*POSITION DESCRIPTION * *Irving Woodlands Professorship in Forestry *
*University of Maine at Fort Kent * *Starting Date: July 2016 * *Ending Date: Renewed annually. Continuation contingent upon funding availability and successful annual performance * *PURPOSE * The Irving Woodlands Professorship is an endowed position that will support the A) technical forestry education needs of the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) and the forest industry, and B) research and monitoring of outcome-based forest management in Maine. The position is funded by a generous donation from Irving Woodlands, a major Canadian-based wood products company with extensive land-holdings and mills in Maine. This is a full-time, 12-month, fixed-length, non-tenure track position that will be located at the UMFK campus in Fort Kent, Maine. Responsibilities of the position will be 50% teaching and 50% research. The position will be renewable annually based on upon successful annual performance and funding availability. Funding provided by the endowment has the potential to support this position for five to ten years. Irving Woodlands also has reserved the right to provide additional funding above and beyond the original endowment to support the continued mission of the Irving Woodlands Professorship. *ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * *Teaching * Teaching responsibilities will be under the direction of the UMFK Applied Forest Management Program faculty on the UMFK campus. The Applied Forest Management program at UMFK is a five-semester, Associate of Science degree program with an emphasis on technical forestry education. The successful applicant will be expected to teach 12 credit hours per academic year in support of the program, including an introductory course in computer applications, GPS, and surveying, or other courses as assigned. The individual also will be expected to develop and teach courses in geospatial technologies that support multiple disciplines on campus, as well as for professionals working in the forestry industry. Other forestry courses may be considered based on the candidate’s expertise and interest. *Research * Research responsibilities will focus on supporting the mission of and be coordinated with the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU) at the University of Maine in Orono, ME. The CFRU is a forest industry / university research cooperative representing over 8 million acres of Maine’s northern forest (https://umaine.edu/cfru/). Research in this position will focus on remote sensing and other geospatial technologies that support outcome-based forest management and the long-term monitoring of forest sustainability, including landscape-scale water quality, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. Other approved research projects may be developed with the CFRU based on the candidate’s expertise and interest. *KNOWLEDGE & SKILL QUALIFICATIONS * Master’s degree (PhD preferred) with at least one degree (B.S. or higher) from a Society of American Foresters accredited forestry program. Strong expertise and demonstrated success in geospatial technologies including GIS and remote sensing, especially LiDAR. Experience working in forest research and/or significant work experience with geospatial technologies in forest management. Teaching experience in forestry and/or geospatial technology strongly preferred. Practical forestry experience preferred in silviculture, forest operations planning, or landscape management. Effective oral and written communication skills. Willingness and ability to work outdoors, in adverse weather conditions. Strong knowledge of field and laboratory safety procedures. Ability to travel normally requiring a valid driver’s license. *SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES * The employee may hire, supervise, and have formal authority of seasonal students and temporary employees. *WORK ENVIRONMENT * The position is located at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. However the employee will be expected to work out-of-doors at remote field locations in Northern Maine, sometimes in rough terrain and adverse weather conditions. Periodic travel to the University of Maine in Orono and to CFRU research sites across northern Maine is anticipated. Duties also will require lab work. Some overnight and weekend travel is expected. *WORK SCHEDULE * Work schedule will be variable based upon teaching schedule and research demands. Work beyond regular hours (which may include nights and weekends) will be necessary in order to meet the requirements of the position. The employee will establish regular office hours on campus, especially during semesters when teaching. -- Peter R. Nelson, PhD Assistant Professor Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies University of Maine - Fort Kent 23 University Dr., Fort Kent, ME, 04743 --- phone: 207.834.7683 --- email: [email protected] --- web: peterrnelson.weebly.com
