Professor and Chair, Department of Natural Resources Management

Professor and Chair, Department of Natural Resources Management

Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Texas Tech University

 

Position Description: 

Davis College is seeking an innova.ve, dynamic, collabora.ve, and entrepreneurial Chair of the Department of Natural Resources Management who will provide intellectual and strategic leadership for teaching, research, outreach and engagement, and service endeavors in the Department of Natural Resources Management, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The position of Chair of the Department of Natural Resources Management is a full-.me, 12-month, tenured, Professor to begin August 1st, 2024.

 

About the University:

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive,

Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research instituion in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School.  The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally compe,,ve workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, na,on, and world.

 

About the College:

Davis College includes the departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education and

Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resources Management, Plant and Soil Science, and Veterinary Sciences along with multiple research centers and institutes.  The College has over 100 tenure-track faculty, 2,687 undergraduate and 502 graduate students, numerous other staff employees, and generated approximately $14 million in extramural research funding.

 

About the Department/School/Area:

The Department of Natural Resources Management (NRM) (h]p://www.depts.]u.edu/nrm) is one of seven departments within the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University.  NRM recently celebrated their 50^th anniversary, which has its roots in agronomy, range management, and wildlife management, and has evolved to include a diverse array of exper.se and emphases within the broader array of natural resources management.  The Department is proud of its student-centric, research-intense, mul.disciplinary approach to undergraduate and graduate education.  Currently, there are 18 full-.me faculty, including three USGS scientist in the Texas Coopera.ve Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and 8 additional instructors.  Of these faculty, there are two endowed professorships (Kleberg and Burne] professorships), and one endowed chair (Bricker Chair) that support students and associated research programs of the chairholders.   The Department offers two B.S. degrees to 358 undergraduate students (B.S. in Conserva.on Law Enforcement; B.S. in Natural Resources Management) with five concentra.ons for the la]er (Wildlife Biology; Ranch Management; Range Conserva.on;

Conserva.on Science; & Aqua.c and Fisheries Biology); and two graduate degrees to 67 graduate students (M.S. and

Ph.D. in Wildlife, Aqua.c, and Wildlands Science and Management).  Broadly, research foci of faculty and students within NRM centers upon the applica.on of ecological principles to the management and use of natural resources, which is supported by ~$1.2M in external funding annually, and a departmentally managed vehicle fleet of >35 trucks.  Departmental research approaches range from tradi.onal applied projects on ecology and management of upland game birds, big game species, fire ecology, and habitat and range management, to more contemporary projects focused upon wildlife health, conserva.on of nongame species, wetland and aqua.c ecology, migratory birds, aqua.c systems ecology, and use of geospa.al technologies and eDNA surveillance of both rare and endangered species and non-na.ve invasive ones.  As part of Texas Tech’s culture to Strive for Excellence, NRM prides itself on strong rela.onships with alumni, stakeholders, federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organiza.ons that support our students, and research efforts across Texas, the southwestern US, and interna.onally.  The department plays an important role in the research enterprise at Texas Tech University, which is commi]ed to becoming an AAU ins.tu.on.

 

About Lubbock:

Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educa.onal, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the

South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse popula.on and a strong connec.on to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Aus.n, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan ci.es. Lubbock’s Conven,on & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories. 

 

Major/Essential Functions:

The successful applicant for this leadership posi.on will be one who has a strong background in Natural Resources Management, and who has a significant track record of excellence when working with external partners. The Chair of the Department of Natural Resources Management will be a driven and collabora.ve individual who supports research and teaching as cri.cal components of higher educa.on and who will help build future successes on the Department’s founda.on of past excellence. In addi.on, the successful applicant will be someone who exemplifies the Davis College core values: valuing people, commitment to excellence, fostering discovery, and eleva.ng others. We are looking for a strong leader who will help us meet our commitment to discovery, training, instruc.on, and engagement and outreach in key areas of natural resources. The successful department chair will be one who puts the success of the team and department above their individual accomplishments in the role. They must be one who appreciates interdisciplinary, experien.al, and systems-based learning. The successful candidate will be commi]ed to excellence throughout the discovery-to-applica.on con.nuum.

The Chair of the Department of Natural Resources Management will be appointed to a five-year renewable term, subject to annual reviews by the Dean and a sa.sfactory formal reappointment review.

 

Essential Functions

• Engage in leadership to implement the University’s academic and research goals, including campus-wide leadership in strategic areas to enhance the regional and na.onal research presence of the department, College, and the University.
• Interact with College leadership in strategic planning to foster the academic, research, and service growth of the department and College.
• Foster development of interdisciplinary academic and research programs in the College.
• Lead efforts to recruit and retain outstanding faculty, staff, and students, and to create an environment that fosters diversity, collegiality, and teamwork.
• Facilitate professional and academic growth and development of faculty, staff, and students.
• Provide leadership to the departmental faculty in planning, developing, integra.ng, and implemen.ng excellence in teaching, research, and outreach programs.
• Manage the department's human, financial, and physical resources.
• Assign responsibili.es to faculty and staff and evaluate their performance.
• Facilitate the pursuit of external grant and contract funding in the context of the departmental strategic goals.
• Ac.vely seek support and resources for departmental programs/facili.es and work with College development personnel on gip and endowment opportuni.es such as scholarships, graduate fellowships, and endowed chairs and professorships.
• Engage with professional socie.es, regional and na.onal organiza.ons, and commi]ees associated with the interests of the department.
• Represent departmental interests within the University and to outside agencies, stakeholders, and relevant industries.
• Provide leadership in maintaining and expanding rela.onships with alumni, individuals, and various groups involved in plant and soil science.
• Service du.es include program-building, as well as commitment to extra-curricular ac.vi.es. Service to the department, college, and university is expected.

 

Required Qualifications:

To be considered for the posi.on, candidates must have:

• A terminal degree in Natural Resources Management or closely related field.
• A strong record of academic accomplishments that will allow a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of professor in a Natural Resources Management Field.
• An outstanding record of peer-reviewed publica.ons in high-impact journals, outstanding extramural funding, and university and professional service.
• Experience in leading complex, mul.- or trans-disciplinary teams in high-impact and successful research.
• Excep.onal communica.on (both oral and wri]en) skills.
• Exemplary and visionary leadership skills, as evidenced by prior experience.
• A demonstrated and ongoing commitment to serving all people.
• Previous experience or other evidence of administra.ve ability to direct the ac.vi.es of a large academic department, and an ability to provide a clear vision and to plan strategically to achieve departmental goals and objec.ves.
• Effec.ve communica.on, personnel management skills, and demonstrated ability in fiscal management are essen.al. The successful applicant should have a track record of making .mely decisions and responding promptly to administra.ve deadlines. Highly refined verbal and wri]en communica.on skills and a commitment to sharing departmental accomplishments and its vision for the future with prospec.ve students, alumni, and stake- holders are indispensable.
• Demonstrated ability to create a shared vision and align resources to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Excep.onal skills in communica.on and interpersonal rela.ons.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Prior experience with documented success in higher-educa.on, industry, or government leadership.
• Documented ability to collaborate with partners, cons.tuencies, and other interested par.es, whether internal or external to the Department and University.
• A strong record of data-based decision making.
• Experience and successes in encouraging, suppor.ng, and developing entrepreneurial and/or start-up ac.vi.es.
• Experience in working with commodity groups, industry partners, and communi.es relevant to the academic fields within the Department.
• Documented experience in developing interna.onal programming.
• A record of excellence in founda.onal and/or transla.onal research evidenced by a porqolio of publica.ons, extramural funding, and collabora.on.
• A record of excellence in teaching and educa.ng students.
• Experience and successes in encouraging, suppor.ng, and mentoring junior faculty. 
• An ability to collaborate effec.vely with a broad range of cons.tuencies.
• Sensi.vity to the perspec.ves and values of students, staff, faculty, and stakeholders.

 

Safety Information:

Adherence to robust safety prac.ces and compliance with all applicable health and safety regula.ons are responsibili.es of all TTU employees.

 

Equal Opportunity Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive considera.on for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orienta.on, gender iden.ty, gender expression, na.onal origin, age, disability, gene.c informa.on or status as a protected veteran.

 

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Please include the following documents in your applica.on:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover le]er
3. Statement of leadership philosophy
4. List of three to five professional references

 

Ques.ons about this posi.on should be directed to Dr. Sco] Burris, Search Co-Chair, Department of Agricultural Educa.on and Communica.ons, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2132, Phone (806) 742-2821; email: 

sco].burris@]u.edu. If you need assistance with the applica.on process, contact Human Resources, Talent Acquisition at hrs.recruiting@ttu.edu or 806-742-3851.

 

Application Process:

The deadline to submit applica.ons is on April 5, 2024.

 

To ensure full considera.on, please complete an online application at: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/workattexastech/ 

Requisition # 36749BR