The Department of Forest Management at the University of Montana invites applications for the position of W.A. Franke Endowed Chair in Forest Conservation. This academic year tenure-track faculty position is open at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. We invite applications from candidates with expertise in disciplines relevant to forest conservation, such as (but not limited to): silviculture, forest ecology, tree physiology, reforestation and nursery practices, tribal forest management, forest carbon management, or forest-based natural climate solutions.
The Endowed Chair will advance the Department’s goal to provide innovation and leadership in the use of active forest management to achieve conservation outcomes. We seek an individual who embodies our institutional values, elevates the profession of Forestry within the broader field of conservation, and who will advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our Department welcomes applications from individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, including international scholars. We encourage applications from, and nominations of, women, persons of color, indigenous peoples, veterans, persons with disabilities and other individuals who can contribute to intellectual diversity and cultural richness.
Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will maintain an extramurally funded and innovative research program. The candidate will excel at translating their research into applications and solutions relevant to forest conservation, representing the Department of Forest Management’s commitment to addressing applied land management challenges. Teaching responsibilities include contributions to the Society of American Foresters accredited professional B.S. Forestry curriculum, graduate student instruction, and student mentoring (9 credits per year). Service and Outreach includes service to the department, college, and university, the profession of Forestry, to academic peers, and to professional land managers and decision makers.
Specific qualifications include:
- An earned doctorate in a relevant field AND at least one undergraduate or graduate degree with a primary major in forestry, forest management, forest science, or other closely-related natural resource discipline.
- Evidence, in the form of scholarly publications in peer-reviewed outlets, of potential to achieve professional distinction and national recognition in the candidate’s field.
- Demonstrated potential to develop a superior scholarship program with implications for active forest management to achieve forest conservation outcomes, with at least a portion relevant to western US forests.
- A commitment to excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate forestry education.
- A record of effective leadership and collaboration, with a commitment to ethics, openness, collegiality, and diversity.
About the College
The mission of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation is to advance research and education that fosters sustainability and empowers a holistic understanding of social-ecological systems. We work to realize these goals by adhering to the following qualities and principles: We are integrative thinkers, and our teaching, research, service, and outreach activities span a diversity of disciplinary boundaries and scales; We deliver outstanding academic experiences by promoting intellectual curiosity – through a combination of classroom and hands-on, field-based learning, student mentoring, and research opportunities – that translates to high-achieving, well-prepared students, and productive, meaningful student outcomes; We are highly motivated, productive, and innovative researchers, leaders in our research fields, and our graduate and undergraduate students take part in and contribute to cutting-edge science across a range of disciplines; Our research and outreach directly support state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private entities, and we enthusiastically engage with partners and professionals to connect our science and our teaching to address real-world challenges.
The W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation was founded in 1913 as the School of Forestry, and continues to support one of the first Forestry programs accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Today, the College includes programs in ecological, social and natural resource sciences, policy and management. College faculty are among the most productive researchers in the nation, nationally and internationally recognized for their research excellence. The College is also known for the quality of its graduates, and has produced many of the nation’s finest natural resource managers and scientists.
The Department of Forest Management (DFM) is one of three departments within the WA Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. The Forestry degree is a professional program of study accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Accreditation assures students and employers that graduates with a BS in Forestry from UM have the education and technical training necessary to qualify as a professional forester. At UM, we practice and teach conservation forestry, which is the active management of forested land for a wide range of social and ecological goals.
The College serves approximately 840 undergraduate students (65% nonresident) through four undergraduate degree programs and six minors that address diverse facets of today’s natural resource challenges: Forestry; Environmental Science and Sustainability; Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management; and Wildlife Biology. The College also offers five masters programs, three Ph.D. programs, and three certificate programs. Research and outreach activities are administered through the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, a state-wide agency of the Montana University System; it includes 14 programs, centers, and institutes. Within this structure are numerous cutting-edge initiatives in both research and teaching that promote integrative approaches to conservation.
The College faculty take pride in the attention devoted to teaching, research, and the application of science to complex problems. Considerable emphasis is placed on hands-on experience to supplement students’ academic work, through the use of well-equipped laboratories, extensive computer technology, international exchanges, field courses, and access to outstanding field research stations and nearby landscapes: the 28,000-acre Lubrecht Experimental Forest, the Flathead Lake Biological Station on the shores of Flathead Lake, the 3700-acre Bandy Experimental Ranch, and the Boone and Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch along the front range of the Northern Rockies.
How to Apply
Priority Application Date: Monday, November 14, 2022 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)
Complete applications received by this date will be guaranteed consideration. To receive full consideration, candidates are required to submit all of the following materials.
Please submit the following application materials** via the UM Jobs portal and by clicking “New Resume/CV” button. Please do not apply through Indeed.com*.
Complete applications must include:
- A letter of application (no more than 2 pages) addressing, with examples, the above-referenced responsibilities and requirements; a forward-looking statement of research and scholarship (2 page max); a teaching statement (2 page max); a diversity statement (1 page max) – collated into a single pdf document.
- Curriculum vita, as pdf.
- Names and contact information of three (3) professional references, as pdf.
*Applying through Indeed.com or easy apply through Indeed.com may result in submission of an incomplete application. Applications may be removed from full consideration if they are not complete with materials listed above under the “How to Apply” section. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure complete application materials are submitted and received by the date listed above.
**Please note: only five (5) attachments are allowed per application. Please combine documents accordingly.
IMPORTANT: Applications sent directly to the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation or the Search Committee Chair will not be considered or forwarded to Human Resource Services. Only applications submitted through the UM online applicant system will be considered.
Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to Offer of Employment. In accordance with University policy, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran’s Preference – Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References – *References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing – Individual hiring departments at UM-M may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility – All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).
Job Location Missoula, Montana, United States
Position TypeFull-Time/Regular