Job Posting Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality

March 15, 2022

The Department of Extension in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources invites applications for an Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality. We seek an individual whose professional skills and abilities can foster the integration of extension with research to address local and regional water quality issues such as urban stormwater and agricultural runoff. This position will be housed in the award-winning Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) and contribute to the Center’s mission of working with communities to balance growth and natural resource protection. The ideal candidate will have expertise in translational outreach programming in the areas of water quality management, watershed management, stormwater management, or other relevant disciplines in water science. The position will be based in the Department of Extension (75%) and jointly appointed in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (25%). There are also opportunities to collaborate with municipalities, state and federal government agencies, and across UConn through the Connecticut Sea Grant, Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, Institute of the Environment, and Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation.

The Department of Extension in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) works collaboratively with partners in all 169 municipalities across Connecticut, throughout the northeast region, and beyond. It is a non-tenuring unit with 35 faculty, 30 program, and administrative staff. Additional grant-specific program personnel assist to solve problems, and enhance the wellbeing of our state citizens where they live, work, and learn. Work carried out by the Department constitutes the majority of activity carried out by the UConn Extension System. Faculty and staff conduct activities through eight-county/community-based offices and may be co-located with additional community/agency-based working partners when applicable.

CAHNR has developed and implemented a Strategic Vision to guide the development and focus of our teaching, research, and Extension programs in the years 2020-2025. All faculty and technical staff are expected to contribute to the implementation of CAHNR’s five strategic priorities (https://cahnr.uconn.edu/visionandvalues).

  • Ensuring a vibrant agricultural industry and sustainable food supply
  • Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally
  • Dismantling structural racism and fostering environments that advance racial equity, inclusion, and belonging by advocating for antiracist policies, practices, and norms.
  • Fostering sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces
  • Advancing resilience and adaptation in a changing climate

The University and CAHNR prioritize scholarship in areas that impact quality of life, including human, animal, plant and environmental health and sustainability. We encourage and provide support for cross-disciplinary, collaborative scholarship across the College, University, nation, and globe. UConn is committed to Life-Transforming Education for students and Extension audiences. UConn is recognized as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly campuses by the Sierra Club. Through research, teaching, service, and Extension, UConn embraces diversity and inclusion and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Extension (75%) – The successful applicant will develop and deliver impactful Extension programs. Program foci might include water quality management strategies; agricultural conservation practices to improve water quality; novel approaches to stormwater management; measures to protect private water supplies; assessment of causes, effects, prevention and restoration of surface water and groundwater impairments; methods to address point and nonpoint source pollution; and impacts of land-use change. The successful applicant will provide leadership and science-based information to key stakeholders, policymakers, and the public on solutions to water quality and water resource challenges in agriculture and urban communities locally and regionally. The successful applicant will be expected to seek external funding to enhance Extension programs. Activities will also include building collaborative, interdisciplinary networks between UConn CLEAR, other Extension educators, and academic faculty.

Research (25%) – Applied research will be done in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, where the successful applicant will have collaborative access to analytical chemistry equipment in laboratories and hydrological field sampling equipment. The successful applicant will be expected to seek external funding to perform research that complements Extension activities outlined for this position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

  • Doctoral degree in water quality, hydrology, watershed management, natural resources, environmental sciences, agricultural/biological engineering, water sciences, or a related field
  • Demonstrated expertise in addressing agricultural and urban water quality problems
  • Demonstrated expertise in outreach activities
  • A record of publishing outreach and peer-reviewed research
  • Experience obtaining and/or managing competitive grants
  • Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

  • History of funding from state and/or federal agencies
  • Experience as funded project director/manager
  • Integration of social science concepts in extension programming
  • Understanding of Geographic Information Systems/geospatial technologies
  • A record of commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through academic, extension, and/or research activities.

APPOINTMENT TERMS 

This is a full-time, 11-month position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2022. The successful candidate will work primarily at the University of Connecticut’s Middlesex County Extension office located in Haddam, CT, with occasional travel to the Storrs Campus, other Extension centers, and elsewhere in the state.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment at the University of Connecticut is contingent upon the successful candidate’s compliance with the University’s Mandatory Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.  This Policy states that all workforce members are required to have or obtain a Covid-19 vaccination as a term and condition of employment at UConn, unless an exemption or deferral has been approved.

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY 

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/21333 and submit the following application materials:

  • Cover letter summarizing how your qualifications and experience meet the position requirements (maximum two pages).
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • A statement of academic disciplinary interests summarizing how your professional outreach/extension and research accomplishments will contribute to the College’s success in achieving its Strategic Vision (maximum one page).
  • Statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (maximum one page).
  • Names and contact information for at least three references.

Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2022, and continue until a successful candidate is selected. Inquiries should be sent by email to the search committee chair, Dr. Michael Dietz at Michael.dietz@uconn.edu.

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

This position will be filled subject the budgetary approval.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.