Assistant/Associate Professor - Postharvest Physiologist

Job Description

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. This is a 12-month, tenure-accruing position that will be 30% Teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) and 70% Research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), available in the Horticultural Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Horticultural Sciences Department.

The faculty member will actively seek contract and grant funding to support their program. The faculty member will also engage in Extension activities in their program area. The successful candidate will develop an extramurally funded, nationally recognized research and teaching program in postharvest biology and biochemistry. The incumbent will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction in the teaching program (30% FTE), including the following components:

• a) co-teaching a joint undergraduate/graduate course,
• b) developing a new graduate-level course in postharvest instrumentation,
• c) contributing to a team-taught plant biochemistry course,
• d) guest lecturing in related courses.

Activity will include mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and visiting scientists/scholars. This program will demonstrate teaching-related scholarship via the production of learning tools, and engaging in professional development activities related to teaching and advising. Faculty are encouraged to support and participate in the UF CALS Honors Program, distance education, and international education.

The research program (70% FTE) emphasizes development of new information related to postharvest physiology of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Florida. This position offers opportunities to explore the fundamental physiological and biochemical processes that regulate how fruits and vegetables from different production systems respond to their postharvest environment and treatments, influencing postharvest quality and shelf life. Research from preharvest practices through harvest and postharvest operations will study the physiological and metabolic processes related to the development, maturation, and senescence of horticultural crops. It will involve evaluating the quality of harvested plant products and developing technological solutions (including AI) to enhance postharvest quality maintenance throughout the supply chain.

This program collaborates with current HOS research programs in postharvest genomics/genetics/technology, plant biochemistry, and with other disciplines such as plant pathology, food science and human nutrition, agricultural and biological engineering, and food and resource economics. These foci thereby enhance sustainability, reduce waste and losses in the postharvest value chain, and improve economic returns to industry stakeholders and affected communities in general.

Background Information

The Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida has a variety of research, teaching, and Extension programs located at the Gainesville campus and across the state at research and education centers. Program focus areas within the department include: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Crop Production and Management, Postharvest Biology and Technology, Organic and Sustainable Horticulture, and Weed Science. The department offers an undergraduate degree program in Plant Science, and M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Horticultural Science. The Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) has strong interdisciplinary graduate programs in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology and Plant Breeding and Genetics. The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, six Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Senior Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

Qualifications

A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in horticultural science, plant physiology or a closely related discipline is required. Candidates should have a strong record of publishing in refereed journals, demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, and procurement of extramural funding. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system and have a commitment to UF core values.

Salary

Commensurate with Experience and Education