Career Opportunities

Byler Endowed Chair of Agricultural Sciences/Professor of Practice Position Title Byler Endowed Chair of Agricultural Sciences/Professor of Practice Requisition 202500129F Rank Professor of Practice FLSA Status Exempt Hiring Salary Commensurate with education and experience. Position Type Full-Time Non-Tenure Track College College of Science & Engineering Technology Department School of Agricultural Sciences Open Date 11/07/2025 Contact Name Dr. Marcy Beverly Contact Phone 936-294-1222 Contact Email mmbeverly@shsu.edu Duties Performed In The Usual Course Of The Job This role involves identifying and developing industry relations and strategic partnerships. The Endowed Chair will work with school and college leadership and external partners to design and provide collaborative industry initiatives, internship programs and financial support. The Endowed Chair will also collaborate with university partners to develop and execute fundraising strategies, as well as cultivate and steward alumni and donors. Typical teaching load will be a minimum of 3 credit hours per semester. Responsibilities include a contribution to impactful research and service to benefit the school, college, alumni, donors and the agricultural industry stakeholders. Educational Requirements For The Position Significant leadership experience in the agriculture industry is required. In addition, a Master of Science or earned Doctorate (ABD candidates may be considered). A degree in Agriculture: Animal Science, Agricultural Business, Plant & Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering Technology, or closely related agriculture fields from an accredited University is required. Experience Required For The Position Candidates should have established leadership standing within the Texas agricultural industry and a thorough understanding of all aspects of the Texas agriculture industry. Preferred experience includes working with senior leadership, collaborating with industry stakeholders, and establishing donor relationships. Submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae/resume by uploading these documents into the application portal. Official transcripts for all university work should be sent directly to the search committee chair. Ethical Employment & EEO Statement Sam Houston State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and Smoke/Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or protected veteran status. The University takes seriously the initiative to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce and to comply with Title VII as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Optional Job Function & Industry Tags • Business Development and Sales • Online Audio and Video Media

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida seeks a Lecturer in the Food and Resource Economics Department. This 12-month, full-time, non-tenure-accruing position will teach undergraduate courses in agricultural economics and agribusiness both on-campus and online, and will actively seek contract and grant funding to support the program. The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, advise and mentor undergraduates,

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics starting August 2027. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The role emphasizes teaching, research, and service within the Agricultural Business Department. The position requires a Ph.D. in a closely related field and a strong record or potential for external funding, excellent teaching, and commitment to

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF . This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. Tenure will accrue in the Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering. The faculty member will actively seek contract and grant funding to support their program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in their program area. This position is part of a cohort of new hires for the GCREC Agricultural AI Institute that will focus on the advancement of applied artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture with an emphasis on automation and efficiency within specialty crop production. This position advances the Institute's research mission by developing and applying next-generation decision intelligence methodologies that transform agricultural data into actionable management recommendations. The successful candidate will establish an internationally recognized research program focused on prescriptive AI for agriculture, integrating reinforcement learning, causal inference, optimization, and agentic AI systems to enable autonomous and human-centered decision making. Primary responsibilities include conducting innovative research in decision-focused AI for agriculture; developing reinforcement learning frameworks for adaptive farm management; advancing causal inference methods to improve decision making from observational and experimental data; designing agentic AI systems capable of planning, reasoning, and coordinating agricultural operations; creating prescriptive decision support systems for farm resource allocation, including things such as labor, equipment, water, fertilizer, and crop protection inputs. The specialist will play a key role in technology transfer, translating advances in decision intelligence into practical tools and workflows with potential for adoption by producers, industry, and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop user-centered decision support systems The decision intelligence specialist will contribute to extension activities by training extension specialists and industry representatives on the use of decision support technologies and the integration of those technologies into current production systems. Candidates with strong academic backgrounds that also demonstrate the ability to work with applied systems will be preferred. The candidate will have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment consisting of industry partners and faculty in agricultural and biological engineering, economics, entomology, horticulture, microbiology, plant pathology, plant breeding, and weed science. Candidates should possess the interest, skills, and temperament to interact and collaborate effectively with other researchers. The GCREC Agricultural AI Institute emphasizes team approaches to problem solving. A successful candidate is expected to embrace all three missions of Research, Extension, and Teaching of the Land-grant university system. The candidate is required to establish a strong, externally funded, research program, and promote his/her research activity and leadership in professional societies as well as sustained publication activity in top scientific journals. The candidate is encouraged to collaborate with other faculty and research partners, creating synergy both inside and outside of the University of Florida. The successful candidate will participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, dissertation and undergraduate research, and publishing research results with students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising and may teach courses and seminars. Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas—Research, Teaching and Extension—regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description. Background Information: The University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) is a nationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary research, Extension, and graduate education supporting Florida's specialty crop industries. The Center is in Wimauma, approximately 35 minutes from downtown Tampa. GCREC is home to more than 20 faculty whose expertise spans artificial intelligence, automation, engineering, geomatics, horticulture, plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, horticulture, national resource management, and precision agriculture. The center offers exceptional research infrastructure, including modern laboratories and offices, greenhouses, approximately 500 acres of research farm, and housing for up to 34 graduate students. This position will be housed in the new Agricultural AI Institute, a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and precision agriculture for specialty crop production. The Institute is designed to foster innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, and features newly constructed offices, collaborative research space, advanced engineering and computer science laboratories, fabrication and prototyping shops, and dedicated training facilities. The Agricultural AI Institute provides an exceptional environment for developing transformative technologies while working alongside leading researchers, students, and industry partners to shape the future of agriculture. The Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department is a unit in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida and has a variety of teaching, research and extension education programs. The Department is comprised of 34 faculty members located on the Gainesville campus, 6 faculty located across the state at research and education centers, 7 courtesy faculty and 20 support personnel (see website), and consistently ranks in the top 5 Agricultural and Biological Engineering programs nationwide. Instilling excellence in research, leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship are ABE's highest priorities. At ABE, the candidate will join a dynamic, cross-disciplinary group of researchers, and will enjoy broad opportunities for collaborations with existing teams, including those studying biofilm systems and biosensors, biofuels, coupled natural and human ecosystems, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, climate variability and change, crop modeling, hydrology and water quality. The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

Sam Houston State University seeks Lecturer-Pool Faculty of Agricultural Sciences for part-time positions. The successful candidates will teach up to four courses per semester at various campus locations, depending on demand. Candidates are required to hold a Master's degree in a related field, with teaching experience preferred. The positions are open for the Summer and Fall 2026 semesters.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF . This is a 9-month position that will be 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available in the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. This assignment may change in accordance with the needs of the unit. This is a non-tenure track position located at GCREC with the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering as the home department. The faculty member will seek contract and grant funding actively to support their program. The faculty member will engage in Extension activities in their program area. This position is part of a cohort of new hires for the GCREC Agricultural AI Institute that will focus on advancing artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics for specialty crop production. The successful candidate is expected to work within a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, and will join engineers, computer scientists, horticultural scientists, and AI researchers to develop innovative technologies that improve the productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture. This position advances the Center's research mission by designing, developing, and evaluating innovative mechanization and automation solutions that address critical labor challenges facing the specialty crop industry. As a non-tenure-track Mechanical Engineer, the successful candidate will lead the engineering design, fabrication, and field evaluation of agricultural equipment and robotic systems, including transplanters, crop management tools, mechanical harvesting technologies, harvest aids, and human-machine interactive systems. The successful candidate is expected to collaborate closely with faculty, students, growers, equipment manufacturers, and agricultural technology companies to accelerate the translation of research into commercially viable products and support the successful commercialization and adoption of innovative agricultural technologies. The successful candidate will participate actively in undergraduate and graduate education by chairing and serving on graduate committees, supervising thesis, dissertation and undergraduate research, and publishing research results with students. Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional development activities related to teaching and advising and may teach courses and seminars. Background Information: The University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) is a nationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary research, Extension, and graduate education supporting Florida's specialty crop industries. The Center is in Wimauma, approximately 35 minutes from downtown Tampa. GCREC is home to more than 20 faculty whose expertise spans artificial intelligence, automation, engineering, geomatics, horticulture, plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, horticulture, national resource management, and precision agriculture. The center offers exceptional research infrastructure, including modern laboratories and offices, greenhouses, approximately 500 acres of research farm, and housing for up to 34 graduate students. This position will be housed in the new Agricultural AI Institute, a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and precision agriculture for specialty crop production. The Institute is designed to foster innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, and features newly constructed offices, collaborative research space, advanced engineering and computer science laboratories, fabrication and prototyping shops, and dedicated training facilities. The Agricultural AI Institute provides an exceptional environment for developing transformative technologies while working alongside leading researchers, students, and industry partners to shape the future of agriculture. The University of Florida's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is founded on developing, teaching, and applying engineering principles to improve and sustain agricultural and biological systems for current and future generations. Our programmatic expertise on these complex systems ranges from nano to global scales, integrating anthropogenic and sociological aspects to natural and managed systems. The UF/IFAS ABE department continually transcends disciplinary boundaries to create synergy among different knowledge areas for designing, quantifying, assessing, and managing engineering solutions for natural and managed systems. The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Expected Salary: Commensurate with Experience and Education We Offer Exceptional Benefits! Required Qualifications: A doctorate in Engineering, Ag engineering, or a related field is required. A Masters degree plus at least ten years of experience may be substituted for the doctorate. Candidates should have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and proven ability to participate in collaborative efforts and procurement of external funding. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the University Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values. Preferred: We seek an applied, interdisciplinary engineer with experience with equipment design, prototyping, and field evaluation of agricultural technologies. Experience with horticultural crops, field machinery, sensors, or precision-ag systems is desirable. Special Instructions to Applicants: For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit materials by August 30, 2026. The position will remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined. Employment Conditions This position is available immediately and will be filled when an acceptable applicant has been identified. Compensation is commensurate with the education, experience, and qualifications of the selected applicant. Nominations Nominations are welcome. Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. This information should be sent to: Please refer to Requisition # 540798 Dr. Johan Desaeger Chair, Search and Screen Committee Entomology and Nematology, GCREC University of Florida 14625 County Road 672 Wimauma, FL, 33598 Telephone: 813-419-6592 Electronic Mail: jad@ufl.edu Application Information • Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit: • Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above • Curriculum vitae • Contact information (including email addresses) for four individuals willing to write letters of recommendation • Unofficial transcripts • Selected candidates will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws.