Position Title: Assistant Professor of Environmental Soil Physics/Vadose Zone Hydrology

Employee Classification: LC Faculty TT/TN 9m

College/Division: Agricultural,Consumer & Env Sci Col

Department: 301400-PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate:  Commensurate on education & experience

Appointment Full-time Equivalency:  1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt:  Exempt

Summary:  The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University welcomes applications for a 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor of Environmental Soil Physics or Vadose Zone Hydrology.

Classification Summary:
The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University welcomes applications for a 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor of Environmental Soil Physics or Vadose Zone Hydrology.

Classification Standard Duties:
The successful applicant will join a collaborative faculty of plant, soil, and environmental scientists who work to enhance the quality of life for the people of New Mexico and beyond through excellence in teaching, research, Extension, outreach, and service. The position is expected to contribute to the study and application of plant and environmental sciences to support agriculture and environmental sustainability while addressing global challenges, with particular emphasis on the southwestern U.S.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Ph.D. (awarded by hire date) in Soil Science, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Hydrology, or related discipline is required and must have completed all degree requirements by the appointment date.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Experience in environmental soil physics/vadose zone hydrology within the soil-plant-environment and will show a commitment to excellence.
Specific evidence of research and teaching experience in environmental soil physics/vadose zone hydrology.
Demonstrated ability to communicate with diverse audiences including students, academic, industry, and policy stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to publish research in leading research and academic outlets with success (or potential for success.
Proven track record or promise to bring external research funding.
Ability to contribute to undergraduate and graduate education and mentor diverse undergraduate and graduate students.
The desire and ability to collaborate with other scientists in multidisciplinary settings.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
This is a 9-month, full-time, tenure-track position with 35% research and 65% teaching effort which includes advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental soil physics or vadose zone hydrology with potential of developing and teaching artificial intelligence/machine learning for environmental applications, with an emphasis on developing or transitioning existing classes to an online format.

The successful applicant will join a collaborative faculty of plant, soil, and environmental scientists who work to enhance the quality of life for the people of New Mexico and beyond through excellence in teaching, research, Extension, outreach, and service. The position is expected to contribute to the study and application of plant and environmental sciences to support agriculture and environmental sustainability while addressing global challenges, with particular emphasis on the southwestern U.S.
We seek an integrative soil or environmental physicist/vadose zone hydrologist whose research and teaching interests address critical water use and conservation issues in New Mexico and beyond. The successful applicant will develop an extramurally funded research program that addresses basic and applied solutions to critical soil moisture, water use, and conservation issues in New Mexico and beyond, discovers requirements for water resource sustainability within arid and semi-arid environments, or assesses and understands the impacts of prolonged drought, climate change, and increasing aridity on available water supply, agricultural water utilization, and ecological sustainability. Potential research and teaching areas include but not limited to: the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to model complex soil and environmental processes such as water infiltration,
moisture storage, or fluid flow and solute transport in combination with field and laboratory measurements; the development of wireless soil sensors and loT applications to enable near real-time monitoring of soil moisture dynamics at fine spatial and temporal scales to provide instant feedback to farmers and land managers; the use of imaging techniques to visualize and understand soil structure in three dimensions to provide insight into soil pore and root networks with a focus on regenerative agricultural practices and/or range and forest systems. Collaboration with on- and off-campus colleagues, with a particular emphasis on NMSU's extensive agricultural science centers and the Jornada LTER is expected. Fostering collaborations and participate in activities and on research teams that support the work of the Center for Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems (CESFAS) is also expected.

The Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) Department is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, which is home to seven other academic departments, five extension departments, and approximately 150 faculty members and 1,800 students. PES consists of approximately 46 faculty and research scientists, and 160 undergraduate and 40 graduate students (MS and PhD). Teaching and research concentrations in PES include environmental, water and soil sciences, agronomy, horticulture, plant breeding and genetic improvement, molecular biology, plant physiology, and ecology. An active mentoring program is in place for new faculty to onboard with senior faculty and successfully progress through the faculty ranks. Research opportunities exist across NMSU's network of 12 Agricultural Science Centers located around the state,
including several facilities near the NMSU main campus. Core facilities for microscopy, advanced chemical and omics analysis, and high-performance computing are available to complement laboratory, greenhouse, and field experimental facilities. Opportunities exist to participate in undergraduate and graduate training programs sponsored by USDA, NIH, NSF, and HSI/MSI programs. Additionally, NMSU actively participates with numerous
state, tribal and federal agencies. For more information on PES, see https://pes.nmsu.edu.

Preferred Qualifications

Background in mathematical and experimental design and analysis; soil physics and vadose zone hydrology that is beneficial to the understanding and improving water resources; interest or experience in applying AI/ML (e.g., physics informed machine learning) to soil and hydrology research; experience or interest in research related to water management and agricultural productivity impacted by drought and climate change; desire to collaborate with other scientists in a multidisciplinary setting; postdoctoral work with attraction of extramural support; demonstrated evidence of engaging students, community members, and affiliated scientists on issues relating to soil science; and ability to develop a nationally recognized program in environmental soil physics.”

Special Requirements of the Position
*The following documents are required. Please include on the application:
-Your resume/cv
-Cover letter
-Transcript
-Statement of research interests (2 page maximum), and a statement of teaching philosophy and experience (2 page maximum)

Department Contact:  Colby Brungard, 575-646-1907, cbrung@nmsu.edu

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.