Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management, Professor - Fort Myers, United States - Florida Gulf Coast University

Description

Job Summary

The Water School at FGCU is seeking candidates for the Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies. The Water School ) is an interdisciplinary enterprise that brings together faculty from five colleges and schools representing 15 departments to focus on the environmental, economic, and human dimensions of coastal resilience, ecosystem integrity, health and wellbeing, and restoration and remediation. Because of its interdisciplinary structure and its connections with other colleges across campus, The Water School presents a good opportunity for professional couples looking for a new academic home.

This appointment as the Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management will be made at the rank of Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong research program, disseminating their research findings to the region and the academic community as appropriate, and to acquire external support for their research. Because this appointment will be made at the rank of Professor, the successful candidate will have a demonstrated record of collaboration with other scholars and especially of the mentorship of junior faculty. Primary responsibilities will be at The Water School's Kapnick Center for Research and Education ) located on the campus of the Naples Botanical Garden ), with some teaching responsibilities on the main campus

The Water School encourages nominations for and applications from highly qualified individuals with research and teaching interests in Habitat Restoration and Management. The Endowed Chair in Habitat Restoration and Management will have demonstrated excellence in education, research, and service in tropical systems and ecology including exotic vegetation, habitat restoration, and ecosystem conservation. They will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and will have the opportunity to develop new courses, build a productive program of research that involves students, participate on university committees, and perform other duties as assigned. They will conduct scholarship that addresses pressing environmental issues of Southwest Florida's upland and wetland ecosystems.

Areas of expertise might include wetland ecology; plant ecology at population, community or ecosystem levels; sub-tropical ecology; restoration ecology; conservation impacts of invasive species; global change including land use or climate change; ecosystem management; and modeling of ecosystem services. Research approaches might include: assessment and development of best management practices for wildland-urban interfaces; connecting regional socioeconomics to restoration and watershed / ecosystem management decisions; assessing the efficacy of restoration efforts within the context of Everglades restoration; innovating ecological engineering solutions to nutrient,
hydrologic, or climate change related issues; and similar. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with faculty members within The Water School and work with regional land managers and decision-makers, community stakeholders, and restoration practitioners to advance recommendations for resource conservation or restoration.

Florida Gulf Coast University is a comprehensive university dedicated to quality education, research, and service. All faculty are expected to: be excellent teachers, responsive to changing professional needs; be committed to innovative delivery of instruction resulting in improved student learning; be committed to effective use of technology including distance learning; produce peer reviewed scholarship; and provide service to the College, University and Community. Teaching assignments may be on the main campus or at off-campus sites within our region.

With an enrollment of nearly 16,000 students, FGCU has a main campus of 800 acres with LEED-certified buildings and 400 acres of protected habitat. The university's award-winning initiatives in education, energy production, research, and sustainable practices make us one of the nation's greenest campuses.
FGCU is located in beautiful Southwest Florida, known for its beaches, resorts, nature preserves, and outdoor recreation. Located between the cities of Fort Myers and Naples, FGCU is just two hours by car from the major cities of St.
Petersburg, Tampa, and Miami, and 15 minutes from the Southwest Florida International Airport. The region is surrounded by water-important estuaries to the north, Lake Okeechobee to the east, the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west-providing an unparalleled setting to study all facets of water and environmental issues.

FGCU launched The Water School on World Water Day in 2019, sending a message that the University and the State of Florida were making a significant investment in water and the environment in Southwest Florida. By bringing together faculty and staff from across the university, The Water School is
addressing pressing issues of regional concern by developing sustainable solutions to ensure that future generations inherit a Southwest Florida that is full of opportunity and is renowned for its quality of life.

FGCU is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity and Access Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, genetic predisposition, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, veteran status, and any other protected class(es), as required by applicable state and federal law, as well as University regulations and policies.

Job Description

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Develop and teach assigned courses: prepare syllabi and instruction materials, coordinate lectures, evaluate students and maintain highest possible standards of classroom instruction.
• Develop and maintain an independent and productive research program that also involves students.
• Mentor students, as appropriate, in research.
• Actively work with local communities, as appropriate, to engage them in issues related to climate policy.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Additional Job Description

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Geography, Natural Resources, Biogeochemistry, or related discipline from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent accreditation.
• Experience with effective teaching and mentorship with demonstrated commitment for using your scholarly achievements to give students the most stimulating and current education in fields of expertise related to tropical systems and ecology.
• Experience with mentoring of junior faculty.
• Experience with effective science communication with a vast array of stakeholders such as non-profit, government and non-government organizations, land management organizations, and natural resource managers.
• Demonstrated development of a network of research collaborators and past experience creating linkages and relationships with local communities/organizations to assist in the development of best practice solutions to water/wetland related environmental issues.
• Evidence of scholarly expertise and an international reputation related to the job description with a wide publication record in scholarly journals.
• Demonstrated record of achievement in academic teaching, scholarship, and service.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching, research, and scholarly interests that align with the programs and mission of The Water School.
• Interdisciplinary teaching and research perspective with well-established research agenda and productivity in the field of tropical ecology and conservation.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of the use of various and innovative teaching approaches to engage students and ensure student learning.
• Demonstrated development and use of skills appropriate to the discipline.
• Ability to conduct independent research and involve undergraduate and graduate students in research; ability to mentor student research with their learning and training in mind.
• Ability to interact in a professional manner with a diverse group of staff, faculty, students and the community in a service-oriented environment.
• Ability to thrive in an organization that values the diversity of its student body and workforce and actively promotes an equitable environment.
• Ability to develop collaborative opportunities and capacity building with community partners including the Naples Botanical Garden.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Appointment will be made on a 9-month multi-year appointment basis available August 2024.

Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida's Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of

FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU.

Under Florida's Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials:

• Unofficial Transcripts
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research Interests
• Five (5) Professional References- Your list of references must include at least one non- academic stakeholder collaborator, one academic colleague and/or supervisor, and one student that you have advised.

The position is listed as "open until filled", however applications received by November 27, 2023 will receive priority consideration.

Salary commensurate with education and experience.