Assistant Professor in Controlled Environments Full Time

This is a 9-month tenure-accruing position that will be 60% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences-CALS/Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering-HWCOE) and 40% research (Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station). Tenure will accrue in ABE. Candidates are expected to develop a
research program related to the technology for controlled environments such as those used in
greenhouses, indoor farms, plant factories, vertical farming, plant growth chambers or similar systems.
These research efforts should be in support of sustainable agricultural production systems related to
water and energy through automation and optimization.

The ABE department has two undergraduate teaching programs, the Biological Engineering (BE)
Program and the Agricultural Operations Management (AOM) Program. BE currently includes four
concentrations – Biosystems Engineering, Land and Water Resources Engineering, Packaging
Engineering, and Agricultural Production Engineering. The AOM program focuses on the application of
technology used in agriculture and natural systems management with the integration of business
management concepts. The candidate will contribute to teaching and research in areas related to both
the BE and AOM programs.

Duties will include: (1) developing courses and curriculum focused on controlled environments that
include students from both the Biological Engineering (BE) and the Agricultural Operations
Management (AOM) degree programs; (2) providing support to the BE ABET accreditation process by
working with other faculty involved in this effort; (3) recruiting, advising, and mentoring undergraduate
and graduate students in the BE and AOM programs; (4) planning and conducting a high quality,
externally funded and productive research program in the area of controlled environments with scholarly
publications in refereed journals; and (5) contributing to the Department’s overall goals in scholarship
and research. The candidate will be expected to transfer technology through collaborative work with
extension professionals.

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. The research and teaching FTE assignment may change in accordance with the
needs of the unit.

Qualifications
Required: A doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in Agricultural and Biological Engineering or
closely related field is required. One degree must be in an engineering discipline. Candidates must have
demonstrated skills in interpersonal relationships, verbal and written communication including scholarly
publications, procurement of extramural funding, and provide evidence of teaching or similar
experiences. It is required that candidates demonstrate expertise in research on controlled environments
for agricultural systems with two or more of the following:

 Systems integration of technology
 Automation and sensing technology
 IoT, control theory, and wireless technology
 Use of machine learning

Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a
commitment to IFAS core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.
Preferred: Candidates that demonstrate procurement of extramural funding, curriculum development,
and have evidence of interdisciplinary work experiences across multiple organizations/departments are
desirable. Knowledge and experience with new trends and techniques in controlled environment are
desirable such as those related to HVAC, heat transfer, image processing, or robotics. Postdoctoral and
other professional experience including teaching experience in engineering education are highly
desirable.

Background Information:
The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution,
encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than
53,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences (http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
(http://cals.ufl.edu), the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service (http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College of Veterinary Medicine
(http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu), the Florida Sea Grant program (http://www.flseagrant.org/ ), 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. IFAS employs over 2500 people, which
includes approximately 900 faculty and 1200 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 Senior 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.

More information about the ABE Department can be found at https://abe.ufl.edu/. The UF/IFAS ABE
Department is ranked 4 th in graduate programs and 6 th in undergraduate programs by US News & World
Report. The program offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in both the HWCOE and CALS and
minors in Precision Agriculture and Packing Science.

Employment Conditions
This position is available August 16, 2019, will be filled as soon thereafter as an acceptable applicant is
available. 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 # 42548
Dr. Melanie Correll
Chair, Search and Screen Committee
University of Florida
Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department
PO Box 110570

Gainesville, FL 32611-0940
Telephone: 352-294-6722
Facsimile: 352-392-4092
Electronic Mail: correllm@ufl.edu

Application Information
Individuals wishing to apply should go online to http://apply.interfolio.com/59223 and submit:

o Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the
credentials listed above
o Curriculum vitae
o Contact information (including email addresses) for three references
o Philosophy of Teaching Statement
o Statement of Research

Selected candidate 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).

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). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the
US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and
inclusive faculty and staff. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is committed to creating an
environment that affirms diversity across a variety of dimensions, including ability, class, ethnicity/race,
gender identity and expression. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an
environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. The University
and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor
recreational activities, and social opportunities.