F1290P

Assistant/Associate Professor: Integrated Precision Agriculture Specialist

CAES-Horticulture

The University of Georgia (UGA), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). UGA is currently ranked among the top 15 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA was founded in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly as the first state-chartered University in the country. UGA employs approximately 1,800 full-time instructional faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 39,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 18 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

The Department of Horticulture at UGA consists of 29 faculty members situated in a stimulating, multi-campus environment with an excellent reputation in research, extension, and teaching. The three campuses of the University of Georgia (Athens, Tifton, and Griffin) are multidisciplinary, multi-agency facilities with access to well-equipped research farms throughout the state.

The UGA-Tifton campus is located within a 3-hour drive from 4 flagship college campuses and is home to 105 scientists and more than 200 support staff. On-campus resources include office, laboratory, greenhouses, irrigated research orchard and agricultural machinery.

https://hort.caes.uga.edu/

External

Employee

Benefits Eligible

Minorities & Females

11/01/2022

06/28/2022

Yes

Inquiries about the position and nominations should be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Lenny Wells, Professor (lwells@uga.edu.) Materials to be uploaded include i) cover letter addressing the candidate’s experience relative to the responsibilities of the position, ii) curriculum vitae, iii) graduate-level academic transcripts, iv) statement of research interests, v) statement of Extension interests, and vi) names and contact information of four professional references. Selected applicants will be required to submit a background investigation demonstrating eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia. Applications received by August 31, 2022, are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Tifton Area

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

Open Rank

Open Rank (Tenure Track)

Academic (9 mo.)

Tenure Track or Tenured

A Ph.D. in mechanical/biological/ agricultural/biosystems engineering, agronomy, crop and soil sciences, horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, or related field with documented expertise in precision agriculture as it relates to the candidate’s area of knowledge.

The University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture (www.hort.uga.edu) is seeking applicants for an Assistant/Associate Professor of Horticulture with responsibilities in precision agriculture for fruits and vegetables production. The position is a nine-month appointment with a guarantee of two months summer salary, with an 80% Extension and 20% Research appointment. The position will be located at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, Tifton, Georgia.

The successful candidate will be expected to: 1) develop a local, state, regionally and/or nationally recognized extension and research programs that will use applied research to address high priority problems/issues in Precision Agriculture related to the production of horticultural crops; 2) provide training, resource materials and technical assistance to County Extension Agents; 3) procure extramural funding, publish research findings, and regularly participate in other scholarly and departmental activities; 4) establish an active and sustained research program that includes supervision of graduate students; 5) interact effectively with growers, industry leaders, and other organizations as appropriate; 6) work with the existing UGA Precision Agriculture Team and other faculty within CAES, the College of Engineering and related disciplines to provide leadership in precision agriculture solutions to production of specialty crops in the southeastern U.S.

Frequent automobile travel to a variety of sites, including many rural locations, is expected of this position.

To be considered for the rank of Associate Professor, candidates must have at least 5 full years in rank at the Assistant Professor level. To be eligible for tenure upon appointment, candidates must be appointed as an Associate Professor, have been tenured at a prior institution, and bring a demonstrably regional and/or national reputation to the institution. Candidates must be approved for tenure upon appointment before hire. The criteria for promotion and tenure in the Department of Horticulture are summarized athttps://provost.uga.edu/resources/documents/Horticulture2015.pdf

• Excellent demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to high-quality research and extension.
• Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land Grant system
• Candidates must also have a commitment to the University, College and Department’s core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

The successful candidate is expected to develop a strong, externally funded Extension and research program in one or more of the following areas:

• Development of field experiments for evaluation and application of different precision agriculture technologies for the production of horticultural crops.
• Development and evaluation of sensors, control systems, and various digital agriculture tools for producers, such as mobile or web-based applications, for field production, profitability, and efficiency.
• Development and evaluation of specialized machinery and equipment used for planting, spraying, fertilization, and harvest.
• Utilization of GPS-based guidance systems, sensors, and other technologies for precision application of inputs (seed, fertilizer, water and chemical)
• Implementation of precision agriculture technologies such as soil mapping, irrigation monitoring and scheduling, yield monitoring/mapping and other remote sensing techniques for site-specific applications.
• Application and utilization of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and robotics for advanced applications such as pest detection, nutrient/water monitoring, yield estimation, and crop quality assessment.
• High throughput phenotyping to assist existing breeding programs in the Department.

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