Assistant or Associate Professor of Food Animal Production

Overview

The Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University (USU) is seeking applicants for a 12-month (fiscal year) tenure-track faculty position in Food Animal Production that will contribute to the Extension (70%), Teaching (25%), and Service (5%) missions of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS) at USU. The successful candidate will be responsible for statewide educational and service programs that support small acreage or small-scale animal production operations (e.g., annual gross cash farm income <$350,000), focusing on livestock meat production, such as beef cattle, sheep, goats, and swine. These programs and support services should address needs in managing animal health, welfare, nutrition, and reproduction, as well as managing farm operations (e.g., sustainable practices, waste handling, new technologies, and operation scaling). The successful candidate will also develop programs and engage in outreach to help these producers meet growing market demands through fostering innovation, promoting entrepreneurship, creating value-added products, and expanding niche markets for the livestock industry. In addition to conducting educational outreach programs through traditional channels such as seminars, workshops, one-on-one consultations, Extension Fact Sheets, and bulletins/handbooks, newer methodologies should be utilized, such as distance education (e.g., interactive video conferencing) or electronic/social media (e.g., blogs, webinars, developing and expanding online learning courses/tools, etc.) to broaden the impact and reach of Extension training. The incumbent will be expected to remain current with innovations relevant to food animal production – particularly livestock – including interpretation of original research involving reproduction, breeding/genetics, nutrition, management, economics, etc., and determine how such novel information applies to small-scale Utah agricultural animal producers. 

 

Excellence in teaching and mentorship is highly valued at USU. The successful candidate will be expected to teach ADVS courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, such as ADVS 5080/6080 Beef Cattle Management and ADVS 1100 Small Scale Animal Production.  The teaching assignment will be determined based on the department's needs and the successful applicant's expertise. The candidate will also be expected to provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities for experiential learning via the candidate’s Extension programming and/or research activities.

 

The candidate will also be expected to be involved in service activities for the department, college, and university, as well as external opportunities at the national and international level within their field.

 

Anticipated start of May 1st, to be negotiated with the candidate.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality leadership of Extension programming to meet the needs of Utah livestock meat producers, focusing on small acreage or small-scale animal production operations.
• Develop and implement statewide educational programs that support growing market demands for meat products, promote entrepreneurship, promote value-added meat products, and expand niche markets for the livestock industry.
• Obtain funding to support Extension programming and applied research activities.
• Publish Extension products (e.g., fact sheets, bulletins, media content) and research results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in animal sciences.
• Provide mentorship for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Collaborate broadly with scientists and professionals at USU, USU Extension, other institutions, other stakeholders, and with federal, regional, and state agencies.
• Provide service to the department, university, community, state, and scholarly discipline as appropriate.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or D.V.M. degree with an emphasis in livestock production and management.
• Ability to plan and successfully conduct small-scale food animal production outreach programs.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written form at the scientific/technical, producer, and youth levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Willingness and ability to travel/drive statewide to provide educational programming. Applicant must obtain a valid Utah Driver's License.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends for Extension programming activities.
• Computer literacy, especially with electronic media and distance education systems.
• Experience with the Land Grant University System.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated work