Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Apiculture

This is a 12-month tenured or tenure-accruing position that will be 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% Extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Entomology and Nematology Department.

About the Role

The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support their program and engage in Extension activities in their program area. Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching, and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.

The successful candidate will be housed in the Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory (HBREL), adjacent to Steinmetz Hall. HBREL facilities total over 16,000 sq. ft., including office space, instructional laboratory, extension wing, containment facility, support facility, honey house, teaching pavilion, and apiary. Programs coordinated by HBREL include UF/IFAS Bee College, the UF/IFAS Master Beekeeper Program, and Two Bees in a Podcast.

Responsibilities

• Develop an internationally recognized, collaborative research program focused on honey bees that integrates basic and applied research to address critical challenges facing apiculture and deliver practical solutions.
• Establish a strong, extramurally funded research program and disseminate findings through publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
• Research areas may include honey bee husbandry, nutrition, queen health and resilience, pests and pathogens, epidemiology, environmental stressors, behavior, and other aspects of honey bee biology, health, and management.
• Develop a targeted Extension program related to the field of expertise, including:
  • Conducting need assessments of specific target audiences (beekeepers, government entities, etc.) and developing learning tools and activities.
  • Evaluating the impacts of Extension programs to facilitate program adjustment and satisfy reporting requirements.
• Cooperate with beekeeping organizations, county Extension faculty, Florida agricultural industries, and the Florida Department of Agriculture.
• Participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, dissertation, and undergraduate research, and publishing research results with students.
• Engage in professional development activities related to teaching and advising; may teach courses and seminars.

Requirements

• A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Entomology or a closely related discipline.
• Evidence of collaborative research and a strong publication record.
• Experience in apiculture.
• Demonstrated ability to procure extramural research funding (required for Associate and Full Professor rank; desirable for Assistant Professor rank).
• Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication.
• Supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system.
• A commitment to UF core values.

Preferred Qualifications

• Postdoctoral experience (desirable for Assistant Professor rank).
• Experience mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.
• Experience with Extension programs.
• Experience working with beekeepers.

This position is available July 1, 2027, and will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable applicant is available.