RESPONSIBILITIES: This is a tenure eligible position with a 12-month appointment and approximately 75% extension, 20% research, and 5% service (other than extension) responsibilities. The annual distribution of effort will be aligned with this colleague’s strengths and college/department needs. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2025.
Kentucky’s 74,100 farm operations cover 12.9 million acres (7 soil physiographic regions), including 0.51, 1.55, 1.85 and 2.12 million acres planted to winter wheat, corn, soybean, and hay, respectively (NASS, 2022). Much of the remaining acres are in pasture, providing grazing for 2.43 million beef/dairy cattle, horses, and small ruminants, and the soil resource also supports waste utilization from nearly 300 million broilers annually (NASS, 2022). The successful candidate will provide statewide leadership and develop an externally funded, nationally recognized, integrated extension and research program with emphasis in at least one of the following areas: soil physical property management, soil-plant-water relationships, precision agriculture, and/or nutrient management. This nationally recognized program is expected to meet Kentucky row crop and forage producers' needs, support homeowner and commercial horticulture issues related to soil fertility and management, and collaborate with various soil and plant research programs within the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) and across Kentucky. The successful candidate will be a core contributor to the agronomic expertise in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department whose extension responsibilities will include developing guidelines for improved soil management and conducting impactful extension programs. The appointee will be familiar with and use current and emerging technologies in their extension and research efforts.
Being part of the extension team, the successful candidate will actively participate in, and provide leadership for, one or more of the interdisciplinary extension groups that address precision agriculture, soil physical property management (i.e. compaction alleviation, aggregation enhancement), soil nutrient management issues related to agronomic crop production, plant and soil interactions, nutrient cycling, waste management, and climate change. As part of the extension team the individual will be expected to disseminate applied research outcomes to the scientific community via peer reviewed journal articles, growers and industry associations, farmers/landowners, citizen groups, and other stakeholders via workshops, journal publications, peer-reviewed extension bulletins, field days, online communications and other appropriate formats. The candidate will be expected to maintain/enhance existing relationships with key commodity groups (e.g., Kentucky Corn Growers Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association, Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council). There are immediate existing opportunities for collaborative work with other UK-CAFE faculty in the Plant and Soil Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering departments. In addition, CAFE has many outstanding programs in related fields.
The incumbent will be actively involved in graduate student education by serving on student guidance committees and training MS and PhD students in the Integrated Plant & Soil Sciences degree program. Service (Other Than Extension): As a land-grant university, faculty service to the department, college, university, professional society, and/or society at large is expected.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have an earned a doctorate in soil science, agronomy with a specialization in soil science and/or agricultural engineering, or a strongly related area. Candidates should demonstrate mastery of the theory and practice of applied agricultural soil science, including communication of scientific principles to industry and producer audiences. Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills demonstrating the ability to effectively convey general information and research findings to a diverse clientele is required. It is expected that the incumbent will obtain extramural funding to support a vigorous extension and research program.
RANK AND SALARY: The rank of this position is at the Assistant or Associate Extension Professor level. Salary is negotiable and is commensurate with training and experience. Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with diverse rewards, focusing on total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit:
www.uky.edu/HR/benefits.
THE ENVIRONMENT: The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MG-CAFE) is fulfilling the land-grant promise of educational excellence, civic leadership, transformational research, and shared knowledge serving the common good. We serve the people of the Commonwealth and across the world through education, outreach, service, and research by finding solutions to improve lives today and create a sustainable future. We integrate extension, research, and instruction in our work. We recruit, retain, and graduate students who are competent, responsible, and workforce ready. Our Cooperative Extension programs are engaged in Kentucky’s 120 counties, identifying and addressing needs not only in agriculture and natural resources, but also 4-H and youth development, family and consumer sciences, as well as community & economic development. For more than 130 years, MG-CAFE has provided research results to the community. From traditional labs and research farms to high-tech diagnostic and research centers, we offer science-based, practical solutions that affect the everyday lives of Kentuckians and people around the world.
The University of Kentucky is a university with approximately 23,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. UK is Kentucky’s flagship university and a land grant institution. We have a university commitment to improve the lives of Kentuckians and beyond and that is why environmental stewardship and sustainability are core parts of our institution’s legacy. We are recognized as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly University by The League of American Bicyclists, and are recognized as a STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Silver Rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The university is geographically near downtown Lexington, which offers the vibrancy of an urban location while being near working landscapes and recognized wilderness areas. It is a thriving community of 300,000+ with a strong commitment to quality of life, education, and the arts. Lexington is in the Bluegrass Region, an internationally acclaimed cultural landscape and agricultural region.
QUESTIONS AND/OR NOMINATIONS TO:
Dr. Edwin Ritchey
Chair, Search Committee
Phone: 270-625-8825
APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Completed applications should include the following: a cover letter, CV (upload under Curriculum Vita), and statements of extension and research interests (upload under Specific request 1). In addition, names and contact information for three individuals from whom letters may be requested should be included in the application packet. Applications should be submitted by December 1, 2024 for full consideration while the position will remain open until filled. Please use the University of Kentucky’s electronic application process to apply. In your uploaded document please begin with a cover letter that outlines your approach to the position’s responsibilities, your qualifications, and your vision for innovative and impactful programs that address existing and emerging issues, followed by the name, address, email, and phone number for three references, and conclude with career curriculum vita and relevant statements.
