Assistant Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology

Assistant Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology

Tenure-track, Full-time, 9-month Appointment

The School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine seeks a collaborative colleague to join our faculty as an Assistant Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology. The successful applicant is expected to fully participate in undergraduate and graduate education and build a strong research program.  Forests dominate 90% of Maine’s landscape and face a variety of ecological challenges that include sustainable commodity production, ecosystem rehabilitation, natural regeneration, forest health, carbon sequestration, and a changing climate. This position would apply various fundamental principles, research methods (e.g., field studies, experiments, eddy-covariance flux measurements, and/or process modeling), and experimental findings to improve understanding of tree-, stand-, and landscape-scale ecophysiological function of forests. This work should also support state-of-the-art mechanistic modeling frameworks to better provide scientific information for addressing these challenges, making reliable predictions of future conditions, and guiding sustainable forest management with a holistic ecosystem perspective. Together with recent university hires, the advertised position will deepen our expertise in plant sciences across academic units and centers in fulfillment of our Land-Grant University’s mission.

The University of Maine is a Land Grant and Sea Grant university. The School of Forest Resources awards Bachelor of Science degrees in Forestry; Forest Operations, Bioproducts, & Bioenergy; and Parks, Recreation & Tourism; as well as Master of Science, Master of Forestry, and Doctoral degrees in Forest Resources. Many of our faculty also participate in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program. We are a vibrant School that has experienced a doubling in undergraduate forestry major enrollments and added seven new energetic faculty members in the last five years. Detailed information about the programs and faculty is available at www.forest.umaine.edu. The School also manages 13,000 acres of forestland, including the 4,000-acre Penobscot Experimental Forest jointly managed with the USFS Northern Research Station. Much of this forestland is adjacent to campus making for short travel times for research and teaching. In addition, the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests (https://crsf.umaine.edu/) maintains a range of long-term research sites throughout the state including Howland Research Forest (https://crsf.umaine.edu/research-2/howland-research-forest/), Holt Research Forest (https://holtforest.org/), and Bear Brook Watershed (https://umaine.edu/bbwm/).

The University of Maine is located in Orono, a small college town bounded by the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers. The campus is just eight miles north of Bangor, one of the largest cities in Maine, and serves as the commercial and medical hub for northern, central and eastern Maine. The Bangor Region is centrally located in the state, providing nearby access to mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Orono is a 4-hour drive from Boston, 5 hours from Quebec City, 90 minutes from Baxter State Park and the Appalachian Trail, and 90 minutes from Bar Harbor, the home of Acadia National Park.

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

       Required

1. Research interests centered on forest ecosystem physiology including tree biology, ecosystem function, watershed processes, and landscape dynamics.
2. A Ph.D. in forest ecosystem physiology or closely related field at the time of appointment.
3. A record or ability to publish forest ecosystem physiology research in peer reviewed journals.
4. A record or ability to secure funding for forest ecosystem physiology research.
5. An interest and ability to effectively teach forest ecosystem physiology and other core courses in the forestry curriculum such as forest biology, senior capstone and the May Term field camp.

       Desirable

1. Experience with highly diverse, mixed-species, multi-aged forest ecosystems.
2. Experience with emerging forest ecosystem physiology technologies such as eddy-covariance flux, isotopic analysis, paired watershed studies, and remote sensing.

Responsibilities:

1. 50% Teaching / 50% Research 
2. A 50% teaching appointment involves teaching 9 credits per academic year, which may include:
3. SFR 100 - Introduction to Forest Biology (3 cr, Annual; 50 students).
4. SFR 102 - Biology of Wood Plants (1 cr, Annual): FOR, FBB, PRT required (50 students).
5. An upper-level undergraduate elective course on Advanced Tree and Forest Biology (3 cr., alternate years).
6. A graduate level course in Forest Ecosystem Physiology

• Advising undergraduate and graduate students.
• Research expectations include developing an extramurally funded, internationally recognized, forest ecophysiology research program and collaborating with scientists and educators in forest ecology and related disciplines. 
• Engaging in service and leadership opportunities with landowners, professional societies, state agencies, and NGOs. 

Salary and Benefits:  Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Information about the University of Maine’s benefits package can be found at: http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/system-office/human-resources/  

Application: Must include a cover letter, CV, teaching statement, research statement, unofficial transcripts, and list of up to five references. Please use the HireTouch system to upload application materials at https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=45057&job=assistant-professor-of-forest-ecosystem-physiology

Deadline: Review of applications to begin February 15th, 2018.

Direct questions to:

              Dr. Aaron Weiskittel, Search Committee Chair

207-581-2857 or aaron.weiskittel@maine.edu