Associate or Assistant Professor, Vegetable Crop Pathology

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POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in the College of Agricultural Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a 36-week, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor with expertise in biology, epidemiology and management of diseases of vegetable and ornamental crops, and the development of translational educational programming to meet the needs of a diverse stakeholder audience. This position has 60% extension and 40% research responsibilities.

The successful candidate will build and lead an extension and research program focused on managing significant and emerging diseases of vegetable and ornamental crops, with a primary emphasis on major vegetable crops grown in Pennsylvania. They will provide statewide leadership in vegetable and ornamental crop pathology, working as part of a statewide team of extension specialists and educators. Key responsibilities include conducting innovative and impactful research on plant diseases and their management, developing new diagnostic tools and technologies, and partnering with extension specialists and county educators to address vegetable crop health challenges using existing and new technologies.

This role requires identifying extension education needs, equipping growers and agricultural service providers with research-based actionable information on pathogen biology and disease management, and responding to stakeholder priorities. Pennsylvania vegetable production is complex and diversified in both farm size and crop composition and includes field and controlled-environment systems such as greenhouses and high-tunnels, expanding organic and conventional management. The candidate will collaborate with faculty across departments, engage with interdisciplinary and diverse teams and commodity groups, secure research funding, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students and develop a program with impact. Excellence in grant writing, research communication, and interdisciplinary engagement are essential.

The successful candidate is expected to obtain extramural support for their research, communicate research findings through peer-reviewed publications and other effective means, and actively participate in student training and mentoring.

Applicants must submit the following: (1) a cover letter; (2) a complete CV; (3) a statement summarizing the applicant's philosophy and plan for establishing a successful research and extension program as described in the preceding paragraphs; and (4) contact information for three references. Please share either through the application materials or as a separate statement how you would contribute to creating/maintaining an inclusive and respectful environment for all students within classrooms and/or all employees within your work unit. System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit. For more information about the position, please contact Paul Esker (pde6@psu.edu), Chair of the Search Committee, or Maria del Mar Jimenez Gasco (mxj22@psu.edu), Head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology.

Qualifications
A Ph.D. in Plant Pathology or a related field is required. Applicants should provide evidence of strong potential for conducting and publishing innovative research, competitiveness for external research funding, excellence in communication across a range of audiences, and keen interest and skills in mentoring and advising students. Experience in developing and delivering extension programs is preferred.

Selection Criteria
Candidates will be evaluated on their potential for publishing high impact work, obtaining extramural funding, excellence in instruction, and collaboration in research and instruction within and outside the Department and campus.

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