The Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Auburn University is accepting applications for a postdoctoral fellowship. The anticipated start date is April 15, 2024 for an initial period of 24 months with a possibility of extension depending on the availability of funding. This is a benefit eligible, non-tenure track position.
We seek an energetic and motivated postdoctoral fellow/research associate to conduct innovative socioeconomic research for a project titled, Socio-Agroclimatology: Farm Security, Equity, and Sustainability. This is a collaborative project, funded by the NSF Growing Convergence program, that includes students, postdocs, and faculty at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), as well as a team of dedicated community partners. The individual selected for this position will work directly with Drs. Worosz and Sawadgo at Auburn University.
The goal of the project is to understand decision-making among traditionally marginalized farmers surrounding the adoption of climate-smart agricultural tools and practices. The role of the postdoctoral fellow is two-fold: (1) to collect and analyze data for an economic model that will lead to a decision-support tool for farmers, and (2) to monitor and track the growth of convergence among the team members.
The University: Auburn University is an R1 land-grant institution organized into twelve academic colleges and schools. Auburn is ranked 40th among public universities in the U.S. News and World 2021 Report. In 2020, 24,505 undergraduates as well as 6,232 graduate and professional students were enrolled. The University is nationally recognized for its academic excellence, commitments to community engagement, positive work environment, flourishing student life programs, and beautiful campus. To learn more about the University, please visit: www.auburn.edu.
The Department: The multidisciplinary department has 14 faculty members who are agricultural economists in various fields and 3 who are rural sociologists. This includes a mix of research, teaching, and Extension appointments to achieve the department’s mission in conjunction with other university departments, industry, and organizations. Due to recent retirements, the department has hired 5 new tenure-track faculty in the past 4 years. Faculty and students publish in top journals in their respective disciplines. The Department has excellent facilities, an experimental economics laboratory, over 150 undergraduate students, and about 30 MS and PhD students. A department facilities video can be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33zsIh31r40.
The Community: Auburn is recognized as one of America’s best small towns with a moderate climate and easy access to major cities, beaches, and mountains. The city is situated along the rapidly developing I-85 Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama corridor. The combined Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Statistical Area boasts a growing population of over 160,000. The City of Auburn grew 43% in the past decade and is known for an excellent public school system and a local medical center acknowledged as among the best in the region. The City of Auburn website has information on the community and services that can be accessed at:
https://www.auburnalabama.org/.
