[Corebotanyfaculty] Faculty search updates

[Bpschair]

Hi everyone,

I have a few updates on factually searches.

1. New position for 23-24

I am late in announcing that we were given approval to search for one faculty position next year.  Recall we submitted two position requests (Resilience to Climate Change and Plant Molecular Cellular Biology), equally weighted.  We have approval to search for the “Resilience to Climate Change” position.  I would like to establish a search committee so we can start working on a position description in the next few weeks.  I would like to advertise the position in early September.   The position description we submitted is pasted below, and will need to be refined to develop a job ad.

Resilience to Climate Change

Climate change is causing increases in temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as drought and flooding, thus threatening both agricultural productivity and natural ecosystems.  We seek a candidate who will use an integrative approach, including the tools of genomics, to understand climate change impacts on plants in both agricultural and natural systems. Specifically, the candidate should work to understand processes that allow resistance or resilience to extreme climate events. Research in this area is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of the contrasting genomic compositions that are the basis for responses to the environment and important for promoting sustainable practices, both in agricultural and natural environments. The proposed position would form an important bridge between researchers working within the agricultural mission of the Agricultural Experiment Station and researchers working with advanced concepts in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics. The successful applicant will teach Graduate Plant Physiology, will contribute to graduate and undergraduate bioinformatics courses such as BIOL 119 and GEN 220, and develop a graduate seminar in Plant Physiology. Potential to leverage funding: The successful applicant will be able to leverage funding from basic science sources such as NSF, as well as applied sources such as USDA, and commodity boards such as the California Avocado Commission, Citrus Research Board and California Olive Committee.

2.  Community Ecology search (ongoing)

Our top-ranked candidate for the Plant Community Ecology search, Natalia Umaña, was invited to come for a second visit.  She initially accepted the invitation and seemed excited about the opportunity, but last week she informed me that she is withdrawing her application.  We voted on a ranked order for the other candidates we interviewed, and the second candidate, Chris Catano, has been invited to come for a second visit.  Chris indicates that he is very much interested and we are working out details for him and his spouse to visit, likely Aug 14-16.  I will provide more information when we have the details of Chris’ visit worked out.

3.  CE Weed Scientist

Recall that last year we were approved to search for a CE Weed Scientist, with the caveat that we needed to revise our position description to make it a position dealing with weed science issues in agriculture, with a focus on row crops.  Given the complexities of this and the challenges of recruiting while Batchelor Hall is under renovation, I requested that we delay this search.  It is now time to launch this search for 23-24.

If you are interested in serving on either search committee, please contact me as soon as possibly, preferably by Tues Aug 1.

I will begin working on dept committee staffing in the next few weeks, and will contact you with these requests.

Thanks, Patty

Patricia Springer
Professor and Chair, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
University of California
Riverside, CA  92521

pspringer at ucr.edu<mailto:pspringer at ucr.edu>
bpschair at ucr.edu
951-827-4413 (Chair's office)
951-827-5785 (Faculty office)
http://plantbiology.ucr.edu



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