The Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University is recruiting for a position as
Assistant Professor, Turf Specialist. See below for details.
Position Title
Assistant Professor
Job Title
Assistant Professor - Turf Specialist
Appointment Type
Academic Teaching/Research Faculty
Job Location
Corvallis
Department
Horticulture 211200 AGD
Position Summary
The Department of Horticulture invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 9-month, tenure-track Assistant
Professor (Turf Specialist) position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.
Two months of summer salary will be funded by the Giustina Turf Endowment.
The Endowed Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Management will continue and expand our highly successful
undergraduate teaching and Extension programs in turf management in concert with the Department of
Horticulture's ecological landscape theme. This person prepares students for rewarding careers in turf
management and produces Extension programs based on applied research that address important horticultural
and environmental issues such as irrigation management for reduced water use, alternative plant materials for
low-input lawns, pest management strategies, and best management practices for golf courses, athletic fields,
and residential and industrial turf culture. This person works closely with professional colleagues, industry
leaders, and practitioners, both in Oregon and neighboring states in the western United States.
Position Duties
60% Teaching
Develop and deliver a comprehensive and compelling turf management curriculum including classroom
teaching and development of online educational materials and courses. Curriculum content will include
individual courses in basic turf management, golf course and athletic field management, irrigation design and
management, and the ecology and management of turf systems.
Work collaboratively with the department's landscape horticulturist to develop complementary curricula.
Co-teach orientation course for new students in the Horticulture undergraduate program.
Supervise the internship program and provide service learning opportunities for students enrolled in the turf
option.
Mentor and advise students, and introduce them to turf industry representatives.
Supervise employees and student workers, including planning and assigning work, approving work, responding
to grievances, hiring/firing or effectively recommending such actions, disciplining, and signing and
administering performance appraisals.
30% Extension and Outreach
Develop an Extension and applied research program supported by extramural funding, and in collaboration
with stakeholders, that emphasizes a wide array of integrative and ecological management practices for turf
systems, and that supports the teaching and county Extension faculty programs, professionals in the industry,
and the general public.
Work collaboratively with Horticulture and other OSU faculty members, USDA, and others in the region who are
involved with landscape design and management, urban and community horticulture, and ecology of managed
landscapes to further enhance departmental and regional undergraduate and Extension programs.
10% Service
Serve as the advisor for the Turf Club.
Serve on the department's undergraduate curriculum committee.
Provide leadership on assessing learning within the turf curriculum, and across the curricula within the
department.
Participate in departmental faculty meetings, other committees, working groups, and other appropriate
activities.
Serve on Extension, college, and university committees as appropriate.
Serve on public committees and advisory boards as requested and appropriate.
Meet all reporting requirements of the department, college, and university.
Independent travel will be required to perform some of the position duties.
Minimum/Required Qualifications
Ph.D. degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, or closely related field.
Expertise in turf management.
Demonstrable commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students.
Applied research experience in the area of turf management.
Demonstrable interest in Cooperative Extension.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in classroom teaching and mentoring of undergraduates.
Strong indication of willingness to explore and implement innovative teaching and Extension methodologies
including those based on active learning approaches.
Ability to integrate results of contemporary scientific research and the science of ecology into teaching and
Extension programs in turf management.
Evidence of high potential to obtain extramural funding to support Extension and teaching programs in turf
management.
Evidence of the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, as a member of interdisciplinary teams, and
with professional turf managers.
Demonstrable capacity for scholarship.
Scholarly Outcomes for Position (academic faculty only)
15% Scholarship and Creative Activity
Integrate, apply, and/or discover new knowledge or technologies concerning turf management, ecology, or
other aspects of assigned duties.
Communicate scholarship through peer-refereed, reviewed, and Extension publications; books; electronic
media; and presentations at scientific meetings.
Validate scholarship through peer review and adoption.
Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search:
Competitive / External - open to ALL qualified applicants
Posting Date
06-13-2012
Closing Date
07-30-2012
Recommended Full-Time Salary Range
Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity is:
A preferred qualification
Special Instructions to Applicants
When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1) A resume/CV that includes the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses, and
telephone contact numbers (upload as "Other Document" if not included with your resume/vitae).
2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.
3) A statement discussing your philosophies of undergraduate and Extension education and its relation to this
position. (upload as Other Document 2)
For additional information please contact: Ryan Contreras, 541-737-5462 or contrery@hort.oregonstate.edu or
Rich Regan, 541-737-5454 or rich.regan@oregonstate.edu.
OSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
Posting Number
0009191
Quicklink for Posting
jobs.oregonstate.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=60542