The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University (MSU) is seeking to fill an academic year (9-month) tenure track assistant professor faculty position. The individual selected for this position will be expected to develop a regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized program centered on the applied ecology, management, sustainability and conservation of wetlands with a focus on the biota and ecosystem services they provide.
Candidates with a range of disciplinary backgrounds will be considered, including but not limited to wetland ecosystem management; ecology and management of game and non game fish and wildlife species (for example, waterfowl and waterbirds; mammals); wetland plant biology; invasive species management; human dimensions; anthropogenic impacts on wetland ecosystems; or wetland delineation, restoration, and mitigation.
The vision of the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is to be a world-class, inclusive, and innovative research, education, and engagement community that promotes leadership in the conservation of fisheries and wildlife resources. To achieve that vision, our mission is to build local, national, and international capacities to conserve ecosystems that support fish, wildlife, and society through integrated programs in research, education and engagement. Learn more about us and our work at
https://www.canr.msu.edu/fw/about.
We seek candidates who can work synergistically with us to achieve our vision and mission. Applicants should have interest in the active conservation and management of wetland ecosystems to maintain or enhance societal benefits, and engagement with local, regional, and global communities to support these ends. This includes, but is not limited to, game and non-game fish and wildlife species, aquatic plants, and water quality. Competitive applicants will have research, teaching, or engagement interest in one or more of the following areas: natural history and species ecology; quantitative data analysis; applying nature-based solutions to the restoration and maintenance of wetlands; climate change mitigation; the human dimensions component of ecosystem management; or disaster mitigations such as flood abatement.
Position Duties: This position includes primary assignments in teaching (45%) and research (45%), with additional responsibilities in outreach (5%) and leadership/service (5%). The incumbent will teach two to three courses annually. One course will be Wetland Ecosystem Management (FW412), with other courses consistent with their areas of expertise and departmental needs. Our undergraduate and graduate curricula can be viewed at https://canr.msu.edu/fw/. In addition to classroom teaching, we expect that successful applicants will contribute strongly to undergraduate and graduate student mentoring. The incumbent will secure external funding from diverse sources to support a vibrant research, outreach and engagement program aligned with our departmental mission. The incumbent’s program will be responsive to needs of external local, state, and national partners, such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Michigan State University Extension (Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Center for Lakes and Streams); Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs); the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; the United States Geological Survey; Ducks Unlimited; and the Nature Conservancy.
Required Qualifications:
- An earned Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to wetlands, with a comprehensive understanding of wetland science and management considering the interactions between fish and wildlife, vegetation, habitats, and stakeholders.
- Evidence that the candidate will contribute substantial scholarship on wetlands (i.e., will obtain grants and publish in areas related to the position).
- Evidence of ability to engage productively with partners and community stakeholders through collaborative outreach, engagement, or Extension work.
- Evidence of ability to implement high-impact evidence-based teaching and learning practices for undergraduate and graduate education.
- Evidence the candidate will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at MSU and in the field of wetlands ecology and management.
Desired Qualifications:
- Expertise in the natural history of at least one broad taxa of wetland plants or animals.
- Expertise in applying and/or teaching quantitative approaches to the analysis of ecological data; population ecology; or wetland ecology and management.
- Track record in obtaining extramural grant funding and translating those grant funds into peer-reviewed publications.
- Postdoctoral experience or other post-PhD professional work experience in the general area of wetlands ecology and management.
- Ability to lead and contribute to diverse and interdisciplinary teams.
Instructions for Applying:
On the MSU Public Job Board posting #847297 (http://careers.msu.edu), submit an application that includes:
• A letter of application (2 page maximum) describing how your interests, background, and professional experience match the job description.
• A vision statement for the position (2 page maximum), explicitly linking to the vision, mission and strategic plan of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at MSU (available here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/fw/about/).
• A teaching and student mentoring philosophy (1 page maximum). • An explanation (2 page maximum) of how you will contribute to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through this position.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Names and contact information for 3-5 professional references.
For additional information, interested individuals can contact the Search Committee Chair (please include “Wetlands23” in the subject line):
Jo Latimore, Senior Academic Specialist
517-432-1491
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University (MSU)
About the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (FW) is a vibrant community of scholars comprising >40 core faculty (tenure stream and fixed-term faculty, and academic specialists), 100 graduate and 240 undergraduate students, >30 research associates, and 6 core staff. MSU’s recently established Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center
(http://canr.msu.edu/cmerc/) is available for scientific research in natural resource restoration and management. Department partnerships include the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management (PERM) with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Boone and Crockett Program, Michigan Sea Grant, AgBioResearch, and MSU Extension. Learn more about these partnerships at http://canr.msu.edu/fw/partners/. The department is also establishing a new United States Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at MSU to expand the department’s applied research, teaching, and outreach with agency and organizational partners. The Fisheries and Wildlife Department strongly adheres to MSU’s Land Grant ethic to provide affordable education to all and conduct applied research for societal benefit.
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. A member of the Association of American Universities, MSU is a research-intensive institution with 17 degree-granting colleges.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer and is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. The University actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities. MSU is committed to providing a work environment that supports employees’ work and personal life and offers employment assistance to the spouse or partner of candidates for faculty and academic staff positions.