference to make a difference. http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu/

As evidence of the University’s commitment to enhance the working, living, and learning environment for faculty, staff, and students, the University will encourage a standard of conduct and behavior that is consistent with the values of inclusivity. In an environment of inclusivity, there is no place for acts of hatred, intolerance, insensitivity, bigotry, threats of violence, harassment or discrimination.

Inclusive Illinois, one campus, many voices

Inclusive Illinois is the University’s commitment to cultivating a community at Illinois where everyone is welcomed, celebrated, and respected. Through education, engagement, and excellence, each voice creates the Inclusive Illinois Experience.

How can we appreciate difference to make a difference?

Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. We value it because we know that we have so much to learn from each other in our living, learning, and working environment.

Illinois is the place where we recognize the power of possibility and where great potential is realized. Inclusive Illinois is the vision of that place: a vision made real by leadership and commitment.

Illinois is the place where consensus is forged by discourse and where everyone’s contributions are recognized: significant contributions that elevate us because they are informed and enhanced by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, physical ability, religion, class, and national origin. We are enriched by these perspectives, and we are united by the very discourse that brings these views together.

It is a process. It is transformative. And we celebrate the remarkable changes we set in motion here … taking an important step … crossing boundaries … starting with our own.

It all starts with each of us: with our willingness to embark on the journey in the search for answers, and with our openness and acceptance of the answers we find. Illinois is the place where it all comes together.

Learn more about how Inclusive Illinois promotes diversity here.

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

The commitment of the University to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity requires that decisions involving students and employees be based on individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms, whether or not specifically prohibited by law. Among the forms of invidious discrimination prohibited by the University policy but not law is discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of sexual orientation. Complaints of invidious discrimination in violation of University policy are to be resolved within existing University procedures. The policy of the University of Illinois is to comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action laws, orders, and regulations. The University will not engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. This nondiscrimination policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in University programs and activities

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