Department Head: Purdue University, Forestry and Natural Resources
Responsibilities: The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, invites applications for the position of Department Head. The principal focus of the Head is to provide visionary leadership working with a diverse group of outstanding faculty and staff in pursuit of excellence in research, teaching, and extension. The Head provides strategic direction to accomplish departmental objectives through continuing and expanding internal and external support; wise stewardship of human, financial, and physical resources; and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. The Head also is expected to serve as an advocate, liaison, and departmental representative within the university and with government agencies, lay and professional resource management groups, conservation organizations, related industries, and society at large. The Head is responsible for the departmental budget including nation-wide land holdings and endowments. Qualifications: Candidates must have an earned doctorate in a relevant field and be eligible for tenure at the rank of Full Professor. The Department Head must have demonstrated strong leadership, communication, and administrative abilities and an appreciation for the diverse interests and missions of the department. Candidates will be considered from academia, industry, or government. The successful candidate will have demonstrated an outstanding record of scholarly achievement as well as the ability to develop external financial support. The Opportunity: The department is a leader in the natural resource sciences. It consists of 26 faculty members, 32 administrative and professional staff, 13 clerical/service staff, and 252 undergraduate and 80 graduate students. The annual budget exceeds $11 million, with over 73% from sponsored research, gifts and endowment funds. The department currently has endowments exceeding $69 million that provide substantial resources used to support core departmental missions including re-investment in departmental programs. Interests of the faculty are diverse and encompass teaching, research and extension that advance knowledge of the natural resource sciences associated with the sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems locally and globally. The department's expertise includes ecological, natural resource and social sciences across many scales. Four undergraduate curricula are offered: forestry, fisheries and aquatic sciences, wildlife, and sustainable biomaterials: process and product design. The Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center and the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program are examples of federal-state-industry-university programs affiliated with the department. The College: The department is an integral part of the College of Agriculture, one of the world's leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences and ranked fifth globally in the 2015 QS World University Rankings. The college is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions (teaching, research, and extension), to international activities and perspectives that span all missions, and to supporting a diverse and inclusive environment focused on excellence in all we do. Purdue is an ADVANCE institution - www.purdue.edu/dp/advance. The college has 11 academic departments and includes 325 faculty, 2700 undergraduate students, and 677 graduate students. The college's strategic plan can be accessed at https://ag.purdue.edu/Pages/strategicplan.aspx. Application Procedure: Letters of interest should address the applicant's vision, leadership and administrative philosophy emphasizing their ability to foster research, teaching, extension missions of the department, development and international opportunities, and leadership experiences and qualifications; include a complete curriculum vitae and provide the names and contact information of five references. Nominations of outstanding individuals for the position are welcome. Initial nominations and inquiries will be kept confidential; references will be contacted only upon the applicant's approval. A background check is required for employment in this position. Applications, nominations, and inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Bernie Engel, Search Committee Chair, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Head Search, Purdue University, Office of the Dean of Agriculture, 615 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2053. Electronic submission is preferred and should be sent to [email protected]. Screening of applicants will begin December 7, 2015 and will continue until a suitable candidate is selected. Questions regarding the position may be sent to Dr. Engel at (765) 494-1162 ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>). Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. Tomas Höök 765-496-6799 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~thook/
