Assistant or Associate Extension Professor of Soil Science and Director

INTRODUCTION 

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, a part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, at the University of Connecticut is pleased to invite applications for a full-time, 11-month, non-tenure, Assistant or Associate Extension Professor. This position will oversee operations in the existing UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. The anticipated division of duties for this role will be 70% Extension, 10% Administrative, 10% Teaching, and 10% Research. The position is available immediately, with a preferred start date on or before August 23. Review of applications begins April 28th, 2025. This position will be based in the Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, located on the UConn Storrs Depot Campus in Storrs, CT.  

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with technical knowledge in soil science, who possesses the ability to facilitate the successful operation of the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, a service center that processes more than 14,000 soil samples per year. Upon its completion, the incumbent will then serve as the Director of the UConn Plant and Soil Health Center, which will encompass the current existing centers/laboratories: the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, the Home and Garden Education Center, the UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Turfgrass Diagnostic Laboratory. Expected completion of the UConn Plant and Soil Health Center (PSHC) is currently winter of 2026 and will be a one-stop comprehensive service center for plant health and soil testing, outreach, and education opportunities to Connecticut stakeholders. Additionally, the PSHC will also house flexible-use research laboratories to support research or grant-funded research associated with the broader CAHNR mission. 

The successful candidate will be able to establish positive and productive working relationships with plant professionals, producers and growers, home gardeners, and soil professionals throughout the state and region; interact with UConn faculty, state, and federal agency personnel; sustain existing Extension programming and develop novel, accessible programming for Connecticut stakeholders. Additionally, the successful candidate will be someone who has a strong commitment to teaching excellence and is capable of teaching community participants of Extension programming, as well as one to two introductory undergraduate courses that contribute to the core curriculum per academic year (see below). 

DEPARTMENT AND UNIT BACKGROUND 

The UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory (SNAL; https://soiltesting.cahnr.uconn.edu/) has been serving Connecticut farmers, greenhouse growers, plant and landscape professionals, and residents for over 80 years. The UConn SNAL provides an affordable means for agricultural producers and home gardeners to test their soil fertility and receive environmentally sound limestone and fertilizer recommendations. Through the lab’s analyses and outreach efforts, stakeholders are informed about wise soil management and fertility practices. The UConn SNAL also analyses research samples for university faculty and graduate students and serves as a teaching laboratory for several Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture classes. The UConn SNAL processes about 14,000 soil samples annually. Samples are routinely tested for a variety of major and minor plant nutrients, lead, and pH. Limestone and fertilizer recommendations are based on university research and field studies. In addition to routine soil fertility testing, the SNAL also offers commercial agronomic and vegetable growers the Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT), End-of-Season Cornstalk Nitrate Test after harvest, and Saturated Media Extract (SME) to growers using soil-less potting media. 

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture is one of nine academic units within the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Our department is comprised of 21 faculty members (15 tenure-track faculty and 6 non-tenure track faculty) and includes 12 staff professionals, who are devoted to excellence in research, teaching, and extension. The PSLA program proudly serves the needs of Connecticut through graduate and undergraduate education, outstanding public outreach programs associated with formal extension and engaged scholarship, and nationally competitive research programs. PSLA is typically the top academic department in CAHNR in external grant funding per faculty line. Over the last five years, grant expenditures have been about $2 million per year. The plant science program is nationally known for a longstanding breeding program on ornamental plants with dozens of patents adopted by the industry, impactful outreach on integrated pest management in the gr