Associate Professor or Professor/Forage Crop Production and Management

Position Title: Associate Professor or Professor/Forage Crop Production and Management

Employee Classification: LC Faculty NT 12m

College/Division: Agricultural Experiment Station

Department: 317900-AG SCIENCE CTR AT TUCUMCARI

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: NMSU satellite location

Offsite Location (if applicable): Rex E. Kirksey Ag Science Ctr at Tucumcari

Target Hourly/Salary Rate: Commensurate on experience

Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt: Exempt

Summary: We are inviting applications for a dynamic researcher interested in pursuing research and providing innovative and collaborative leadership at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center (ASC) in Tucumcari, New Mexico. This position will conduct research in southwestern cropping systems, potentially including forage crops, water and nutrient management relevant to New Mexico and the US Southwest.

Classification Summary:
Faculty members at the Tucumcari Agricultural Science Center (ASC) conduct research in soil science and water management, diverse food and forage crops, and integrating livestock with cropping systems to enhance the agricultural, economic, environmental, and social well-being of farmers and rural communities throughout New Mexico. Recent infrastructure investments at the Tucumcari ASC position the center as a top agricultural research facility in the State and enable innovative new research in agricultural irrigation and management of critical water resources, including the reuse of treated municipal wastewater and its influence on diverse crops and the environment. Integrated cropping systems, including small grain forages and forage transformation for improved nutrition, will play a vital role. New pivot irrigation systems at the Tucumcari ASC are dual-sourced and use treated municipal wastewater and canal water.

Classification Standard Duties:
The successful candidate will conduct research in southwestern cropping systems, potentially including forage crops, water and nutrient management relevant to New Mexico and the US Southwest.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Ph.D. (in hand by hire date) in agronomy, forage science, plant science, or related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The incumbent is expected to have a broad understanding of agronomic crop production practices, soil-plant-water relations, irrigation water effects on crop performance, soil nutrients and groundwater, and pasture and livestock management. The successful candidate is expected to have experience in educational programming and documented effectiveness in conducting research and securing extramural funding. The individual is expected to work effectively on interdisciplinary research teams and with diverse clientele groups including private, state, tribal and federal stakeholders

Job Duties and Responsibilities
**The position will be located at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center based in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) at New Mexico State University (NMSU) invites applications for a dynamic researcher interested in pursuing research and providing innovative and collaborative leadership at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center (ASC) in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The position is 100% research, with the potential to contribute to Science Center leadership and coordination, including potential administrative responsibilities as Research Director for the Center. We anticipate hiring at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor (12-month/year, tenure track). The successful candidate will conduct research in southwestern cropping systems, potentially including forage crops, water and nutrient management relevant to New Mexico and the US Southwest. The incumbent is expected to interact with stakeholders and researchers throughout the State to develop and enhance production practices of value to New Mexico farmers. Research opportunities at the Center include assessing drought- and heat tolerant crops that will thrive in semi-arid environments using alternative water resources, integrating water and nutrient management practices. The selected candidate will also be able to provide leadership and effective research programming for the larger Tucumcari ASC research portfolio relating to regional cropping systems, water conservation, and management Research and program expectations include assisting growers and other stakeholders with crop production and irrigation management. The individual is expected to work effectively on interdisciplinary research teams and with diverse clientele groups, including private, state, tribal, and federal stakeholders. New Mexico State University is the state's land-grant institution, with more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students on the main campus in Las Cruces and four satellite campuses. The Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) Department is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, which is home to seven other academic departments, five extension departments, and approximately 150 faculty members and 1,800 students. PES consists of approximately 46 faculty and research scientists, and 160 undergraduate and 40 graduate students (MS and PhD). Teaching and research concentrations in PES include horticulture, agronomy, plant breeding and genetic improvement, molecular biology, plant physiology, ecology, and environmental, water, and soil sciences. An active mentoring program is in place for new faculty to onboard with senior faculty and successfully progress through the faculty ranks. Research opportunities exist across NMSU's network of 12 Agricultural Science Centers located around the state, including several facilities near the NMSU main campus. A new container farm laboratory is housed on the NMSU Grants campus and serves as a prototype for economic growth and a means to combat climate change, food insecurity, and inequities in STEM education. Core facilities for microscopy, tissue culture, advanced chemical and omics analysis, and molecular biology are available to complement laboratory, greenhouse, and field experimental facilities. Opportunities exist to participate in undergraduate and graduate training programs sponsored by USDA, NIH, NSF, and HSI/MSI programs. Additionally, NMSU actively collaborates with numerous state, tribal and federal agencies. For more information on PES, see https://pes.nmsu.edu. The City of Tucumcari is in a region with vibrant, diversified dryland farming (400 mm/year), irrigated crops and livestock, including many beginning farmers, ranchers and small landholders interested in locally grown forage and food crops. New Mexico-grown forages are critical for feeding New Mexico's $1.15 billion beef and $1.67 billion dairy industries along with sheep, horses and other livestock. Forage crops and integrated livestock systems are common in the region, with alfalfa ranked the number one cash crop in the State, extensive irrigated perennial pastures, some 270,000 acres of winter wheat grazed in place, large acreage of non-alfalfa hay, hay-silage and winter cereal silage. This position also offers numerous opportunities to develop research programs with faculty in diverse departments at the NMSU main campus and with faculty based at the other 11 ASCs across the State. They will also be expected to develop collaborations with NM commodity groups, potentially including the New Mexico Hay Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers, and New Mexico Dairy Producers. The incumbent may also contribute to teaching courses in forage and cover crops and will be expected to seek external research grants, publish in leading journals, and mentor graduate students.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in agronomic and forage crop production, water and nutrient management, and applied research is preferred.

Department Contact: Sangu Angadi, 575-985-2292 ext 105, angadis@nmsu.edu

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule:

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.