Texas Tech University is seeking an innovative, dynamic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial person who
will provide intellectual and strategic leadership for the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and
Natural Resources.
OVERVIEW
The Associate Dean for Research is a member of the senior leadership team (SLT) of Davis College and
routinely coordinates with leadership team colleagues, particularly the Davis College Dean, Associate
Dean for Academic and Student Programs, Senior Director for Administration and Finance, and the
Senior Director for Development. Leadership and oversight of all research and innovation in Davis
College is expected, in addition to facilitating the performative evolution of the Davis College research
mission, while ensuring the relevance, quality, and impact of Davis College efforts to meet future needs
for food, feed, fiber, natural resources, and landscape industries.
UNIVERSITY MISSION
Texas Tech University is committed to teaching and the advancement of knowledge. TTU provides the
highest standards of excellence in higher education, fosters intellectual and personal development, and
stimulates meaningful research and service to humankind. It ranks at the highest level of Carnegie-
classified (R1: Very High Research Activity) doctoral granting universities, one of 146 U.S. institutions
with this designation. Texas Tech University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), making it one of only
16 HSIs that are also Carnegie Research 1 institutions. As the primary research institution in the western
two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech’s campus covers 1,869 acres and is comprised of 10 colleges, a
graduate school, a law school, and a new School of Veterinary Medicine located in Amarillo, Texas. With
an enrollment of more than 40,000 and a budget exceeding $1 billion, the University prides itself on the
ability of students to engage with some of the most inventive, innovative, and creative faculty in the
nation. The University’s five current strategic themes (Climate Resilience, Powering our Future,
Advancing One Health, Thrive! Rural America, and Borders and Belonging) guide research and academic
endeavors.
DAVIS COLLEGE
Davis College includes the departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education
and Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resources
Management, Plant and Soil Science, and Veterinary Sciences along with multiple research centers and
institutes. For the most recent academic year, the College had 2,687 undergraduate and 502 graduate
students and generated approximately $14 million in extramural research funding.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Davis College at Texas Tech University invites nominations and applications for the position of Associate
Dean for Research. We are looking for a strong and dynamic leader who understands the importance of
research in higher education and who will help us reach greater heights to achieve bold goals in realizing
our potential and maximizing our impact. The successful candidate will appreciate the unique
contributions of agriculture, animal sciences, communications and education, natural resources, and
landscape architectural research and how scientists, and external partners within each of these domains
can work together to address the most important challenges facing society. The successful candidate
will be committed to excellence across the entire discovery-to-application continuum, strengthening our
efforts to develop solutions that are applicable at the local, regional and global levels. The Associate
Dean for Research will be comfortable operating beyond functional silos and excited by boundary-
spanning opportunities within and outside of the Davis College and University. The incumbent will be a
collaborative and inspiring individual who will hold fast to Davis College core values: valuing people,
commitment to excellence, fostering discovery, and elevating others.
The Associate Dean for Research will be appointed to a five-year renewable term, subject to annual
reviews by the Dean and a satisfactory formal reappointment review. The Associate Dean will have an
academic home in one of the departments of the college, and their duties may be distributed 75% to
college administration and 25% department activities.
POSITION
The Davis College Associate Dean for Research reports to the Dean of Davis College. The Associate Dean
is a member of the Davis College SLT who partners and collaborates with colleagues to ensure Davis
College and TTU are coordinating and promoting all mission areas. The incumbent provides leadership
and oversight of all Davis College research programming and initiatives, including oversight of our
research facilities, centers, and institutes.
The Davis College Associate Dean for Research fosters an inclusive culture for over 100 tenure-track
faculty members in the College in which all contributions to the team are appreciated and recognized,
collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the
potential of the team and of each team member. The incumbent manages financial and physical
resources responsibly to maximize the effectiveness of those resources, exhibiting fiscal discipline and
transparency, and using best fiscal management practices. The Associate Dean for Research ensures
opportunities are open to all and that programs are inclusive of all constituencies and traditionally
underrepresented audiences. The Associate Dean for Research will synthesize a vision for research in
Davis College with input from faculty, staff, students, and external partners that encompasses all
research areas, seeks and deploys personnel and financial resources strategically, and ensures that the
strategic vision is continuously examined for relevancy and refreshed as needed.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Fosters development of multi- and transdisciplinary research programs in the College and
University.
• Maintains an active role in professional societies, regional and national organizations, and
committees associated with the interests of the College.
• Maintains an active role in seeking support and resources for College programs/facilities and
works with College development personnel on gift and endowment opportunities such as
scholarships, graduate fellowships, and endowed professorships to support research efforts.
• Provides leadership of the College faculty in planning, developing, integrating, and
implementing local, regional, national and international research programs and encourages
collaborations.
• Represents the College research interests to outside agencies including but not limited to
different commodity commissions and agricultural industries.
• Serves as the College liaison with the Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation.
• Serves as the College liaison with the TTU Graduate School.
• Manage, and promote graduate programs and students in the Davis College.
• Provides leadership to implement the College's research goals, including campus-wide
leadership in several strategic areas for growth of research to enhance the regional and national
research presence of the College.
• Leads efforts to pursue external grant and contract funding in the context of the College's
strategic goals.
• Oversees the research enterprise of the college, with a focus on increasing research activities
and expenditures (particularly through competitively funded programs) in all discipline areas of
the College, identifying funding opportunities, and assisting College faculty through team
building and by facilitating the research proposal development and submission process.
• Supervises several research staff in the college, and works closely with the college’s farm,
center, and institute directors to facilitate operations and strategic investments.
• Promote and manage faculty development and graduate student governance and research.
QUALIFICATIONS
To be considered for the position, candidates must have:
• A record of excellence in research evidenced by a portfolio of high impact peer-reviewed
publications, extramural funding, and collaboration that demonstrates the skills and abilities to
accelerate and maximize research and creative activity impact.
• Accomplishments commensurate with a tenured faculty appointment in a Davis College unit at
the rank of full professor.
• Demonstrated ability to provide visionary leadership for complex organizations and/or
initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi- and trans-disciplinary teams and align resources to achieve
strategic outcomes.
• A record of leadership and outcomes that demonstrate an abiding commitment to practices that
are inclusive.
• Exceptional skills in communication and interpersonal relations.
• A demonstrated and ongoing commitment to serving diverse populations.
Preference will be given to candidates who have:
• Documented success in a senior/executive-level leadership role in a complex and decentralized
system (e.g., higher education, industry, or government).
• An ability to collaborate effectively with a broad range of constituencies.
• Evidence of using data and/or fact-based information to navigate complex situations and make
strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated understanding of systems and networks that encourage and support
entrepreneurial activities and the success of entrepreneurs, founders, or start-ups.
• Success in establishing mutually beneficial affinity partnerships with commodity commissions
and industry partners.
• Documented international programming/partnering experience related to agriculture, natural
resources or the interplay of the global food, feed, fiber, landscape architecture, and societal
systems.
APPLICATIONS:
All application materials must be submitted online through the Texas Tech University application site at
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/workattexastech/ and search for Requisition #33080BR. Applicants should
submit a current CV, cover letter, and names of three to five professional references. Review of
applications will begin on June 5. Questions should be addressed to Dr. Robert Cox, Search Chair, Davis
College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-
2123, Phone (806) 742-2808; email: robert.cox@ttu.edu.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability,
genetic information or status as a protected veteran.