Herbarium Curator

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY:
The USF Libraries serve the University of South Florida, with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee. In 1960, USF's founding president, John Allen, referred to the library as "the heart of the University", and we pride ourselves on continuing to be at the center of a highly engaged university community today. Our collective mission is to inspire research, creativity, and learning, partnering with students and globally recognized faculty to produce meaningful, impactful research. Together, we aim to provide the freedom and resources to create a vision for the future.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The University of South Florida (USF) Libraries seeks a passionate, team-oriented professional to serve as Curator of the USF Herbarium. The Herbarium was established in 1958 and contains more than 270,000 specimens of vascular plants, algae, bryophytes, and lichens in addition to more than 10,000 books and related resources. In 2024, the USF Libraries special Collections department assumed management of the collection and designated the Herbarium as an area of strategic emphasis to complement the existing Florida Environment & Natural History Collections initiative. The Curator will lead the growth and management of the USF Herbarium, collaborate with faculty and student researchers, and ensure appropriate use and access by developing procedures, guidelines, and assessment plans. Under the direction of the Director, Special Collections, the successful candidate will engage in enhancement and promotion of the USF Herbarium through outreach, instruction, exhibition, research and publication, and the application of innovative technologies. A dedicated professional with experience acquiring, using, and/or promoting biological collections will lead this area of strategic emphasis by collaborating with and supervising personnel on the Tampa campus and collaborating with key faculty and librarians across the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses. Candidates invested in the success of advancing research and curricular use of the USF Herbarium are highly sought. This is a 12-month non-tenured faculty position on a promotion track with ranks of Assistant, Associate, or Full Curator.

Collection Curation & Management
Oversee the organization, accessioning, validation, cataloguing, display, digitization, and preservation of plant specimens.
Work with collaborators at the USF Water Institute and USF Libraries to support updates to species records and taxonomy within the Florida Plant Atlas.
Direct staff, student assistants, interns and/or volunteers engaged in the organization, description, preservation, and digitization of plant specimens.
Identify gaps in the herbarium collection and develop strategies for targeted acquisition and accessioning.
Cultivate relationships with botanical institutions, researchers, and collectors to facilitate specimen exchange and acquisition.
Evaluate incoming donations and acquisitions for scientific and educational value, adhering to collection policies and guidelines.
Conduct regular assessments of the USF Herbarium's operations, procedures, and collections, including reports on activities relative to the collection

Research & Outreach
Maintain an active research program utilizing the collection and contribute to scholarly publications.
Participate in service relevant to the Curator's expertise and research interests.
Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on research projects, exhibitions, and educational programs.
Pursue external funding to support the development of the USF Herbarium.
Provide support and expertise to visitors, students, and researchers utilizing the herbarium collection.
Contribute to public outreach efforts through lectures, workshops, and public engagement activities.

Performs other duties as assigned

MINIMUM:

PhD in Botany, Ecology, or a related field.
Two years of curatorial, research, or academic experience with responsibility for at
least one of the following: managing, maintaining, or facilitating access to either specimens or research collections; managing grant-funded projects focused on specimens or related research collectio